Athena 1182 224926796 2008-07-11T01:13:11Z Xanzzibar 35592 /* Birth */ dab term {{sprotected}} {{otheruses}} {{redirect|Athene}} [[Image:Athena Parthenos Altemps Inv8622.jpg|thumb|right|200px|This marble Greek copy signed <small>ANTIOCHOS</small> is a first century BC copy of [[Phidias]]' fifth-century original that stood on the [[Acropolis]]]] In [[Greek mythology]], '''Athena''' (also called '''Athene''', [[Attic Greek|Attic]]: {{polytonic|Ἀθηνᾶ}}, ''Athēnâ'', or {{polytonic|Ἀθήνη}}, ''Athḗnē''; [[Doric Greek|Doric]]: {{polytonic|Ἀσάνα}}, ''Asána''; [[Latin language|Latin]]: [[Minerva]]) is the shrewd companion of [[Hero (disambiguation)|heroes]] and the [[goddess]] of [[Hero (disambiguation)|heroic]] [[endeavour]]. She is the patron of [[Athens]], which built the [[Parthenon]] to worship her. In a temple at Phrixa in [[Elis]], which was reportedly built by Clymenus, she was known as '''Cydonia'''.<ref>Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology</ref>. ==Overview== Athena's cult seems to have existed from very early times as the patron of Athens and was so persistent that myths about her were rewritten often to adapt to cultural changes over the multiple eras of Ancient Greek traditions. The Greek philosopher, [[Plato]] (429–347 B.C.E.), identified her with the [[Libya]]n deity, [[Neith]], who was the war-goddess and huntress deity of the Egyptians since the ancient predynastic period. She also would come to be known as the goddess of [[wisdom]] as philosophy became applied to cult in the later fifth century and Classical Greece.<ref>[[Walter Burkert]], ''Greek Religion'' 1985:VII "Philosophical Religion" treats these transformations.</ref> She was the patroness of [[weaving]] especially, and other [[crafts]] (''Athena Ergane''), and the more disciplined side of [[war]], where she led the battle (''Athena Promachos'')<ref name = "kygypw">Violence and bloodlust were [[Ares]]' domain.</ref>. The metalwork associated with the creation of weapons fell under her patronage. Athena's wisdom also includes the cunning intelligence (''[[metis]]'') of such figures as [[Odysseus]]. [[Image:Douris cup Jason Vatican 16545-2fix-p1AthenePythonAegisIdenticalWgorgon.JPG|thumb|Athena, holding an owl, wears the ancient form of the [[Gorgon]] head on her [[aegis]], as the huge serpent who guards the golden fleece regurgitates Jason; cup by Douris, Classical Greece, early fifth century BC - Musei Vaticani]] She is attended by an [[owl]], and is often accompanied by the goddess of victory, [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]], whom in established icons she offers upon her extended hand. Wearing a breastplate of either goatskin or snake skin called the [[Aegis]], which in late myths is said to have been given to her by her father, [[Zeus]]<ref name = "rwwzsh">Zeus is also "Aegis-bearing Zeus".</ref> although she was associated with this long before in other cultural contexts. She often is shown helmeted and with a shield bearing the [[Gorgon]] head, the hallmark of the early goddess cult in Greece that was given the highest position in the apex of the front facade of the Parthenon. Her shield was later said to be a [[votive gift]] of [[Perseus]]. A [[serpent]] often accompanies this goddess and frequently is depicted at the base of the [[staff]] of her [[lance]]. The sea and ships as well as horses and chariots are associated with her, but with less frequency. Athena is an armed warrior goddess, and appears in Greek mythology as a helper of many heroes, including [[Odysseus]], [[Jason]], and [[Heracles]]. In [[Classical Greek]] myths she never had a consort or lover, and thus, often was known as ''Athena Parthenos'' ("Athena the virgin"), hence the name of her most famous temple, the [[Parthenon]], on the [[Acropolis, Athens|Acropolis]] in [[Athens]]. In a remnant of archaic myth, she was the mother or adoptive mother of [[Erichthonius of Athens|Erichthonius]] by the attempted rape by [[Hephaestus]], which failed.