Athena is a well-recognized name in Greek mythology. She was the virgin goddess of reason, arts, literature and intelligence. She had a unique birth story and was known for her braveness in battles.
Role
Athena taught many skills to mankind. To the women, she taught sewing and weaving. She taught the men how to plant and grow gardens. She was known for her kindness and willingness to assist anyone in danger. She protected heroes as they engaged in battle and on the way home to safety.
Legends and Stories
Athena was a pillar in Greek mythology with many legends telling about her adventures. Here are some of the most popular.
Athena’s birth story is quite unique. Her father, Zeus, was married to the daughter of Ocean, Metis. Metis became pregnant but Zeus had been warned by Earth that his wife would bear a son who would overthrow him from his throne. So Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife to prevent the son from being born.
Months later, he began to suffer from a serious headache. The pain was so bad he asked for help from Hephaestus, the craftsman god. Hephaestus used an ax to carefully open Zeus’ forehead. From the opening, a fully-grown woman emerged, suited already for battle. Zeus named her Athena. It is said that because the girl grew up without the presence of her mother, she took on more masculine traits, enabling her to develop her skills and become known as a warrior.
Beautiful Medusa
Many know the name Medusa but are unaware of her beginnings. Medusa was strikingly beautiful. She was kind but vain and boasted of her beauty whenever given the chance. She would tell people that her skin was more beautiful than freshly fallen white snow. She would say that her hair was brighter than the sun and her eyes greener than the sea. While all of this was true, Medusa was unknowingly laughed at in the town for her arrogance and boasting.
One day, Medusa decided to visit the Parthenon with her friends. It was her first time visiting the largest temple in Greece. She walked around and admired all the statues, including one of Athena. She noted out loud to her friends that while the statue was beautiful, it would be more beautiful if it was a statue of her. The priestesses at the temple gasped and visitors quickly began to file out. They knew that Athena would be angry with Medusa for her comments.
The temple was almost empty but Medusa didn’t notice at all. She was eventually alone but only for a moment. Athena made herself present and scolded the beautiful woman for her vanity, telling her that there was more to life than just looks. Medusa tried to argue with the goddess, telling her that her beauty served as an inspiration to others. But Athena would hear nothing of it. She told Medusa that one day, her beauty would fade away. She then decided Medusa was no longer worthy of her beauty and turned her into a monster with hissing snakes as hair and the body of a serpent.
Athena then told Medusa that she would be forever cursed. Anyone who looked her in the eyes would turn to stone forever. The same went for Medusa herself. If she ever looked in the mirror, she too would turn to stone. Athena then sent Medusa to live at the end of the earth with the gorgon sisters to save innocent people from being turned to stone.
The Contest
Cecrops, the king of a large city, decided to have a contest to find a patron deity to oversee his great city. There were two Olympian gods who were immediately interested in the position. Poseidon, the god of the seas, and Athena both approached Cecrops with their intentions. The king then asked them both to offer a gift with tremendous value to help the city and its people.
Poseidon went first. He struck the ground with his trident and created a deep well. Water immediately sprung from the well and into the town. Poseidon had hoped to provide the people with an everlasting water supply but the water proved to be salty and not useful for drinking or tending crops.
It was then Athena’s turn. She came forward and stabbed her spear into the ground. She then knelt down and placed an olive branch in the narrow hole in the earth. She told Cecrops that this branch would grow into a healthy olive tree, a sign of peace and prosperity for the people of his city.
The king was truly impressed with Athena’s gift and chose her to claim the city. The city was then named after her and became known as Athens. She graciously accepted the job and promised to provide for the city’s people as best as she could. But Poseidon was jealous and cursed the city with poor water. The city would be unable to keep up on its water supply for drinking and gardening. To this day, droughts are blamed on Poseidon’s curse on the city.
Family
Athena was the daughter of Zeus. She did not grow up with a mother. She had dozens of half-siblings but was her father’s favorite by far. She never married or had children of her own.
Appearance
Athena is usually shown as a tall and thin woman in artistic representations. Her sparkling eyes are a combination of blue and green and she’s almost always wearing her armor and recognizable golden helmet. Even though she is dressed for battle, she still shows her womanly figure and appeal.
