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Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena (Greek: Ἀθηνᾶ, Athēnâ, or Ἀθήνη,
Athénē; Doric: Ἀσάνα, Asána) was the goddess of civilization,
specifically wisdom, weaving, crafts, and war. Athena's wisdom
encompasses the technical knowledge employed in weaving, metal
working, and war, but also includes the cunning intelligence (metis)
of such trickster figures as Odysseus. Owl and olive trees are
sacred to her.
She is attended by an owl, wears a goatskin breastplate called the
Aegis given to her by her father, Zeus, and is accompanied by the
goddess of victory, Nike. She is often shown helmeted and with a
shield bearing
the Gorgon Medusa's head, a votive gift of Perseus.
Athena is an armed warrior goddess, and appears in Greek
mythology as a helper of many heroes, including Heracles, Jason,
and Odysseus. She never had a consort or lover, and thus was
often known as Athena Parthenos ("Athena the virgin"), hence her
most famous temple, the Parthenon, on the Acropolis in Athens.
In her role as a protector of the city, Athena was worshipped
throughout the Greek world as Athena Polias ("Athena of the city").
She had a special relationship with Athens, as is shown by the
etymological connection of the names of the goddess and the city.
Athena is associated with Athens, a plural name because it was the place
where she presided over her sisterhood, the Athenai, in earliest times.
Athena was probably already a goddess in the Aegean in prehistoric
times.There is evidence that in early times, Athena was an owl herself, or a
bird goddess in general. In Book 3 of the Odyssey, she takes the form of a
sea-eagle. Her tasseled aegis may be the remnants of wings:
she is depicted with wings on Archaic red-figure pottery.
Athena is associated with Athens, a
plural name because it was the place
where she presided over her
sisterhood, the Athenai, in earliest
times.
Athena was probably already a
goddess in the Aegean
in prehistoric times.There is evidence
that in early times, Athena was an
owl herself, or a bird goddess in
general.
In Book 3 of the Odyssey,
she takes the form of a sea-eagle.
Her tasseled aegis may be the
remnants of wings:
she is depicted with wings on Archaic
red-figure pottery.
Fragments attributed to the
semi-legendary Phoenician
historian Sanchuniathon, said to
have written before the Trojan
war, make Athena the daughter
of Cronus, a king of Byblos who
is said to have visited
'the inhabitable world' and
bequeathed Attica to Athena.
In the Olympian pantheon, Athena was remade as the favorite daughter of Zeus, born
fully armed from his forehead. The story of her birth comes in several versions. In the
one most commonly cited, Zeus lay with Metis, the goddess of crafty thought and
wisdom, but immediately feared the consequences. It had been prophesied that Metis
would bear children more powerful than the sire,even Zeus himself. In order to forestall
these dire consequences, Zeus transformed Metis into a fly and swallowed her
immediately after lying with her. He was too late: Metis had already conceived a child.
Metis immediately began making a helmet and robe for her fetal daughter. The
hammering as she made the helmet caused Zeus great pain and Prometheus,
Hephaestus, Hermes or Palaemon (depending on the sources examined) cleaved Zeus's
head with the double-headed Minoan axe (labrys). Athena leaped from Zeus's head, fully
grown and armed, and Zeus was none the worse for the experience.
Athena was patron of the crafts,
wisdom and battle.
Unlike Ares, who was hot-headed
in battle (as well as cowardly),
Athena's domain was strategy
and tactics. She took the side of
the Greeks in the war against
Troy. Following the Trojan war,
Athena assisted Odysseus on his
journey home, for Odysseus had
angered Poseidon, god of the sea,
by blinding his son, Polyphemus
the Cyclops.
Athena, known to the Romans as
Minerva, was born of one of the
many liasons of Zeus with the
goddesses of Mount Olympus.
Zeus lay with Metis, the goddess
of thought, but immediately
feared the consequences. It had
been prophesised that Metis
would bear children more
powerful than Zeus himself. In
order to forestall these dire
consequences, Zeus swallowed
Metis immediately after laying
with her. He was already too late:
Metis immediately conceived a
child.
While the exact circumstances
are unclear, shortly afterwards
either Prometheus, Hephaestus,
Hermes or Palamoan (depending
on the sources examined)
cleaved Zeus's head with an axe
at the the river Triton.
Athena leaped from Zeus's head,
fully armed, and Zeus was none
the worse for the experience.
Athena became the patron goddess of the city of
Athens, in a competition with Poseidon. Poseidon
offered the Athenians a pool of salt, whereas
Athena offered them an olive tree.
The Athenians accepted the olive tree and along
with it Athena as their patron. This is thought to
remember a clash between the inhabitants
during Mycenaean times and newer immigrants.
It is interesting to note that Athens at its height
was a significant sea power, at one point
defeating the Persian fleet at Salamis
in a sea battle.
Athena was also the patron goddess
of several other cities, notably Sparta.
Athena is usually portrayed wearing full armor
and a shield, and carrying a lance. It is in this
posture that she was depicted in Phidias's
famous golden statue of her, now lost to history,
in the Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis.
Athena is also often depicted
with an owl (a symbol of
wisdom) sitting on one of her
shoulders.
It is interesting to note
that while Homer's epithet
for Athena is usually
translated "owl-eyed", is can
also be translated
as "grey-eyed" or "wiseeyed".
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