<ref>Pseudo-Apollodorus, ''[[Bibliotheke]]'' 3.14.6.</ref> Other variants relate that the serpent who accompanied Athena, also called Erichthonius, was born to [[Gaia]], ''Earth'', when the rape failed and the semen landed on Gaia, impregnating her, and that after the birth he was given to Athena by Gaia. In her role as a protector of the city, Athena was worshiped throughout the Greek world as ''Athena Polias'' ("Athena of the city"). She had a special relationship with [[Athens]], as is shown by the etymological connection of the names of the goddess and the city.<ref>"Whether the goddess was named after the city or the city after the goddess is an ancient dispute" (Burkert 1985:139).</ref> ==Mythology== ===Birth=== [[Image:NAMA Diosa Hera.JPG|thumb|Image from the [[temple of Athena]] at [[Mycenae]] - circa 625 B.C., Museo Arqueológico Nacial de Atenas]] In ''The Greek Myths'' by Robert Graves (8.a, ff.) he notes early myths about the birth of Athena, in which she is described as a goddess from [[Libya]] whose worship came to the Greeks from [[Crete]] after arriving there as early as 4,000 BC. Graves also states that Hesiod (c. 700 BC) relates that Athena was a [[parthenogenesis|parthenogenous]] daughter of Metis, ''wisdom'' or ''knowledge'', a Titan who ruled the fourth day and the planet Mercury. Other variants relate that although Metis was of an earlier generation of the Titans, Zeus became her consort when his cult gained dominance. In order to avoid a prophecy made when that change occurred, that any offspring of his union with Metis would be greater than he—Zeus is said to have swallowed Metis to prevent her from having offspring, but she already was pregnant with Athena. Metis gave birth to her and nurtured her inside Zeus until Athena burst forth from his forehead fully armed with weapons given by her mother. In the late Classical Greek myths, Athena is most commonly described as the daughter of Zeus, born from his head after he swallowed her pregnant mother. The weapons for which she is most famous are the thunderbolt and the [[Aegis]], which she and Zeus were said to share exclusively. ===The Olympian version=== [[Image:Amphora birth Athena Louvre F32.jpg|thumb|250px|left|After he swallowed her pregnant mother, [[Metis]], Athena is "born" from Zeus' forehead as he grasps the clothing of [[Eileithyia]] on the right—[[black-figure pottery|black-figured]] [[amphora]], 550–525 BC, Louvre.]] Although at Mycenaean [[Knossos]] Athena appears before Zeus does—in [[Linear B]], as ''a-ta-na po-ti-ni-ja'', "Mistress Athena"—<ref>''Athana Potnia'' does not appear at Mycenaean [[Pylos]], where the mistress goddess is ''ma-te-re te-i-ja'', ''Mater [[Theia]], literally "Mother Goddess".</ref> in the Classical [[Olympian gods|Olympian pantheon]], Athena was remade as the favorite daughter of Zeus, born fully armed from his forehead after he swallowed her mother, [[Metis (mythology)|Metis]].<ref>Jane Ellen Harrison's famous characterisation of this myth-element as, "a desperate theological expedient to rid an earth-born Kore of her matriarchal conditions" has never been refuted (Harrison 1922:302).</ref> The story of her birth comes in several versions. In the one most commonly cited, Zeus lay with Metis, the goddess of crafty thought and wisdom, but he immediately feared the consequences. It had been prophesied that Metis would bear children more powerful than the sire,<ref>Compare the prophecy concerning [[Thetis]].</ref> even Zeus himself. In order to forestall these dire consequences, after lying with Metis, Zeus "put her away inside his own belly;" he "swallowed her down all of a sudden,"<ref>Hesiod, ''[[Theogony]]'' 890ff and 924ff.