Posted18 May 20byJen Copedo
Athena has to be one of the most badass goddesses of Greek mythology. Not only is she a war goddess, she is also the goddess of wisdom, and handcrafts. Athena has multiple personas and her name changes depending on which role she is filling for her people. For example, as a war goddess she is called Athena Promachos, but as a goddess of handcrafts, she is called Athena Ergane. She is also known as Pallas Athena, Athena Parthenos, and the Lady of Athens.
Athena is the patron goddess of Athens. This means that the safety and health of the Athenian people is her responsibility. As the patron goddess she is known as Athena Parthenos – Athena the Virgin – and she bested Poseidon, the god of the sea, for patronage of the city by creating the first olive tree.
Her patronage was celebrated in a festival known as the Panathenaic Games. In these games, men would compete in a range of musical, athletic, and equestrian events to show their strength, wisdom, and virility. Winners would be awarded with Panathenaic amphorae filled with oils. Olive oil was the most expensive of the oils, and therefore the reward for the best competitors.
Athena has played a crucial role in many myths of Greek history. Her birth itself is an important myth: her mother was Metis, a goddess of wisdom, and her father was the king of the gods, Zeus. Zeus learned that the offspring he would have with Metis would be wiser than him and feared that their child would overthrow him. Indeed, this was a real threat as Zeus himself had overthrown his own father Kronos. To solve this, he swallowed Metis whole, but she was already pregnant. She gave birth to Athena inside of Zeus. Athena grew up and became too big and popped out of Zeus’ head, like a go-go girl out of a cake. Myth says she was fully dressed in her iconic armour, with a plumed helmet. Ironically, Athena became one of Zeus’ favourite children.
Athena is a patron of heroes, as they are often amazing warriors, such Herakles (also known as Hercules) and, most notably, Odysseus. In Homer’s Odyssey, Athena favoured Odysseus for being cunning in his battle strategy (in the battle of Troy, it was his idea to use the Trojan Horse). She aids him multiple times in his 10-year journey home, even going to Zeus for help when Poseidon tries to stop Odysseus returning home.
Fun fact: According to mythology, Athena invented the flute, but when she played it her cheeks puffed out, disfiguring her face, so the other gods made fun of her.
Top image:One-handled jug (lekythos). Fels Memorial Gift.E48.248.Otago Museum Collection.
FAQs
Athena was one of the twelve chief Olympian deities and the goddess associated with wisdom, craft, and warfare. In wars—where she was most commonly depicted—Athena embodied cold rationality, tactics, and strategy.
What is Athena a goddess of? ›
Athena was one of the twelve chief Olympian deities and the goddess associated with wisdom, craft, and warfare. In wars—where she was most commonly depicted—Athena embodied cold rationality, tactics, and strategy.
Is Athena Zeus wife? ›
Athena is the daughter of Zeus. She sprang full grown in armour from his forehead, thus has no mother. She is fierce and brave in battle but, only wars to defined the state and home from outside enemies. She is the goddess of the city, handicrafts, and agriculture.
What did Athena do to Medusa? ›
The snake-haired Medusa does not become widespread until the first century B.C. The Roman author Ovid describes the mortal Medusa as a beautiful maiden seduced by Poseidon in a temple of Athena. Such a sacrilege attracted the goddess' wrath, and she punished Medusa by turning her hair to snakes.
Did Poseidon and Athena date? ›
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.
What is Athena's motto? ›
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.
Did Athena ever fall in love? ›
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.
Is Medusa good or evil? ›
Is Medusa evil or good? There are no stories that tell us of Medusa turning people to stone, nor any tales of her harassing or killing people (unlike other Greek monsters such as Scylla and Charybdis). Although she had the power to kill, she was not inherently evil.
Did Athena actually curse Medusa? ›
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.
What is Athena's symbol? ›
Athena was associated with the owl from very early on; in archaic images, she is frequently depicted with an owl perched on her hand. Through its association with Athena, the owl evolved into the national mascot of the Athenians and eventually became a symbol of wisdom.
However, Athena was also a war goddess, so in that regards, then Ares would be her equivalent there.
Was Zeus pregnant with Athena? ›
How was Athena born? Athena, the daughter of Zeus, was produced without a mother and emerged full-grown from his forehead. An alternative story was that Zeus swallowed Metis, the goddess of counsel, while she was pregnant with Athena so that Athena finally emerged from Zeus.
Are Athena and Hades related? ›
Hades: Athena's uncle. As a god from a previous generation, Athena shows a lot of respect for her uncle, and despite being a goddess with argumentative abilities, not even she is able to convince him to change his mind when he puts something into his thick head.
Why is Athena the most powerful goddess? ›
In ancient Greek Mythology, the goddess Athena ranked as one of the most powerful of the 12 Olympian gods. Known for her wisdom, strength, strategy, female arts, crafts, justice, and skill; she was worshiped in many cities.
Who is the goddess of love? ›
Aphrodite (/ˌæfrəˈdaɪtiː/, AF-rə-DY-tee) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and as her syncretized Roman goddess counterpart Venus, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory.
What does Athena want to control? ›
Athena, the Greek goddess, desired to control aspects like wisdom, warfare, arts and justice. Her control can be seen in stories where she guides warfare strategies, and in arts like weaving, as represented in the myth of Athena and Arachne.
