Athena Athena, goddess of wisdom and skill was admired by many ancient Greeks. Her symbol is an owl, the bird of wisdom. Being the patron goddess of Athens, her owl is found on Athenian silver coins (Carr, Karen). Since Athena is a war goddess, she is normally portrayed in art by wearing a gold helmet, armour while holding a spear and shield. Athena has been Zeus’ favorite child since she was born, and for this, she had great power (Cartwright). Before Athena’s time, her father Zeus took Metis to be his first wife. Metis became pregnant with Athena soon after that. It was then when Zeus heard a prophecy that the next child Metis bore would grow to over power him. To prevent this from happening, Zeus swallowed his wife while she was still pregnant. When Athena was to be born, Zeus acquired a splitting headache, and he ordered the smith god Hephaestus to split his head open to relieve his pain. As soon as Hephaestus did so, Athena stepped out of Zeus’ head, dressed in full armour (“Athena, Goddess of Wisdom”). …show more content…
She often bragged about her talents, and thought that she was better than Athena. When Athena heard about this, she decided to appear in front of Arachne, disguised as an old lady. When Athena revealed herself to Arachne, she was challenged by Arachne to a weaving contest. Athena weaved about the Parthenon and her contest with Poseidon, while Arachne made fun of the gods by showing their fears and weaknesses in a negative way. Both Athena and Arachne’s work were technically perfect, but Arachne’s was not beautiful because of the images she had wove. Athena became offended by Arachne’s work, and sprinkled her with magical herbs. The herbs transformed Arachne into a small, ugly monster which is known as a spider today (“Athena, Arachne and the Weaving
Athena, the Greek goddess of both wisdom and war, is often considered the craftiest of all Olympian gods. She was born of a headache, and erupted from Zeus’ head fully armed and ready for battle. However, beside all this pomp, she is a rather caring, if war-loving, immortal. Throughout the entirety of The Odyssey she conveys an entirely platonic, almost motherly love for Odysseus. It is this that makes her significant character in Homer’s work. In The Odyssey, Athena is portrayed as a, if not the, major female figure throughout the entire epic poem. With her affection for Odysseus and her frequent appearances she plays a major role throughout the entire poem. Evidence of this integral role will be presented as proof of her importance to the story.
Zeus’s jealous wife, Hera, found out that he was having an affair with Princess Semele and she was not happy so Hera went to Princess Semele in disguise. Hera told Princess Semele that if Zeus truly loved her that he would let her see him in his natural form, a frenzy of lightning bolts. Princess Semele asked Zeus to promise to grant her a wish. He loved her and so he swore to her that he would do whatever she wanted. When she told him that her wish was to have him show himself to her as his natural form he knew it was a mistake but he had promised and could not take it back. He had to go to her as a frenzy of lightning bolts and he knew it would kill her; when he went she was fatally scorched. Princess Semele was pregnant with Dionysus, so Zeus reacted by grabbing the fetus and putting it in his thigh. From there, this is where the fetus grew and where Dionysus was born
The Greeks believed the deities provided the city protection and allowed them to be successful in their endeavors while in time of war. Phidias, a master bronze worker, was commissioned to create the sculpture of Athena Parthenos, the goddess of wisdom to show tribute to the gods by creating a large scale sculpture in Acropolis. The Acropolis was the most important site in the city of Athens, and was well recognized as the hilltop of protection. It is also the most significant reference point of ancient Greek culture as well as the symbol of the city of Athens. Some of the greatest architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on its ground.
Athena was the virgin daughter of the great god Zeus and she was also one of the great
In ancient Greece and Rome, each of the gods was associated with specific objects. Zeus (Jupiter), the father of the gods, was often accompanied by an eagle or a thunderbolt; Apollo, the god of art, by a lyre; Artemis (Diana), the hunter, by a bow and quiver. In addition, the Romans perfected the use of secular allegorical symbols. For example, a woman surrounded by bunches of grapes and sheaves of wheat would be readily understood as a representation of the bounties of the earth.
Do you like to sew and weave? Are you handy with a bow and arrow, and maybe even a spear? Do you like listening to music or make beautiful sounds with instruments? If you do, then you are just like me! I am Athena, and I am a powerful goddess in Greek mythology. I am the goddess of wisdom, war, and the useful arts. The useful arts include farming, spinning, weaving, and playing music. I am also the protector of heroes, cities, and states. I am the daughter of Metis and the powerful god, Zeus. I was one of zeus’ favorite children. I was born out of his head when he swallowed my mother when he heard that I will be more powerful than him.
Athena’s interesting life started by a very strange birth. When Athena’s mother Metis was impregnated, Athena’s father, Zeus, swallowed her. (2) Soon Zeus had great head pains, so he got Hephaestus to cut open his head with an axe. (5) When he sliced open Zeus’s head, Athena emerged fully grown and with a set of armor on. (2) Even though Zeus had many other children, Athena became his favorite. (8) She had many half brothers and sisters to compete against for this title including Hermes, Hephaestus, Apollo, Ares, Hebe, Artemis, Aphrodite, Persephone, and Tityus. (3)
Women in ancient Greek times did not have equal or political rights. Athena and Antigone, who were both very heroic women went above and beyond the stereotypical woman. In society today, women are still not looked as an equivalent to men. Athena and Antigone share the Greek heroic traits of honor, perseverance, and of living in a higher class. In Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, Antigone, and Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, the female characters, Antigone and Athena are not solely traditional female characters, instead, they embody the heroic characteristics, honor, perseverance, and high social standing.
The Aegis was a breastplate made of goatskin that bore the image of a gorgon to instill panic in foes (Buxton 79). She was born fully grown and already dressed in her full outfit, ready for war. Furthermore, Athena was the only Olympian not born of a mother. She sprang directly from her father, Zeus’s, head (Lies 47). She was different from the others of her kind, which may be why she was so honored so highly in early Greece.
Athena was the goddess of war and wisdom. Daughter of Zeus and Metis, but born from only Zeus. Gaea the Earth goddess told Zeus that his child would u...
Arachne’s identity is constructed through the duality of craft and its rhetoric that functions to create her character and destroy her physical being.
Athena is the goddess everyone wants to have as guardian for his life. She went against her uncle Poseidon to fight for her Odysseus. At one point, we can even think that Athena is also in love to Odysseus because she has never him down. But the real truth is Athena is an amazing goddess who protect Odysseus no matter what because this is the Love she has for him
What makes the depiction between Athena and Aphrodite interesting is the different ways they are portrayed even sharing the similarity of being born strictly from male only. Athena from the all-powerful king of the gods Zeus and Aphrodite from Ouronos. Though they were both born from man alone, the content of these births caused Athena to be expressed in a more dignified, respected, and superior way. Hesiod’s recount of the births of Athena and Aphrodite in his Theogony reveals the source of Athena’s superiority. According to the Theogony, Ouranos’ genitals are thrown into the sea where they mix with the sea foam to result in Aphrodite (Hesiod 180-192). Aphrodite is said to be called, by Hesiod, “Philommedes, fond of a man’s genitals” ( Hesiod, 200-201). In contrast, Hesiod writes that Athena is born from Zeus’ head (Hesiod 924) after Zeus consumes her mother Metis, the goddess whose name means wisdom, for fear of her giving birth to someone who was destined to be his match in wisdom (Hesiod 894-900).