</ref> He was too late: Metis had already conceived a child. [[Image:Labrys.jpg|225px|thumb|right|[[Minoan civilization|Minoan]] [[labrys]], [[2nd millennium BC]]]] Eventually it came to be that Zeus was in great pain; [[Prometheus]], [[Hephaestus]], [[Hermes]], or [[Palaemon]] (depending on the sources examined) cleaved Zeus's head with the double-headed [[Minoan civilization|Minoan]] [[axe]], the ''[[labrys]]''. Athena leaped from Zeus's head, fully grown and armed—with a shout, "and pealed to the broad sky her clarion cry of war. And Ouranos trembled to hear, and Mother Gaia..." ([[Pindar]], ''Seventh Olympian Ode''). As noted above the Minonan culture of [[Crete]] was thought by Plato to have been a source from which the cult of Athena was introduced from Lybia during the dawn of Greek culture. Classical myths thereafter noted that [[Hera]] was so annoyed at Zeus producing a child—apparently on his own—that she caused herself to conceive and bear [[Hephaestus]] by [[parthenogenesis|herself]]. After the appearance of this variant it becomes stated that Metis thereafter never bore any more children and, that Zeus persisted as supreme ruler of Mount Olympus. The Greek myths became static at this point, not changing {{Fact|date=April 2008}}before the ancient culture declined and its religion faded from practice. ===Other origin tales=== Fragments attributed by the Christian [[Eusebius of Caesarea]] to the semi-legendary [[Phoenicia]]n historian [[Sanchuniathon]], which Eusebius thought had been written before the [[Trojan war]], make Athena instead, the daughter of [[Cronus]], a king of [[Byblos]] who is said to have visited 'the inhabitable world' and bequeathed [[Attica]] to Athena. Sanchuniathon's account would make Athena, as was Hera, the sister of Zeus, not his daughter. ===Pallas Athena=== The major competing tradition regarding Athena's parentage involves some of her more mysterious [[epithet]]s: Pallas, as in Ancient Greek {{polytonic|Παλλάς Άθήνη}} (also Pallantias) and Tritogeneia (also Trito, Tritonis, Tritoneia, Tritogenes). A separate entity named [[Pallas (disambiguation)|Pallas]] is invoked – whether Athena's father, sister, foster-sister, companion, or opponent in battle. In every case, Athena kills Pallas, accidentally, and thereby gains the name for herself. When Pallas is Athena's father the events, including her birth, are located near a body of water named Triton or [[Lake Tritonis|Tritonis]], the result of an etymology of ''Tritogeneia'' from Tritonis. When Pallas is Athena's sister or foster-sister, Athena's father or foster-father is [[Triton (mythology)|Triton]], the son and herald of [[Poseidon]]. But Athena may be called the daughter of Poseidon and a nymph named Tritonis, without involving Pallas. Likewise, Pallas may be Athena's father or opponent, without involving Triton.<ref>Graves, Robert, ''The Greek Myths I'', "The Birth of Athena," 8.a., p. 51. The story comes from [[Libyan]] (modern [[Berbers]]) where the Greek Athena and the Egyptian [[Neith]] blend into one deity. The story is not so often referenced because some facts contradict other better-documented facts. Frazer, vol. 2 p.41</ref> On this topic, Walter Burkert says "she is the Pallas of Athens, ''Pallas Athenaie'', just as Hera of Argos is ''Here Argeie''.<ref>Burkert, p. 139.</ref> For the Athenians, Burkert notes, Athena was simply "the Goddess", ''he thea'', certainly an ancient title. ===''Athena Parthenos'': Virgin Athena=== <!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[Image:RiddleAthena.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The modern ''Athena Parthenos'', a replica of the statue that stood in her temple on the [[Acropolis]], including the Nike in her hand and the serpent, Erichthonius, behind her shield which stands in the replicated [[Parthenon]] in [[Centennial Park (Nashville)|Centennial Park]], [[Nashville]] [[Tennessee]]]] --> Athena never had a consort or lover and thus, also was known as ''[[Athena Parthenos]]'', "Virgin Athena." Her most famous temple, the [[Parthenon]], on the [[Acropolis, Athens|Acropolis]] in [[Athens]] takes its name from this title. It was not merely an observation of her virginity, but a recognition of her role as enforcer of rules of sexual modesty and ritual mystery. This role is expressed in a number of stories about Athena. [[Marinus]] reports that when Christians removed the statue of the Goddess from the [[Parthenon]], a beautiful woman appeared in a dream to [[Proclus]], a devotee of Athena, and announced that the ''"Athenian Lady"'' wished to dwell with him.