She plays an active role in the Iliad, in which she assists the Achaeans and, in the Odyssey, she is the divine counselor to Odysseus. Along with Aphrodite and Hera, Athena was one of the three goddesses whose feud resulted in the beginning of the Trojan War. Athena was the patron goddess of heroic endeavor she was believed to have aided the heroes Perseus, Heracles, Bellerophon, and Jason. She was known as Athena Parthenos 'Athena the Virgin,' but in one archaic Attic myth, the god Hephaestus tried and failed to rape her, resulting in Gaia giving birth to Erichthonius, an important Athenian founding hero. In the founding myth of Athens, Athena bested Poseidon in a competition over patronage of the city by creating the first olive tree. In others, such as Hesiod's Theogony, Zeus swallows his consort Metis, who was pregnant with Athena in this version, Athena is first born within Zeus and then escapes from his body through his forehead.

In some versions of the story, Athena has no mother and is born from Zeus' forehead by parthenogenesis. In Greek mythology, Athena was believed to have been born from the forehead of her father Zeus. Her main festival in Athens was the Panathenaia, which was celebrated during the month of Hekatombaion in midsummer and was the most important festival on the Athenian calendar. She was also a warrior goddess, and was believed to lead soldiers into battle as Athena Promachos. As the patron of craft and weaving, Athena was known as Ergane. The Parthenon on the Athenian Acropolis is dedicated to her, along with numerous other temples and monuments. She was known as Polias and Poliouchos (both derived from polis, meaning 'city-state'), and her temples were usually located atop the fortified acropolis in the central part of the city. In art, she is generally depicted wearing a helmet and holding a spear.įrom her origin as an Aegean palace goddess, Athena was closely associated with the city. Her major symbols include owls, olive trees, snakes, and the Gorgoneion. The Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens is dedicated to her. Athena was regarded as the patron and protectress of various cities across Greece, particularly the city of Athens, from which she most likely received her name. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols.Īthena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, handicraft, and warfare who was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. This article contains special characters.

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