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Athena

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Athena
Goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft
Member of the Twelve Olympians
File:Mattei Athena Louvre Ma530 n2.jpg
Mattei Athena at Louvre. Roman copy from the 1st century BC/AD after the Greek original Piraeus Athena of the 4th century BC attributed to Cephisodotos or Euphranor.
AbodeMount Olympus
AnimalsOwl, serpent, horse
SymbolAegis, helmet, spear, armor, Gorgoneion, chariot
TreeOlive
Personal information
ChildrenErichthonius (adopted)
ParentsZeus and Metis[a][1]
SiblingsSeveral paternal half-siblings
Equivalents
Roman equivalentMinerva
Canaanite equivalentAnat[2]
Egyptian equivalentNeith
File:Pallas Athena Parliament Vienna.jpg
Athena, in front of the parliament building in Vienna, Austria

Athena, or Athene is the Greek goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft. She is one of the Twelve Olympians. Athena's symbol is the owl. She also has a shield called Aegis, which was a gift given to her by Zeus.[3] She is usually shown wearing her helmet and often with her shield. The shield later had Medusa's head on it; after Perseus killed Medusa, he gave the head to Athena, who later placed it on her shield.[4] Athena is also the protector of Athens, Greece, a city named after her. The Parthenon, which is on the Acropolis in Athens, is her most famous temple. She is also seen with Nike, the goddess of victory.[5]

Folklore[change]

Birth[change]

In Hesiod's Theogony, Zeus married Metis. Soon after, Zeus was scared of Metis giving birth to a child because the Oracle of Delphi had said that she would give birth to Athena. She said she would also give birth to a son that would overthrow Zeus, just like how Zeus overthrew Kronos. Kronos overthrew his father Uranus.[6]

To stop Metis giving birth to her son, Zeus made a plan. He played a game with Metis. The game was that they shape shifted into different animals. When Metis turned into a fly, Zeus saw his chance and he swallowed her whole. However, Zeus was too late. Metis was already pregnant.[7]

While she was inside Zeus's head, Metis made a helmet, armor, and a robe for Athena. The hammering noise caused Zeus to have a severe headache. The headache became worse. To solve this, Hephaestus split the head of Zeus open. After splitting his head open, Athena came out full grown and with armor on.[8]

Lady of Athens[change]

As a war goddess, Athena fought alongside Greek heroes. The qualities that ensured victory were symbolized on the breastplate she wore into battle. Athena is considered the protector of the safety of kings, meaning she safeguards the wellbeing and security of the kings. Her role is to ensure their safety and provide guidance, rather than protect the kings directly in a physical sense. She watches over them and offers wisdom and strategic counsel to keep them safe. [9]

At its peak, Athens was a powerful sea force, winning against the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis.[9] In another version of a legend from Vergil's Georgics,[10]Poseidon gave the Athenians their first horse instead.[11] Athena gave the first olive tree.[11][12] Cecrops accepted this gift[11] and declared Athena the patron goddess of Athens.[11] The olive tree brought wood, oil, and food,[9] and became a symbol of Athenian growth.[12][13]

Patron of heroes[change]

Athena told Argos the ship on which the hero Jason and his band of Argonauts sailed, and helped in the ship's construction.[14][15] Pseudo-Apollodorus also records that Athena helped the hero Perseus in his quest to chop off the head of Medusa.[16][17][18] She and Hermes appeared to Perseus after he set off on his quest and gifted him with tools he would need to kill the Gorgon.[18][19] Athena lent Perseus her polished bronze shield to view Medusa's reflection without becoming frozen himself.[18][20] Hermes lent Perseus his harp to behead Medusa with.[18][21] When Perseus swung the blade to behead Medusa, Athena helped it, allowing the blade to cut the Gorgon's head cleanly.[18][20] According to Pindar's Thirteenth Olympian Ode, Athena helped the hero Bellerophon tame the winged horse Pegasus by giving him a bit.[22][23]

Titles[change]

