Table of Gods

Athena (In Rome Minerva)

Athena is the Greek Goddess of war, wisdom, protector of cities and divine patroness of art and crafts. Her fuller form of her name Athenaia or Athenaie, was shortened to Athene in epic and to Athene in later Attic usage. In Athens she was worshipped as the city´s patron Goddess.

Athena's father is Zeus, king of the Gods, and her mother is Metis, Goddess of wisdom. Metis was first wife of Zeus, before Hera, but this was a dangerous union because she was fated to bear two exceptional children to him, first daughter Athena, who was also as wise and strong as her father and then a son who would displace him as ruler of Gods and mortals. Zeus swallowed Metis when she was pregnant with their daughter Athena. So Athena was born from his own body and the threatening son was never conceived.

Athena was the favorite child of Zeus (he did call her ”dear grey-eyes”) and was born from his head. According to the Homeric Hymn to Athena she sprang from his head in full armor, presenting such a fearsome sight that the Gods were seized with awe, and Olympus reeled, and the earth cried out, and the sea tossed and foamed; the sun God Helios stayed on his horses until she had removed the heavenly armor from her shoulders, and Zeus was delighted with her, then as ever. Athena was one of the most important and popular Goddesses, sometimes its said that her importance was second only to that of Zeus himself. She is represented as a virgin Goddess, with beautiful but severe face, grey eyes and graceful build. She is normally shown fully armed with helmet, cloak and holding a long spear. She may also have her special bird, the owl, sitting on her shoulder.

Pallas was one of the commonest titles of Athena. Its meaning and origin are uncertain. According to the most favored explanation, it means Girl or Maiden. A fragment from Philodemos refers to a story that explained the title Pallas by saying that she once had a companion by that name, who she accidentally killed. Athena and Pallas, Daughter of Triton, used to practice warlike exercises, but one day they quarreled, and as Pallas was about to strike Athena, Zeus intervened on his daughters behalf by stretching out his aegis. As Pallas looked up in surprise, Athena fatally wounded her, but was afterwards sorry for her friend and made an image of her which she clad in the aegis. This was the famous Palladium, which fell to the city of Troy and served as a protective talisman for the city. Another story stated that one of the Giants had been called Pallas and that Athena had killed him during the war between the Gods and the Giants, and had skinned him to use his skin as a shield.

Athena is said to have invented the war-chariot and the art of horse-taming. One time the hero Bellerophon tried to catch and tame the immortal winged horse, Pegasus, but failed to do that. While he was sleeping in Athena's shrine on the advise of a seer Polyeidos, the Goddess appeared to him in his sleep and told him to accept a bridle from her for use on Pegasus, and to sacrifice a white bull to his father Poseidon, as tamer of horses. In another version Athena tamed Pegasus on the Bellerophons behalf. Warships were also of interest to Athena and she supervised the building of the Argo, the mythical precursor of the fifty-oared ships that were used in war-galleys in historical times. She also had connection with music and the flute was her invention.

Athena was also patroness of peaceful handicrafts, especially spinning and weaving. Arachne, the daughter of a dyer, was an exquisite weaver who challenged the Goddess Athena to a contest. In her weaving Arachne depicted the entire Greek pantheon in sexual poses and Athena did choose stories on various mortals who had aroused the wrath of Gods and been signally punished. Although Arachne´s tapestry was flawless, her choice of subject was too much for hot-tempered Athena. Arachne was attacked by Athena, and later she did try to hang herself, because she did became so distressed by what happened. Athena saved Arachne and turned her into a spider, so that she could continue to weave. Later in Greece and Rome Arachne was worshipped as a spider Goddess of weavers and as a Fate-spinner.

Athena is a patron Goddess of Attica. She won this title after competing with Poseidon, God of sea, who also wanted to gain possession of various lands. First Poseidon tried to establish his priority by giving the city a saltwater well. Later Athena arrived, and gave people olive-trees. Athena won and later established even a closer connection with Athens by becoming a foster mother to Erichthonios, the ancestor of Athenian people.

Hephaistos, God of fire and smithies, tried to make love to Athena, but she repelled and his semen fell on the ground, causing it to became fertilized. Erichthonios was born and Athena claimed him as her own by adopting him after he was born from the ground. Athena raised him, and later he became king of Athens.

Sacred Days

Panathenaia Festival in Athens every year to Athena, which Erichthonios, Athena's adopted son did create to honor her after becoming king.
19 March. The day before equinox (Ostara) is one of the festivals dedicated to Athena. In Roman times it was called Quinquartrus, a festival that celebrated the birth of Goddess Minerva, Athena's Roman form.
13 June. Festival that represents the harmonious blending of power and wisdom of Goddess Athena (Minerva)
13 November- Roman festival Feronia, the Goddess of this name, along with Juno (Hera), Minerva (Athena) and Jupiter (Zeus) was worshiped.