| “ | Of Pallas Athene, guardian of the city, I begin to sing. Dread is she, and with Ares she loves deeds of war, the sack of cities and the shouting and the battle. It is she who saves the people as they go out to war and come back. | „ |
| ~ Homeric hymn to Athena |
Athena, also known as Minerva, is the Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, philosophy, justice, law, mathematics, strength, arts, crafts, skill and reason.
Overview[]
She represents just decisions and strategic warfare and is the only goddess allowed to carry Zeus' thunderbolts. She led battles as the disciplined, strategic side of war, in contrast to her brother Ares, the patron of violence, blood-lust and slaughter.
Athena, as a war goddess, inspired and fought alongside the Greek heroes; her aid was synonymous with military prowess. Zeus, the chief god, specifically assigned the sphere of war to Ares, the god of war, and Athena. Athena's moral and military superiority to Ares derived in part from the fact that she represented the intellectual and civilized side of war and the virtues of justice and skill, whereas Ares represented mere blood lust.
Her superiority also derived in part from the vastly greater variety and importance of her functions and from the patriotism of Homer's predecessors, Ares being of foreign origin. In the Iliad, Athena was the divine form of the heroic, martial ideal: she personified excellence in close combat, victory, and glory. The qualities that led to victory were found on the aegis, or breastplate, that Athena wore when she went to war: fear, strife, defense, and assault.
Appearance[]
She was depicted as a beautiful woman crowned with a crested helm, armed with a shield (the Aegis) and spear. She was accompanied by either an owl or an snake, her symbolic animals. She was also known as a shapeshifter, taking the form of various humans and animals when observing or helping mortals, such as when helping Achilles and Odysseus.
History[]
Origins[]
Athena is the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Metis. Being the father, Zeus learned that Metis' children would overthrow him like he had overthrown his father. Afraid of this, he swallowed Metis. Unknowing that Metis was pregnant, she gave birth to Athena inside Zeus, and trained her. Zeus had a splitting headache, and asked the god of forge and fire, Hephaestus, to cut open his skull. Smashing Zeus' head with his mighty ax, Hephaestus split Zeus' skull, and out sprung Athena, dressed in full battle armor.
Dispute over Athens[]
Athena competed with Poseidon for the patronage of Athens. They agreed that each would give the Athenians one gift and that Cecrops, the king of Athens, would determine which gift was better. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and a salt water spring sprang up; this gave the Athenians access to trade and water. Athens at its height was a significant sea power, defeating the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis—but the water was salty and undrinkable.
Medusa's Downfall[]
Two of Athena's most infamous tales involves the creation of the Gorgon Medusa and Arachne. Medusa is described as having been a young priestess who served in the temple of Athena in Athens. Poseidon lusted after Medusa, and raped her in the temple of Athena, refusing to allow her vow of chastity to stand in his way. Upon discovering the desecration of her temple, Athena transformed Medusa into a hideous monster with serpents for hair whose gaze would turn any mortal to stone.
Guider of Greek Heroes[]
Athena advised Argos, the builder of the Argo, the ship on which the hero Jason and his band of Argonauts sailed, and aided in the ship's construction. Athena guided the hero Perseus in his quest to behead Medusa. She and Hermes, the god of travelers, appeared to Perseus after he set off on his quest and gifted him with tools he would need to kill the Gorgon. Athena gave Perseus a polished bronze shield to view Medusa's reflection rather than looking at her directly and thereby avoid being turned to stone. Hermes gave him an adamantine scythe to cut off Medusa's head. When Perseus swung his blade to behead Medusa, Athena guided it, allowing his scythe to cut it clean off. According to Pindar's Thirteenth Olympian Ode, Athena helped the hero Bellerophon tame the winged horse Pegasus by giving him a bit.
Arachne's Arrogance[]
Arachne (whose name means spider in ancient Greek) was the daughter of a famous dyer in Tyrian purple in Hypaipa of Lydia, and a weaving student of Athena. She became so conceited of her skill as a weaver that she began claiming that her skill was greater than that of Athena herself. Athena gave Arachne a chance to redeem herself by assuming the form of an old woman and warning Arachne not to offend the deities. Arachne scoffed and wished for a weaving contest, so she could prove her skill.
Athena wove the scene of her victory over Poseidon in the contest for the patronage of Athens. Athena's tapestry also depicted the 12 Olympian gods and defeat of mythological figures who challenged their authority. Arachne's tapestry featured twenty-one episodes of the deities' infidelity, including Zeus being unfaithful with Leda, with Europa, and with Danaë. It represented the unjust and discrediting behavior of the gods towards mortals. Athena admitted that Arachne's work was flawless, but was outraged at Arachne's offensive choice of subject, which displayed the failings and transgressions of the deities. Finally, losing her temper, Athena destroyed Arachne's tapestry and loom, striking it with her shuttle. Athena then struck Arachne across the face with her staff four times. Arachne hanged herself in despair, but Athena took pity on her and brought her back from the dead in the form of a spider.
Power and Abilities[]
Athena is one of Zeus's most powerful children. She is the patron goddess of arts and crafts, like metalworking and weaving. As goddess of wisdom, she offered wise counsel and helped promote civilization, law, order and justice. Athena inspired artists to produce the finest arts. The Athenians believed her to be resourceful and having forethought and memory.
With her full power, Athena is capable of commanding owls and snakes, enveloping the entire world in darkness, negating all modern technology, and preventing fires from burning. She has some power over the earth as well, usually shaping it into giant snakes which she uses to attack with, and has the power to awaken dormant volcanoes.