Athena is the goddess of knowledge, purity, arts, crafts, learning, justice and wisdom. She is often shown as a warrior goddess who uses her intelligence and strategic thinking to overcome challenges. Athenians thought she helped them win the Trojan war. Athena often helped heroes, especially ones who were not just brave but clever, like Jason and Perseus.[24] Because of this, people joined her religion, hoping she would give them victory. Moreover, she was also the creator of the olive tree and flute.[25] Athena was not only the patron goddess of Athens, but also other cities, including Pergamon.[26] The various titles of Athena are often seen with various starting rites of Grecian youth, such as the route into citizenship by young men or the route of young women into marriage: Athena's title "Pallas" (meaning "young woman" or "maiden") symbolizes youth and vigor. In rites of passage for young men, such as military training or initiation ceremonies, Athena represents the wisdom, courage, and strategic thinking required to become responsible citizens and protectors of the state. Athena is also known as "Athena Parthenos" (meaning "Athena the Virgin"), emphasizing her independence and purity. For young women entering marriage, Athena's title embodies the ideals of intelligence, resourcefulness, and independence. These rites often highlighted the qualities that brides were expected to bring into their new households.[26] Athena was frequently confused with Aphaea, a local goddess of the island of Aegina, originally from Crete and also confused with Artemis and the nymph Britomartis.[27] In Arcadia, she was misunderstood with the ancient goddess Alea and worshiped as Athena Alea.[28] Temples to Athena Alea were located in the Laconian towns of Mantineia and Tegea. The temple of Athena Alea in Tegea was an important center of ancient Greece.[b] The geographer Pausanias was made known that the temenos had been founded by Athena.[29] Athena was also given many other names. She has the name Ergane as the patron of craftsmen and artisans. With the name Parthenos, she was worshiped in the festivals of the Panathenaea and Pamboeotia where both militaristic and athletic displays took place. With the name Promachos she led in battle.[30] With the name Polias, Athena was the protector of not only Athens but also of many other cities, including Argos, Sparta, Gortyn, Lindos, and Larisa.[31]

Glaukopis[change]

Athena's most common form is Glaukopis (γλαυκῶπις).[32] The word is a combination of glaukós (γλαυκός, meaning "gleaming, silvery", and later, "bluish-green" or "gray")[33] and ṓps (ὤψ, "eye, face").[34]

Historical origins[change]

According to Greek mythology, Athena was born from the head of her father, Zeus. There are two main versions of her birth:

Parthenogenesis: In one version, Athena is born without a mother, emerging fully grown and armored from Zeus' forehead. This emphasizes her independence and wisdom from the moment of her birth.

Metis: Another version, found in Hesiod's "Theogony," tells us that Zeus swallowed his consort Metis, who was pregnant with Athena, to prevent a prophecy that his child would overthrow him. Later, Athena was born from Zeus' head, fully grown and wearing armor.

Athena's association with Athens comes from a founding myth where she competed with Poseidon to be the patron deity of the city. She won by offering the olive tree, a symbol of peace and prosperity, which the people of Athens accepted.

Modern representations[change]

File:Hellen altar.png
Modern altar dedicated to Athena and Apollo

One of Sigmund Freud's most valuable items was a small, bronze statue of Athena, which sat on his desk.[35] Freud once described Athena as "a woman who is unapproachable and hold off all sexual desires"[36] Feminist views on Athena are highly separated;[36]. Some feminists admire Athena for her strength, independence, and wisdom. They view her as a powerful female figure who defies traditional gender roles. Athena's role as a warrior and strategist challenges the notion that such qualities are inherently masculine. On the other hand, some feminists critique Athena for her alignment with patriarchal values. Athena is often portrayed as supporting male heroes and being loyal to her father, Zeus. This perspective suggests that while she is a strong female figure, she operates within and perpetuates a male-dominated system.[36]

Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and strategic thinking, is a natural patron of universities because she embodies the pursuit of knowledge, critical thinking, and creative arts. At Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, a statue of Athena lives in the Great Hall.[37] It is traditional at exam time for students to leave offerings to the goddess with a note asking for good luck,[37] or to ask for forgiveness for accidentally breaking any of the college's traditions.[37] A statue of Athena stands in front of the Austrian Parliament Building in Vienna. For over a hundred years, a full-scale replica of the Parthenon has stood in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1990, the curators added a forty-two-foot (12.5 m) tall replica of Phidias's Athena Parthenos. The Great Seal of California shows the image of Athena kneeling next to a brown grizzly bear.[38] Athena has often appeared on modern coins.