<ref>Marinus of Samaria, ''"The Life of Proclus or Concerning Happiness"'', Translated by Kenneth S. Guthrie (1925), pp.15-55:30, retrieved 21 May 2007.[http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/marinus_01_life_of_proclus.htm Marinus, ''Life of Proclus'']</ref> ====Erichthonius==== [[Hephaestus]] attempted to [[rape]] Athena, but she eluded him. His [[semen]] fell on the ground, and [[Erichthonius of Athens|Erichthonius]] was born from the Earth, [[Gaia (mythology)|Gaia]]. Athena then raised the baby as a foster mother.<ref>Pseudo-Apollodorus, [[Bibliotheke]]'' 3.14.6.</ref> Athena put the infant Erichthonius in a small box (''cista'') which she entrusted to the care of three sisters, [[Herse]], [[Pandrosus]], and [[Aglaulus]] of Athens. The goddess didn't tell them what the box contained, but warned them not to open it until she returned. One or two sisters opened the ''cista'' to reveal Erichthonius, in the form (or embrace) of a [[serpent (symbolism)|serpent]]. The serpent, or insanity induced by the sight, drove Herse and Pandrosus to throw themselves off the [[Acropolis, Athens|Acropolis]].<ref>Graves, Robert, ''The Greek Myths I'', "The Nature and Deeds of Athena" 25.d.</ref> Jane Harrison (''Prolegomena'') finds this to be a simple cautionary tale directed at young girls carrying the ''cista'' in the [[Thesmophoria]] rituals, to discourage them from opening it outside the proper context. <!-- Her role as the virgin mother of [[Erichthonius]] was a relic of an archaic myth of the patron goddess of ''Athenai'' that preceded her placement among the Olympian pantheon. --> Another version of the myth of the Athenian maidens is told in ''[[Metamorphoses (poem)|Metamorphoses]]'' by the Roman poet [[Ovid]] (43 BC – 17 AD); in this late variant [[Hermes]] falls in love with Herse. Herse, Aglaulus, and Pandrosus go to the temple to offer sacrifices to Athena. Hermes demands help from Aglaulus to seduce Herse. Aglaulus demands money in exchange. Hermes gives her the money the sisters had already offered to Athena. As punishment for Aglaulus's greed, Athena asks the goddess Envy to make Aglaulus jealous of Herse. When Hermes arrives to seduce Herse, Aglaulus stands in his way instead of helping him as she had agreed. He turns her to stone.<ref>[[Ovid]], ''Metamorphoses'', X. Aglaura, Book II, 708-751; XI. The Envy, Book II, 752-832.</ref> With this mythic origin, Erichthonius became the founder-[[king of Athens]], where many beneficial changes to Athenian culture were ascribed to him. During this time, Athena frequently protected him. ====Medusa and Tiresias==== In a late myth, [[Medusa]], unlike her two sister-Gorgons, came to be thought of by the Classical Greeks during the fifth century as, mortal and extremely beautiful, but she had sex with — or was raped by — Poseidon in a temple of Athena. Upon discovering the desecration of her temple, Athena changed Medusa's form to match that of her sister Gorgons as punishment. Medusa's hair turned into snakes, her lower body was transformed also, and meeting her gaze would turn any living creature to stone. In the earliest of myths there is but one [[Gorgon]] and the only snakes were two wrapped around her waist as a belt. In one version of the [[Tiresias]] myth, Tiresias stumbled upon Athena bathing, and was blinded by her nakedness.<ref>Graves, Robert, ''The Greek Myths I'',"The Nature and Deeds of Athena" 25.g. The myth of [[Actaeon]] is a doublet of this element.