Athena is one of the most fascinating and influential deities of the ancient Pantheon. 

The great Athena was the first to teach the science of numbers and all ancient women's arts, such as cooking, weaving and spinning. She was the goddess of wisdom and war, but, unlike the god of war Ares, she took no pleasure from battle, preferring instead to settle conflict through mediation.

But that's not to say she wasn't one tough goddess! Her mercy was great and if ever it came to her to cast a deciding vote in a criminal trial, she usually chose to liberate the accused. But don't mess with Athena!

When Athena was moved to engage in battle she never lost, even against Ares himself, for she was a far superior strategist and tactician than he; generals and wise captains always approach her for advice. She bears no arms in times of peace and will usually borrow weapons from Zeus when needed. She alone was permitted to use his fearsome Aegis, and his devastating thunderbolts.

It's suggested in the Palasgian myths that Athena was born beside Lake Tritonis in Lybia, and her father has been variously identified as Poseidon, Itonus or Zeus, king of the Olympian gods.

The most widely accepted version holds that Athena is Zeus’ daughter and his favorite child, and she is often described as "gray-eyed" or "flashing-eyed." In popular myth, and in accounts related by her own priests, she is said to have no mother, because she sprang full grown and in full armor from her fathers head.

This is not entirely true however. Athena’s mother was Metis; Zeus came to lust after her, and wasted no time in pursuing her in his direct way. Metis wanted nothing to do with Zeus and tried to escape as best she could, going so far as to change her form many times, turning into various creatures such as hawks, fish, and serpents. But Zeus was both determined and equally proficient at changing form. Refusing to be denied he continued his pursuit until she relented.

An Oracle of Gaea (Mother Earth) then prophesied that Metis' first child would be a girl, but her second child would be a boy that would overthrow Zeus as had happened to his father (Cronus) and his grandfather (Uranus). Zeus took this warning to heart. When he next saw Metis he flattered her and put her at her ease, then with Metis off guard Zeus suddenly opened his mouth and swallowed her. This was the end of Metis but, possibly the beginning of Zeus's wisdom, for many claim that Zeus really had no brains until he swallowed his wife.

After a time Zeus developed the mother of all headaches. He howled so loudly it could be heard throughout the earth. The other gods came to see what the problem was. Hermes realized what needed to be done and directed the smiths god, Hephaestus, to take an axe and split open Zeus's skull. Other sources claim that it was the Titan Prometheus who rendered the blow. Out of the skull sprang Athena, full grown and in a full set of armor. The very ancient Greeks believed that men were solely responsible for conception of a child, and the woman’s only role was to carry it until it was born, that's why Metis is not given any credit for Athena birth.

There are two distinctly different representations of Athena’s character. In the classic story of the Trojan War, the Iliad, by the poet Homer, she is a fierce and ruthless warrior goddess, who takes pleasure in war and fighting. In the Odyssey and all alter poetry she is still very powerful, but only fights to defend the State. She was the embodiment of wisdom, purity and reason, as well as the patron of the handicrafts and sciences and agriculture.

Athena was fond of many Greek heroes and assisted them in their quests, helping many of the Greek superheroes attain their goals. Those she helped included Perseus, Jason, Cadmus, Odysseus and Heracles. She even personally went up to Mount Pelion to cut down the trees to build the Argonauts' boat, called the Argo.

Her contributions to society were manifold: She gave mortals the bridle allowing them to tame and use Poseidon’s gift, horses. She also invented the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. Of the three virgin goddesses (Athena, Artemis and Hestia) she was chief and called the Maiden, Parthenos. To honor her the ancient Greeks built at Athens a splendid temple called the Acropolis, with its centerpiece consisting of a temple to Athena called the Parthenon.

Athena was perhaps the most recognizable of the gods. She was always depicted with her unmistakable helmet and the ever-present spear. Because she was Zeus’ favorite she was allowed to use his weapons and armor, including the awful aegis, his buckler and even his thunderbolts. Her shield was also very distinctive: after Perseus defeated the gorgon Medusa, Athena affixed its head to her shield.

Indeed Athena was a brave warrior and she was the lone deity to stand her ground when Typhon attacked Olympus. Typhon was the largest, most dangerous, and most grotesque of all creatures. So frightening and intimidating was Typhon that when he rushed Mount Olympus all of the gods ran off to Egypt and hid themselves by assuming the forms of various animals.

