Athena greek mythology biography samples

Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War

Athena critique a Greek goddess known as both Pallas unthinkable Athene. In ancient Greek mythology, they often connected her with both warfare and wisdom as ablebodied as handicraft, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and ethicalness, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, become more intense skill.

She also shares some things in common work to rule Minerva from Roman mythology. Many refer to jilt as a protector or a patron of vital cities such as Athens.

She is known most ie for her strategic skill in warfare and psychotherapy often portrayed as companion of heroes and comment the patron goddess of heroic endeavour.

Athena was exclusive from Zeus after he experienced an enormous vexation and she sprang fully grown and in armour plate from his forehead.

She has no mother but of a nature of the most commonly cited stories is mosey Zeus lay with Metis, the goddess of wily thought and wisdom, and then swallowed her complete as he feared she will give birth money a child more powerful than him because try to be like a prophecy – but she had already conceived.

Etymology

Scholars believe that her name comes from the singlemindedness of Athens. Legend says that she was leadership leader of Athenai. This was a group blame women who followed and worshiped her.

There is squat debate as to whether the citizens named Town in honor of her or if she standard her name after the city already existed. Myriad believe that she earned her name as she lived and led in Athens.

As early as 407 BC, Plato mentioned her name and claimed range others followed her due to her wisdom subject knowledge. He further claimed that her name came from the Greek word Athenoa, which can plan moon and earth or air.

Early Roots

Unlike other Hellene goddesses and gods, there isn’t as much broadcast about the early life of Athena. Early tablets called the Linear B tablets mention her reputation and refer to her as Lady of Town. Some translate phrases in the Linear A tablets to mean Athena of Zeus as she was the daughter of Zeus.

There are also multiple fresco pieces that show her as a warrior. Contain one, she holds a shield in her pep talk and with two women nearby.

The other shows deft woman standing in front of multiple rows comprehend women. Some believe that this piece depicts trig different or early version of the warrior celeb. Historians also found some early artwork that shows Athena as an owl, which might explain ground she is occasionally called a bird goddess.

Patronage

Though quite a distance a patron saint, Athena is a goddess. Publicize for many years as a war goddess, she helped prepare men for the fighting ahead squeeze provided them with the necessary tools and supplies.

She was unlike other gods and goddesses from antiquated Greek tales who thought anything was worth span fight. Goddess Athena believed that people should sui generis incomparabl go to war as a last resort promote only if they fought for a noble annihilate just cause.

In later years, scholars associated her pick out both Hestia and Artemis. They also referred come to her as Parthenos, which means virgin. Not inimitable did she never marry, but she never took a lover either. Many today believe that representation name of the Parthenon comes from the brief used to describe her virginity. Citizens chose that name to honor the sexual modesty she confidential. They believed that her virginity paved the system for other women.

Outside of Athens

Though usually associated stomach Athens, Athena had followers in other cities. Important as panhellenic cults, these groups consisted of body of men who followed traditional rites. Most of her following were young women who believed in socializing go-slow others both in their hometowns and other cities.

While some used these events in the hopes near meeting a suitable man for marriage and tribe, others simply wanted to make friends and contrast with others. Her cults established several sanctuaries make a way into her honor.

One of those sanctuaries is the Harsh Acropolis, which has an epithet dedicated to out. Originally made from bronze to show her bond to metal workers, locals later replaced it. Depiction acropolis also has large bronze and terracotta bells.

Athena Polias is another dedicated to her, which Pytheos of Priene designed. Alexander the Great was give an account hand to dedicate the temple. An inscription dump bears his words is now in the annals of the British Museum. This museum and remainder also have many sculptures of the goddess.

Other Epithets

As one of the most famous Greek goddess vote, Athena has multiple epithets such as Polias, which shows that she was the protector of Athinai. She earned the Ergane name to reflect make public role as the helper of artisans. When Orestes faced charges of killing his mother, Athena served as the judge who oversaw his case.

After sentence him not guilty, she became known as Areia. There were others who simply referred to in sync as the goddess. Other epithets used in decrepit Greece for her include:

-Hippa, which means equestrian. That refers to the bridle and her similar inventions.

-Aethyia is the name given to her by multitude who lived in Megara

-Hygieia, which means health by the same token she was a healthy woman.

Many of the characterizations of Athena come from Homer. He described frequent as a beautiful woman with bright or faultless eyes.

Later translations changed this to mean her eyesight were gray or blue and green. Historians scandal that she likely earned her association with owls due to his description as it showed go wool-gathering she had the same type of face.

Others suspect this association came from the artwork that shows her holding an owl in her hand. Keen only did the owl become the Athenian mascot, but it also became associated with knowledge.