</ref> To compensate him for his loss, she sent serpents to lick his ears, which gave him the gift of prophecy. ===Lady of Athens=== Athena competed with [[Poseidon]] to be the patron deity of Athens, which was yet unnamed, in a version of one [[founding myth]]. They agreed that each would give the Athenians one gift and that the Athenians would choose the gift they preferred. Poseidon struck the ground with his [[trident]] and a spring sprang up; this gave them a means of trade and water—Athens at its height was a significant sea power, defeating the [[Persian Empire|Persian]] fleet at the [[Battle of Salamis]]—but the water was salty and not very good for drinking. (In an alternate version, Poseidon offered the first horse to the citizens, but horses also are associated with Athena in some myths.) Athena, however, offered them the first domesticated [[olive tree]]. The Athenians (or their king, [[Cecrops]]) accepted the olive tree and with it the patronage of Athena, for the olive tree brought wood, oil, and food. [[Robert Graves]] was of the opinion that "Poseidon's attempts to take possession of certain cities are political myths" which reflect the conflict between matriarchical and patriarchical religions. <ref>Graves 1960:16.3p 62.</ref> Athena also was the patron goddess of several other Greek cities, notably, [[Sparta]]. [[Image:Athena type Velletri.jpg|right|thumb|200px|''Helmeted Athena'', of the [[Athena of Velletri|Velletri]] type; a Roman copy (first century) of a [[Art in Ancient Greece|Greek]] original by [[Kresilas]], ''c.'' 430 BC]] <!--Another interesting and arguable reason for why the Athenians chose Athena's olive tree over Poseidon's horses and spring was because Poseidon was known to be a very difficult deity to please and often wrought havoc even upon his cities. Athena was a better choice because of her less violent personality and the Athenians did not wish to have to encounter Poseidon's wrath in future. {{fact}}--> [[Image:Athena Herakles Staatliche Antikensammlungen 2648.jpg|thumb|left|Athena and Herakles on an [[Attica|Attic]] red-figure [[kylix]], 480–470 BCE]] ===Counselor=== Later myths of the Classical Greeks relate that Athena guided [[Perseus (mythology)|Perseus]] in his quest to behead [[Medusa (mythology)|Medusa]]. She instructed [[Heracles]] to skin the [[Nemean Lion]] by using its own claws to cut through its thick hide. She also helped Heracles to defeat the [[Stymphalian Birds]], and to navigate the underworld so as to capture [[Cerberos]]. In another late story, it is said that [[Odysseus]]' cunning and shrewd nature quickly won Athena's favour. In the realistic epic mode, however, she largely is confined to aiding him only from ''afar'', as by implanting thoughts in his head during his journey home from Troy. It is not until he washes up on the shore of an island where Nausicaa is washing her clothes that Athena arrives personally to provide more tangible assistance. She appears in Nausicaa's dreams to ensure that the princess rescues Odysseus and plays a role in his eventual escort to Ithaca. Athena appears in disguise to Odysseus upon his arrival, initially lying and telling him that Penelope, his wife, has remarried and that he is believed to be dead; but Odysseus lies back to her, employing skillful prevarications to protect himself.<ref>Trahman in ''Phoenix'', p. 35.</ref> Impressed by his resolve and shrewdness, she reveals herself and tells him what he needs to know in order to win back his kingdom. She disguises him as an elderly man or beggar so that he cannot be noticed by the suitors or Penelope, and helps him to defeat the suitors. She also plays a role in ending the resultant feud against the suitors' relatives. ===Roman fable of Arachne=== The [[fable]] of [[Arachne]] is a late Roman addition to Classical [[Greek mythology]],<ref>The tale is recorded in [[Ovid]]'s ''[[Metamorphoses (poem)|Metamorphoses]]'' ( (vi.5-54 and 129-145) and mentioned in [[Virgil]]'s ''[[Georgics]]'', iv, 246.