Only Athena stood firm, and she shamed and goaded Zeus into action. Zeus struck Typhon with a thunderbolt and used Uranus' castrating sickle to wound the enormous creature. Typhon retreated to Mount Casius, where he and Zeus resumed their struggle, hurling mountains at one another, which resulted in Typhon being crushed beneath what is now known as Mount Aetna.

Mount Olympus and the reign of Zeus was saved thanks to Athena.

Athena's favorite companion when she was a child was a girl called Pallas, and the two were inseparable,  honing their fighting skills and sharing good times. One time, during a practice sparring session, Athena accidentally mortally wounded her best friend, and grieving sorely for her death, Athena made a wooden image in her likeness, which was called the Palladium. She also took on her name as part of hers and henceforth was often referred to as Pallas Athena.

When Athena's warlike aspect was most prominent she was often referred to as Pallas. As the goddess of war, she was responsible for determining the fates of individuals engaged in combat. She received no pleasure from battle and could be merciful; in fact, she often sought peaceful solutions to potentially violent situations.

Athena railed against excesses in war or everyday life. She taught men to conquer their savage streak, to tame nature and become masters of the elements. Her adoring subjects called her "Queen of Heaven", the meaning of "Athena".

Nike, the goddess and personification of Victory, was often at her side, as one would expect of the goddess of war who never lost. Not surprisingly, Nike was also a favorite of Zeus.

Even though she was as modest as Artemis and Hestia, the other virgin goddesses, Athena was far more generous. A man called Teiresias chanced upon Athena while she was taking a bath and she was startled to realize that he had entered the room and seen her. Not wanting to kill Teiresias for his folly, she laid her hands over his eyes and blinded him, but gave him inward sight so that Teiresias became one of the most well-known oracles in Greece.

One of the few times that Athena showed petulance was in her weaving contest against the mortal named Arachne. This young woman fancied herself the world's best weaver, even daring to compare herself favorably against Athena. Hearing this impudence, Athena took on the guise of an old woman and appeared at Arachne's house to give her some friendly advice to respect the gods. Arachne was too vain to listen and told the old woman to be gone.

"Let the great Athena try her skill against mine, and if I lose she can do whatever she pleases with me," she boasted. That's when Athena dropped her disguise and revealed her true identity. All the bystanders fell to their knees in reverence except for Arachne, who was unmoved.

The two began their weaving contest, and for a while Arachne held her own against Athena, even poking fun at the gods through the tapestry she crafted, but finally Athena had enough and touched the impudent mortal on the forehead, making her feel her shame. Aghast at the realization of her vanity, Arachne ran off and hung herself from a tree.

Illustration by Giovanni Caselli from  the book below:

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Feeling sorry for the hanging Arachne, Athena brought her back to life, but so that mortals learn that it doesn't pay to compare themselves to the gods, she changed Arachne into a spider. There she sits, her and her descendents, forever weaving their web, testament to the folly of vanity.

Athena’s special city was Athens, patronage of which she won from Poseidon by giving the city the olive tree which King Cecrops judged to be a better gift than the water spring that Poseidon provided. Both gods wanted Athens as their own, and Poseidon struck the side of the mountain with his trident, causing a salt spring to burst forth. Wise Athena in turn created the olive tree, which provided people with food, oil and wood for their fires. Needless to say, her gift was far superior, and she was awarded Athens, which was named in her honor.

Athena's tree is the olive and her bird is the owl, also a symbol of wisdom. Other symbols of this awesome goddess are the fearsome Aegis, her helmet, shield and spear, and she is often pictured holding Nike or an owl.

Myth Man's Note: In Nashville, Tennessee, the city has constructed a reproduction of Athena's temple -- the Parthenon -- featuring a giant statue of Athena. It's the largest indoor statue in the world, and quite an awesome sight.

Educator Linda Van Vickle was kind enough to send me a photo of Athena's statue, taken by her during a visit to Nashville. Students and teachers are free to use the image for projects, reports or educational purposes. Thank you, Ms. Van Vickle!

Statue of Athena in Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Ancient Coins Depicting Athena

COIN ONE

COIN TWO

Below are some of the source books used for reference

Egyptian Mythology's Here!

Roman Mythology's Here!