Athena Goddess of wisdom, arts, literature and intelligence, a name well recognized in Greek mythology. She had a unique birth story and was known for her bravery in battle.
Athena Goddess of Wisdom and her role
The goddess Athena taught many skills to mankind. She taught women to sew and weave. She taught men to plant and cultivate gardens. Likewise, she was known for her kindness and willingness to help anyone in danger. She protected heroes as they participated in battle and on the way home to safety.
Mythology of Athena
Athena was a mainstay of Greek mythology with many legends telling of her adventures. Here are some of the most popular ones.
Birth of Athena
The story of Athena’s birth is quite unique. Her father, Zeus, was married to Ocean’s daughter, Metis. Metis became pregnant but Zeus had been warned by the Earth that his wife would give birth to a son who would topple 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 severe headache. The pain was so severe that he asked Hephaestus, the craftsman god, for help. Hephaestus used an axe to carefully split open Zeus’ forehead. From the opening emerged a mature woman, now fit for battle. Zeus named her Athena. It is said that because the girl grew up without her mother’s presence, she took on more masculine features, which allowed her to develop her skills and become known as a warrior.
The Beautiful Medusa and Athena
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 opportunity. She would tell people that her skin was more beautiful than freshly fallen white snow. Furthermore, she said her hair was brighter than the sun and her eyes greener than the sea. Although all this was true, Medusa was unknowingly ridiculed in the city for her arrogance and boastfulness.
One day, Medusa decided to visit the Parthenon with her friends. It was the first time she had visited the largest temple in Greece. She walked around and admired all the statues, including one of Athena. She noted aloud to her friends that while the statue was beautiful, it would be more beautiful if it were a statue of her. The priestesses of the temple gasped, and the visitors began to leave quickly. They knew Athena would be angry with Medusa for her comments.
Medusa cursed
The temple was almost empty, but Medusa didn’t notice anything. Eventually she was left alone, but only for a moment. Athena made her presence known 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 was having none of it. She told Medusa that one day her beauty would fade. She then decided that Medusa was no longer worthy of her beauty and turned her into a monster with hissing snakes for hair and the body of a serpent.
Athena told Medusa that she would be cursed forever. Anyone who looked into her eyes would be turned to stone forever. The same was true 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 world with the Gorgon sisters to save innocent people from being turned to stone.
The contest of Cecrops
Cecrops, the king of a great city, decided to organize 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 approached Cecrops with their intentions. The king asked them both to offer a gift of great 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 flowed out of the well and into the city. Poseidon had hoped to provide the people with an eternal water supply, but the water turned out to be salty and not useful for drinking or tending crops. Then it was Athena’s turn. She stepped forward and stabbed her spear into the ground. Then she knelt down and put an olive branch into the narrow hole in the ground. 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 named after her and became known as Athens. She graciously accepted the job and promised to provide for the people of the city to the best of her ability. But Poseidon was jealous and cursed the city with poor water. The city would not be able to keep up with the supply of water for drinking and gardening. To this day, droughts are attributed to Poseidon’s curse on the city.
Symbology of Athena
Athena is associated with courage and bravery. Her materialistic symbols include her spear, the distaff and a goatskin shield called the aegis. She tied the head of the gorgon Medusa to the shield to frighten others in battle. She is also associated with the olive tree and the owl because of her wisdom.
Family
The goddess 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. Likewise, she never married or had children of her own.
Appearance
Athena is usually depicted as a tall, slender woman in artistic depictions. Her bright eyes are a combination of blue and green, and she almost always wears her armor and recognizable golden helmet. Although she is dressed for battle, she still shows off her feminine figure and attractiveness.