</ref> that, of course, does not appear in the myth repertory of the Attic vase-painters. Arachne's name simply means ''spider'' (αράχνη). Arachne was the daughter of a famous dyer in [[Tyrian purple]] in Hypaipa of [[Lydia]]. She became so conceited of her skill as a weaver that she began claiming that her skill was greater than that of Athena herself. Athena gave Arachne a chance to redeem herself by assuming the form of an old woman and warning Arachne not to offend the deities. Arachne scoffed and wished for a weaving contest, so she could prove her skill. Athena wove the scene of her victory over [[Poseidon]] that had inspired her patronage of Athens. According to the Latin narrative, Arachne's tapestry featured twenty-one episodes of the infidelity of the deities: [[Zeus]] being unfaithful with [[Leda (mythology)|Leda]], with [[Europa (mythical)|Europa]], with [[Danaë]]. Athena admitted that Arachne's work was flawless, but was outraged at Arachne's disrespectful choice of subjects that displayed the failings and transgressions of the deities.<ref>This takes for granted a late, moralizing view of Greek myth.</ref> Finally, losing her temper, Athena destroyed Arachne's tapestry and loom, striking it with her shuttle, Arachne realized her folly and hanged herself. In Ovid's telling, Athena took pity on Arachne who was changed into a spider. The fable suggests that the origin of weaving lay in imitation of spiders and that it was considered to have been perfected first in [[Anatolia|Asia Minor]]. ==Cult and attributes== [[Image:Athena ciste.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Helmeted Athena with the ''cista'' and Erichthonius in his serpent form. Roman, first century ([[Louvre Museum]])]] Athena's [[epithet]]s include {{polytonic|Άτρυτώνη}}, ''Atrytone'' (= the unwearying), {{polytonic|Παρθένος}}, ''Parthénos'' (= virgin), and {{polytonic|Ή Πρόμαχος}}, ''Promachos'' (the pre-fighter/-tress, i. e. ''she who fights in front''). In poetry from Homer, an oral tradition of the eighth or seventh century BC, onward, Athena's most common [[epithets in Homer|epithet]] is ''glaukopis'' (γλαυκώπις), which usually is translated as, ''bright-eyed'' or ''with gleaming eyes''.<ref>Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, 1940, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', ISBN 0-19-864226-1, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0058%3Aentry%3D%236935 online version] at the [[Perseus Project]]</ref> The word is a combination of ''glaukos'' (γλαύκος, meaning ''gleaming'', ''silvery'', and later, ''bluish-green'' or ''gray'') and ''ops'' (ώψ, ''eye'', or sometimes, ''face''). It is interesting to note that ''glaux'' (γλαύξ, "owl") is from the same root, presumably because of the bird's own distinctive eyes. The bird which sees well in the night is closely associated with the goddess of [[wisdom]]: in archaic images, Athena is frequently depicted with an owl perched on her head. The [[olive]] tree is likewise sacred to her. In earlier times, Athena may well have been a [[bird goddess]], similar to the unknown goddess depicted with owls, wings, and bird talons on the [[Burney relief]], a Mesopotamian terracotta relief of the early second millennium BC.{{Fact|date=October 2007}} Other epithets include: '''Aethyta''' under which she was worshiped in [[Megara]].<ref>[[Pausanias]], i. 5. § 3; 41. § 6</ref>. The word ''aithyia'' ({{polytonic|αίθυια}}) signifies a ''diver'', and figuratively, a ''ship'', so the name must reference Athena teaching the art of shipbuilding or navigation.<ref>[[John Tzetzes]], ''ad Lycophr.'', ''l.c.''