Family tree[change]

Notes[change]

  1. ↑ In other traditions, Athena's father is sometimes listed as Zeus by himself or Pallas, Brontes, or Itonos.
  2. ↑ "This temple had been respected from early days by all the Peloponnesians, and afforded safety to its visitors" (Pausanias, Description of Greece iii.5.6)
  3. ↑ According to Homer, Iliad 1.570–579, 14.338, Odyssey 8.312, Hephaestus was apparently the son of Hera and Zeus, see Gantz, p. 74.
  4. ↑ According to Hesiod, Theogony 927–929, Hephaestus was produced by Hera alone, with no father, see Gantz, p. 74.
  5. ↑ According to Hesiod, Theogony 183–200, Aphrodite was born from Uranus' severed genitals, see Gantz, pp. 99–100.
  6. ↑ According to Homer, Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus (Iliad 3.374, 20.105; Odyssey 8.308, 320) and Dione (Iliad 5.370–71), see Gantz, pp. 99–100.

References[change]

  1. ↑ Kerényi 1951, pp. 121–122.
  2. ↑ L. Day 1999, p. 39.
  3. ↑ Penglase, Charles (2003-10-04). Greek Myths and Mesopotamia: Parallels and Influence in the Homeric Hymns and Hesiod. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-72930-2.
  4. ↑ Jong, Irene J. F. de (2001-11-22). A Narratological Commentary on the Odyssey. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-46478-9.
  5. ↑ Fritze, Ronald H. (2009-05-15). Invented Knowledge: False History, Fake Science and Pseudo-religions. Reaktion Books. ISBN 978-1-86189-674-2.
  6. ↑ Pollitt, Jerome Jordan (1972-03-10). Art and Experience in Classical Greece. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-09662-1.
  7. ↑ Powell, Barry B. (2012). Classical Myth. Pearson. ISBN 978-0-205-17607-6.
  8. ↑ Ruck, Carl A. P.; Staples, Danny (1994). The World of Classical Myth: Gods and Goddesses, Heroines and Heroes. Carolina Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-89089-575-7.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Graves 1960, p. 62.
  10. ↑ Kerényi 1951, p. 281.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Kerényi 1951, p. 124.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Garland 2008, p. 217.
  13. ↑ Kinsley 1989, p. 143.
  14. ↑ Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 1.9.16 Archived 25 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ Hansen 2004, p. 124.
  16. ↑ Burkert 1985, p. 141.
  17. ↑ Kinsley 1989, p. 151.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 18.4 Deacy 2008, p. 61.
  19. ↑ Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2.37, 38, 39
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2.41
  21. ↑ Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca 2.39
  22. ↑ Deacy 2008, p. 48.
  23. ↑ Pindar, Olympian Ode 13.75–78 Archived 6 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine
  24. ↑ Swiatek, Anthony; Breen, Walter H. (1981). Encyclopedia of United States silver & gold commemorative coins 1892-1954. Internet Archive. New York : Arco Pub./F.C.I. Press. ISBN 978-0-668-04765-4.
  25. ↑ Hurwit, Jeffrey M. (2000-01-13). The Athenian Acropolis: History, Mythology, and Archaeology from the Neolithic Era to the Present. CUP Archive. ISBN 978-0-521-42834-7.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Schmitt 2000, pp. 1059–1073.
  27. ↑ Pilafidis-Williams 1998.
  28. ↑ Jost 1996, pp. 134–135.
  29. ↑ Pausanias, Description of Greece viii.4.8.
  30. ↑ Kerényi, Karl (1974). The gods of the Greeks. Internet Archive. London : Thames and Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-27048-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  31. ↑ "ATHENA TITLES & EPITHETS - Ancient Greek Religion". www.theoi.com. Retrieved 2024-09-26.
  32. ↑ γλαυκῶπις in Liddell and Scott.
  33. ↑ γλαυκός in Liddell and Scott.
  34. ↑ ὤψ in Liddell and Scott.
  35. ↑ Deacy 2008, p. 153.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Deacy 2008, p. 154.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 Friedman 2005, p. 121.
  38. ↑ "Symbols of the Seal of California". LearnCalifornia.org. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2010.

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