Athena
| Athena | |
|---|---|
|
Goddess of Wisdom, Warfare, Divine Intelligence, Architecture, and Crafts[1] Patron Goddess of Athens[1] | |
 }Marble Greek copy signed "Antiokhos", a first-century BC variant of Phidias' fifth-century Athena Promachos that stood on the Acropolis | |
| Abode | Mount Olympus, Athens |
| Symbol | Owls, Snakes, Aegis, Armor, Helmets, Spears, |
| Parents | Metis; and Zeus; |
| Siblings | Artemis, Aphrodite, the Muses, the Graces, Ares, Apollo, Dionysus, Hebe, Hermes, Heracles, Helen of Troy, Hephaestus, Minos, Perseus, Porus |
| Roman equivalent | Minerva |
A Greek Goddess, known as the Roman goddess Minerva or Pallas. Daughter of Zeus, half-brother of Perseus. She is goddess War, Weaving. Her characteristics are goatskin and shield
Athena, the patron of the city of Athens, is commonly linked with the subject of war. She is always depicted in armor and is said to be the keeper of Zeus's shield, the Aegis, and his helmet
snow-capped Olympus shook to its foundation; the glad earth re-echoed her martial shout; the billowy sea became agitated; and Helios, the sun-god, arrested his fiery steeds in their headlong course to welcome this wonderful emanation from the godhead.
She was permitted to hurl the thunderbolts, to prolong the life of man, and to bestow the gift of prophecy. Athena was the only divinity whose authority was equal to that of Zeus She was the patroness of learning, science, and art, more particularly where these contributed directly towards the welfare of nations. She presided over all inventions connected with agriculture, invented the plough, and taught mankind how to use oxen for farming purposes. She also instructed mankind in the use of numbers, trumpets, chariots and presided over the building of the Argo, thereby encouraging the useful art of navigation. She also taught the Greeks how to build the wooden horse
The fact of Athena having been born clad in armour, which merely signified that her virtue and purity were unassailable, has given rise to the erroneous supposition that she was the presiding goddess of war; but has a deeper meaning.
The shield given to her by her father as a means of defence, which, when in danger, she swung so swiftly round and round that it kept at a distance all antagonistic influences; hence her name Pallas, from pallo, I swing. In the centre of this shield, which was covered with dragon's scales, bordered with serpents, and which she sometimes wore as a breastplate, was the awe-inspiring head of the Medusa In the Odyssey, Athena has an protective relationship with Odysseus My own heart is broken for Odysseus(Odyssey 3).
Odysseus reaches the city that Nausikaa leads him to, Athena pours a sea fog around him to protect him, and she takes on the form of a small girl in order to show him the way to the palace (Odyssey 111-112). Once Athena leads Odysseus home to Ithaka, she disguises herself as a shepherd boy and makes conversation with her beloved Odysseus (Odyssey 238). However, she eventually transforms herself into her natural state and says: Two of a kind, we are, contrivers, both. Of all the men alive you are the best in plots and story telling. My own fame is for wisdom among the gods - deceptions too. Would even you have guessed that I am Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus, I that am always with you in times of trial, a shield to you in battle (Odyssey 240).
In Homer's Iliad, she tells Ares, the god of war, not to fight and leave the matter of the outcome of the Trojan war to Zeus. However, Athena continues to fight for the Achaean side (Iliad 165).
As Zeus mocked them, they [Athena and Hera] huddled together to continue plotting Troy's destruction (Iliad 146).
She was also the goddess of spinning a weaving and wove a robe for Hera and a cloak for Jason. She challenged Arachne to a spinning contest in human guise. She lost and was so mad that she hit Arachne with a shuttle. When Arachne found out that the old woman she had competed against was Athena she despaired as to what would happen to her and hanged herself. Finding the suspended body of Arachne, Athena turned her into a spider
Her most celebrated temple was the Parthenon, which stood on the Acropolis at Athens, and contained her world-renowned statue by Phidias, which ranks second only to that of Zeus by the same great artist. This colossal statue was 39 feet high, and was composed of ivory and gold; its majestic beauty formed the chief attraction of the temple. It represented her standing erect, bearing her spear and shield; in her hand she held an image of Nike, and at her feet there lay a serpent.
She is referenced in the following articles
warning.pngSome part "<nowiki>…</nowiki>" of the query was not understood.| Character | Metis +, Zeus +, Artemis +, Aphrodite +, Ares +, Apollo +, Helen of Troy +, Hephaestus +, Minos +, Perseus +, Porus +, Medusa +, Odysseus +, Nausikaa +, Hera +, Arachne + and Nike + |
| Characteristic | Goatskin + and Shield + |
| God of | War + and Weaving + |
| Offspring of | Zeus + |
| Place | Ithaka + and Athens + |
| Sibling of | Perseus + |