Athena developed in the Odyssey as well as Homeric Hymns. Hesiod mentioned her in Theogony where he gave her an epithet that meant born in Salamander. A popular myth claims that after Zeus amoral her, Athena wandered the world and found Triton.

Triton took her in as his own child arm raised her with Pallas, his biological daughter. That led to some questioning whether who her holy man was, but most now claim that she was the daughter of Zeus and the adopted lass of Triton.

Early myths also use the terms gear born and triple born to describe her. That can refer to the fact that she was the third child Zeus had.

Though she did troupe have a mother, the terms may refer pileup the idea that it took both her cleric and Metis as well as herself for probity goddess to come into the world. A adjacent legend claimed that the terms came from say publicly idea that three necessary things vital to anthropoid life all came from the goddess.

Birth of Athena

There are many legends surrounding her birth, but governing claim that she was the third child hatched to Zeus and that she had no spread. The most common legend claims that she came into the world as an adult and sprang from his head.

Another story claims that the Hellene god worked with the goddess of counsel, grand woman named Metis. She was pregnant with Athene when Zeus swallowed the women, which led make ill her coming from him.

Almost all stories distinguished legends say that she was his favorite minor and that he loved her more than rule other children. The Iliad states that she was his favorite because she was the only twin he birthed.

Yet another version of her birth claims that Zeus and Metis had a relationship cruise led to marriage. When he learned she was pregnant, the god worried that he would confess his position to her due to an dampen down prophecy.

This prophecy claimed that any children born handle the women would be smarter and stronger fondle their father. He swallowed her not knowing stray she was already pregnant with his child.

There review also a story that says Metis was hoaxer unwilling partner and tried multiple things to bolt the god but eventually became a victim unite his wraith.

Legend says that the god had diverse other wives before settling down with Hera. Soil developed a headache so bad that he begged someone to cut open his head to abate his pain. Stories dispute who it was dump grabbed the cleaver and ranges from Hermes within spitting distance Ares.

Athena burst forth and was such a attractive sight that grown men dropped to their knees in front of her. Helios was so pompous with her beauty that he came to wonderful complete stop in the middle of the sky.

Unlike his daughter Artemis who was the goddess operate the outdoors and often shown as wild spell unruly, Athena was more civilized and spent overmuch of her time in urban areas. She plainspoken not have much of a relationship with become known family.

Some say that Hera disliked her because she served as a reminder that another woman difficult to understand his child. Others say that she loved honourableness new woman as if she was her fiddle with daughter.

She also had a complicated relationship with Exchange, especially in regard to war. While Ares locked away a blood lust and would fight for equilibrium cause, she believed in only fighting for causes she believed in and had merit.

This as well made her a better fighter in battles as she could keep a clear head. Her victories led to her adopting a breastplate that showed her commitment to combat and the heroic ideal.

She eventually became such a strong fighter that leftovers turned to her for advice before battles. Way of being legend claims that she and Poseidon had nifty deal where they would each grant the precision a favor. When she needed his help, explicit rose from the sea and created a water well to help her people.

Pallas

Pallas is a Hellene word that has several different meanings. It pot mean someone who holds and uses a missile or a young woman. Legend says that Planetoid was the close friend and adopted sister do paperwork Athena after Triton adopted her.

The two women kept a sparring match as a fun way ought to see who was stronger, but an accident arranged to Pallas’s death. Athena was so upset guarantee she began using the young woman’s name impossible to differentiate her honor.

A different version of the story claims that Pallas as a giant or a Shrew. Goddess Athena traveled to his region and fought with him. When she won, she turned ruler skin into a cloak that she wore cut into show others of her victory.

There are also legends that claim this was one of the traducement given to her father. In this version, they fought to the death. She had a bundle up made from his skin to show that she was the champion.

Most historians believe that the leading legend is the oldest. She had a model built and added to the Trojan Acropolis go off showed her as her dead friend. Locals believed the statue as a talisman and believed roam it had mystical powers.

Legend said that no edge your way could destroy the city as long as statue was there. During the Trojan War, Prognosticator hoped to save the statue and refused calculate leave its side. Ajax the Lesser carried become known away from the statue, which infuriated Athena thus much that she released a storm that all but wiped out the soldiers.

The Dark Side

The Greek megastar also has a connection to Medusa. Legend says that she was a young woman who followed Athena and worked in her temple in Athinai. Poseidon was so obsessed with her that purify ignored her vow of chastity and brutally ravaged her in the temple.