Symbology
Athena is associated with courage and braveness. Her materialistic symbols include her spear, the distaff and a goatskin shield called the aegis. She fastened the head of the gorgon Medusa to the shield to scare others in battle. She is also associated with the olive tree and owl because of her wisdom.
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva.
is associated with courage and braveness. Her materialistic symbols include her spear, the distaff and a goatskin shield called the aegis. She fastened the head of the gorgon Medusa
gorgon Medusa
Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her was turned to stone. Medusa and her Gorgon sisters Euryale and Stheno were usually described as daughters of Phorcys and Ceto; of the three, only Medusa was mortal.
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva.
Athena was the goddess of wisdom, war, and the crafts. She was the favourite daughter of Zeus and was, perhaps, the wisest, most courageous, and certainly the most resourceful of the Olympian gods.
She was one of the most intelligent and wisest of the Greek gods. She was also good at war strategy and giving heroes courage. Athena's special powers included the ability to invent useful items and crafts. She invented the ship, chariot, plow, and rake.
The Parthenon at Athens was her most famous shrine. She never had a true lover. For some strange reason it was hopeless that she would fall in love; Hephaestus tried once, yet failed. Athena was well known for giving advice/mentoring heroes.
There are many myths and legends involving the Greek Goddess Athena. Two of the most well know ones are her birth (where she sprang full formed from the forehead of Zeus who had been complaining of a headache), and the story of how the city of Athens was named.
Metis gave birth to Athena after Metis was swallowed. Athena began growing inside Zeus's head. When Haphaestus cut open Zeus's head, and Athena was born, she was not born an infant. Instead, Athena was born a fully grown warrior, dressed in armor and ready for war.
Athena comes and sees that her temple has been defiled. She doesn't blame her fellow god; she blames the human – Medusa. Medusa's sisters come to her defense and thus suffer part of the punishment. Athena curses Medusa with a head full of snakes, eternal life, and that any man who looks at her will be turned to stone.
The ancient Greek goddesses of death, the Keres, bear certain similarities to the Valkyries from Norse mythology. The Valkyries are female spirits or beings who guide the souls of dead humans to the afterlife.
First, the Athena motto must be mentioned. “QUOD OBSTAT VIAE FIT VIA” which means in English: “When the obstacle becomes the way”. The phrase is in the spirit of the stoic philosophy and is particularly well-suited to the origins and reasons of the founding of Athena.
Athena's strengths: Rational, intelligent, a powerful defender in war but also a potent peacemaker. Athena's weaknesses: Reason rules her; she is not usually emotional or compassionate but she does have her favorites, such as the beleaguered heroes Odysseus and Perseus.
ATHENE (Athena) was the Olympian goddess of wisdom and good counsel, war, the defence of towns, heroic endeavour, weaving, pottery and various other crafts.
Athena (Latin: Minerva) is the goddess of wisdom, war strategy, and arts and crafts. Often shown bearing a shield depicting the gorgon Medusa (Aegis) given to her by her father Zeus. Athena is an armed warrior goddess, and appears in Greek mythology as a helper of many heroes, including Heracles, Jason, and Odysseus.
But why was Medusa cursed? A woman of notable beauty, Medusa was pursued by the sea god Poseidon. Medusa fled from Poseidon and arrived at a shrine to Athena, but Poseidon entered anyway and violated the woman. Athena blamed Medusa for her own suffering and for violating the sacred space by turning her into a monster.
Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare. She is the daughter of Zeus and Metis and was born from the forehead of Zeus. As the first child of Zeus, king of the gods, she is considered his favorite and sits atop Mount Olympus as one of the Twelve Olympians.
Who is the male version of Athena in Greek mythology? There is none. Athena is Athena. Ares was involved with war, as she was, but he was more about bloody violence, courage, and raw anger.
Athena is Poseidon's niece, biologically. But they didn't have the best of relationships. They were totally rivals. One of their most famous disagreements was over Athens.
Introduction: My name is Nicola Considine CPA, I am a determined, witty, powerful, brainy, open, smiling, proud person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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