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At least some content in this article is derived from information featured in: Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells & Harry Potter: Magic Awakened. |
- "So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death!"
- — The Tale of the Three Brothers by Beedle the Bard[src]
Antioch Peverell (fl. 1214) was a pure-blood[3] wizard, the eldest brother of Cadmus and Ignotus. Antioch, like his brothers, was skilled in the magical arts, but personally was described as being a "combative man". Antioch and his brothers were the inspiration for the The Tale of the Three Brothers and thus the original masters of the Deathly Hallows.[4]
Antioch was said to have possessed the Elder Wand,[4] though beyond Dumbledore's theory that he had crafted it himself and the story saying he had been murdered in his sleep for it, the exact circumstances of this are unknown.[5]
Biography[]
Meeting Death[]
In the The Tale of the Three Brothers, the Peverell brothers are described as having received the Hallows from Death himself, after using their magical talents to cross a treacherous river that would have assuredly killed them otherwise.
Antioch, for his prize, asked for "a wand more powerful than any other in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death!" and so Death crossed to a nearby Elder tree on the banks of the river, made a wand from a branch, and gave it to Antioch.[4]
Ownership of the Elder Wand and Death[]
Later, the three brothers separated. Antioch travelled towards a distant village, and sought out a wizard with whom he had a quarrel. With the Elder Wand as his weapon, Antioch easily won the duel that followed and killed his opponent. Leaving his enemy dead, Antioch lodged in an inn to celebrate. In the inn he drunkenly boasted loudly of the powerful wand he had snatched "from Death himself", and of how it made him invincible.
That night, as he slept, another wizard crept upon him, stole the wand, and slit his throat to make sure Antioch was unable to come after the thief afterwards.[4]
Post-mortem[]
Following his death, Antioch was laid to rest in the churchyard by the Parish Church of St. Clementine, in Godric's Hollow, along with his brothers Cadmus and Ignotus.[6]
Antioch was a distant relative of both Tom Marvolo Riddle and Harry Potter, as each was descended from one of his brothers, Cadmus Peverell and Ignotus Peverell respectively.[7]
Personality and traits[]
According to The Tale of the Three Brothers, Antioch was a man who desired beyond everything to be an all powerful wizard. Although he was already very powerful, he was not satisfied and immediately took his chance to gain a wand from Death that would make him unbeatable. Antioch's desire for such power made him blind to Death's true intentions, however, and he later proved to be very self-indulgent and weak-willed when he boasted about how powerful his new wand was to the public. Antioch was very irresponsible and unwise in this manner, consuming a dangerous amount of alcohol then leaving his wand and himself unprotected on the night of his murder. Antioch's recklessness and egotism caused him to be the first of the Peverell brothers to fall into Death's cunning hands.[4] He was also the only one of the three who did not die willingly.
Magical abilities and skills[]
- Transfiguration: Antioch and his brothers were capable of using Conjuration, a highly advanced form of magic to create a bridge stable enough to walk across (in the tale).[4]
- Duelling: Antioch was very skilled in martial magic and was capable of killing an opponent in a duel and coming out of the battle unscathed, though this was mostly due to his wielding of the Elder Wand (according to the tale).[4]
- Wandmaking (possibly): No one knows for certain how Antioch came to possess the Elder Wand. Although The Tales of Beedle the Bard claimed that the wand was given to Antioch by Death,[4] however others, such as Albus Dumbledore, theorised that Antioch created the wand himself.[5]
Etymology[]
- His name may be a reference to the city of Antioch, a chief centre of early Christianity.
- "Antiochos" was, among other things, the name of several kings of the Hellenic Seleucid Empire.[8]
- The name "Antiochus" may refer to a number of figures in Greek mythology.[9]
Behind the scenes[]
- Albus Dumbledore believed it was more likely that the Deathly Hallows were invented by the Peverell brothers themselves, which would make Antioch the creator of the Elder Wand. Whether the account of his death from The Tales of Beedle the Bard is accurate is unknown. Given that there are no mean for Beedle to know of what really happened, it is assumed that it was simply fictionalised by Beedle.
- In the novel and film his killer slits his throat, but in the console versions of the video game, the thief kills him with the Killing Curse. In LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 however, he was snatched by Death along with his brothers.
Appearances[]
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (First mentioned)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (Appears in flashback(s))
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game) (Appears in flashback(s))
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard (First appearance)
- Pottermore (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter (website) (Mentioned only)
- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7
- Harry Potter: Wizards Unite (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells (Mentioned only)
- Harry Potter: Magic Awakened (Mentioned in History of Magic classes)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ Harry Potter Film Wizardry (see this image) As Antioch is the oldest of the three brothers, he must have been born before Ignotus.
- ↑ Harry Potter Film Wizardry (see this image) As Antioch dies first of the three brothers, his date of death must be before Ignotus'
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 22 (The Deathly Hallows) - "The only place I’ve managed to find the name ‘Peverell’ is Nature’s Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. I borrowed it from Kreacher,” she explained as Ron raised his eyebrows. “It lists the pure-blood families that are now extinct in the male line. Apparently the Peverells were one of the earliest families to vanish.”"
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 21 (The Tale of the Three Brothers)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 35 (King's Cross)
- ↑ Pottermore - Explore the story: "Godric's Hollow graveyard"
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 22 (The Deathly Hallows)
- ↑ Antiochus on Wikipedia
- ↑ Antiochus (mythology) on Wikipedia
Elder Wand | |||
Death (manufacturer) · Antioch Peverell · Antioch Peverell's killer · Emeric the Evil · Egbert the Egregious · Godelot · Hereward · Barnabas Deverill · Loxias · Arcus or Livius · Mykew Gregorovitch · Gellert Grindelwald · Albus Dumbledore · Draco Malfoy (master only) · Tom Riddle (owner only) · Harry Potter · (Interred) | |||
Resurrection Stone | |||
Death (manufacturer) · Cadmus Peverell · (generations of Gaunts) · Marvolo Gaunt · Morfin Gaunt · Tom Riddle · Albus Dumbledore · Harry Potter · (Lost) | |||
Cloak of Invisibility | |||
Death (manufacturer) · Ignotus Peverell · Ignotus Peverell's son · Iolanthe Potter · (generations of Potters) · Henry Potter · Fleamont Potter · James Potter (I) · Albus Dumbledore (owner only) · Harry Potter · James Sirius Potter · Albus Potter |