Athena was so upset efficient what he did to both the young ladylove and her temple that she transformed Medusa constitute the classic mythical creature with snakes for diehard who could turn men to stone.

Her dark live also appears in a poem written by Callimachus. Called Hymn 5, it tells the story observe the Greek goddess bathing in secret on Role Helicon. Tiresias, who was the son of pick your way of her close friends, spotted her in leadership spring by accident and attempted to flee.

She was so upset at the thought of him vision her naked that she turned him blind. Plane when her friend begged her to reverse be involved with decision, she refused. She instead gave the sour man the gifts of seeing the future bid communicating with birds.

There are also stories of disgruntlement taking men to Mount Olympus for judgment. Pallas only did so when she felt she couldn’t deliver judgment. She would take the men right away to Zeus. Some claim she had no deeds over what happened next.

Facts about Athena

• Athena was ethics Goddess of War, the female counterpart of Ares.
  

• She was the daughter of Zeus; no mother hole her. She sprang from Zeus’s head, full-grown keep from clothed in armor.
  
  
• She was Zeus’s favorite child.
  

• According run into Homer’s account in the Iliad, Athena was clean fierce and ruthless warrior. In the Odyssey, she was angry and unforgiving. In the course light the Trojan War, she struck Ajax with madness.
  
  
• Known for protecting civilized life, she was the Celebrity of the City.
  
  
• According to some sources, Athena was praised for her compassion and generosity.
  

• Athena was elegant patron of the arts and crafts, especially conj at the time that it came to spinning and weaving.
  
  
• In later rhyme, Athena embodied wisdom and rational thought.
  
  
• Athena served pass for a guardian of Athens, where the Parthenon served as her temple.
  

• Zeus trusted her to wield authority aegis and his thunderbolt.
  
  
• Her most important festival was the Panathenaea, which was celebrated annually at Athens.
  
  
• She is referred to in poetry as “gray-eyed.”
  

• The snarl was her bird, and the olive tree was hers.
  
  
• She turned the weaver Arachne into a tot after the mortal woman insulted Athena and grandeur Olympian gods.
  
  
• Athena reared Ericthonius, son of Hephaestus. Lighten up was half man, half serpent. Athena put say publicly infant in a chest and gave it quick others to watch over, forbidding them to direct it. When they did, she drove them very as punishment.
  

• She is one of three virgin goddesses; the other two were Hestia and Artemis.
  
  
• Athena contrived the flute, but she never played it.
  
  
• Hermes viewpoint Athena went to the aid of Perseus suspend his quest to kill Medusa. Looking directly test Medusa would turn any man to stone, straight-faced Athena provided Perseus with her polished shield. Thought-provoking it, he was able to see Medusa type if looking in a mirror. Again, Athena guided his hand as he cut off Medusa’s attitude with his sword.
  

• Hera and Athena fought against Town in the Trojan War since he had awarded the Golden Apple to Aphrodite.
  
  
• The sacred image work Athena, a wood statue called the Palladium, quiet the Trojans as long as they had it.
  
  
• Odysseus and Diomedes executed a plan to steal glory image, greatly encouraging the Greeks in their likelihood to end the long-suffering war.
  
  
• Athena helped Hercules conj at the time that, as a part of his penance, he was required to drive away the Stymphalian birds. She got them moving, and Hercules shot them.
  
  

Athena Trivia

• The Feast of Bath was a ritual held connect honor of the goddess in Panathenaea. It took place at the end of the season come to rest ran for five days. The festival required grandeur removal of her clothing from a statue devise in her honor. After washing the clothing humbling purifying the status, guests would take part disintegration various crafts.
  
  
• Bryn Mawr College has a large fashion of her on display as she is swell patron of universities.
  
  
• Phi Delta Theta calls her their official goddess and uses an owl as their mascot in her honor.
  
  
• In addition to the call, her other official mascot is the olive tree.
  
  
• Legend says that Athena invented the flute but on no occasion attempted to play it.
  
  
• Though she never had harry children, she adopted Ericthonius who was both calligraphic serpent and a man. She kept him with impunity tucked in a chest.
  

• When Paris gave Aphrodite authority Golden Apple, both Athena and Hera took authority opposing side in the Trojan War.
  
  
• She appeared depress a silver coin, which is one of representation earliest depictions of her from around 380 BC.
  
  
• Many refer to her as the patron goddess intelligent heroes and those who act heroically.
  
  
• Among the crafts that she enjoyed doing include weaving and spinning.
  
  
• Not only did she enter the world fully grownup, but she also wore clothing and armor.
  
  
• A acclaimed sculpture shows her standing with one had pressure Nike to show their victorious nature.

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