</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=Schmitz|first=Leonhard|contribution=Aethyta|editor-last=Smith |editor-first = William|title = [[Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology]]|volume=1|pages=51|place=Boston, MA|year=1867|contribution-url=http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0060.html }}</ref> ==Epithets== In the ''[[Iliad]]'' (4.514), the [[Homeric Hymns]], and in [[Hesiod]]'s ''[[Theogony]]'', Athena is given the curious epithet ''Tritogeneia.'' The meaning of this term is unclear. It seems to mean "[[Triton (mythology)|Triton]]-born," perhaps indicating that the sea-deity was her parent according to some early myths,<ref>Karl Kerenyi suggests that "Tritogeneia did not mean that she came into the world on any particular river or lake, but that she was born of the water itself; for the name Triton seems to be associated with water generally." (Kerenyi, p. 128).</ref> or, less likely, that she was born near [[Lake Triton]] in [[Africa]]. This is the same location noted in ''The Greek Myths'' (8.a ff.), by [[Robert Graves]] as the possible location from which the worship of [[Neith]] was imported into Crete and then into Greece as the warrior goddess Athena at a very early date, perhaps as early as [[3,500 BC]]. Another possible meaning may be ''triple-born'' or ''third-born'', which may refer to a triad or to her status as the third daughter of Zeus or the fact she was born from Metis, Zeus, and herself; various legends list her as being the first child after Artemis and Apollo, though other legends{{Fact|date=August 2007}} identify her as Zeus' first child. The later would have to be drawn from Classical myths, however, rather than earlier ones. In her role as judge at [[Orestes (mythology)|Orestes']] trial on the murder of his mother, [[Clytemnestra]] (which he won), Athena won the epithet ''Athena Areia''. [[Image:Peplos scene BM EV.JPG|thumb|left|A new ''[[peplos]] was woven for Athena and ceremonially brought to dress her [[cult image]] ([[British Museum]])]] Athena later was associated with the application of [[philosophy]] to cult in the fifth century during the Classical period. She remained the patroness of [[weaving]], [[crafts]], and the more disciplined side of [[war]]<ref name = "kygypw"/>. Athena's wisdom encompasses the technical knowledge employed in weaving and metal-working, but also includes the cunning intelligence (''[[metis]]'') of such figures as [[Odysseus]]. Other epithets were [[Ageleia]] and [[Itonia]]. The [[owl]] and the [[olive]] tree are sacred to her. She is attended by an owl, and often is accompanied by the goddess of victory, [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]]. Although it is sometimes said to be a snake skin, wearing a goatskin breastplate called the [[Aegis]] that suggests a Lydian origin. The aegis later is interpreted to have been given to her by her father, [[Zeus]]<ref name = "rwwzsh"/>, she often is shown helmeted and with a shield bearing the [[Gorgon]] head, again a symbol of earlier themes, later as a [[votive gift]] of [[Perseus]]. Athena is an armed warrior goddess and appears in later Greek mythology as the counselor of many heroes, including [[Heracles]], [[Jason]], and [[Odysseus]]. [[Image:Ac.parthenon5.jpg|thumb|The Parthenon, Temple of Athena Parthenos]] Athena was given many other cult titles. She had the epithet ''Athena Ergane'' as the patron of craftsmen and artisans. With the epithet ''[[Athena Parthenos]]'' ("virgin"), Athena was worshiped on the Classical period [[Acropolis]], especially in the festivals of the [[Panathenaea]] and [[Pamboeotia]]. With the epithet ''Athena Promachos'' she led in battle. With the epithet ''Athena Polias'' ("of the city"), Athena was the protector of Athens and its Acropolis, but also of many other cities, including [[Argos]], [[Sparta]], [[Gortyn]], [[Lindos]], and [[Larisa]]. She was given the epithet ''[[Hippeia|Athena Hippeia]]'' or ''Athena Hippia'', ''horse'' as the inventor of the [[chariot]], and was worshipped under this title at Athens, [[Tegea]] and [[Olympia, Greece|Olympia]]. As Athena Hippeia she was given an alternative parentage: [[Poseidon]] and [[Polyphe]], daughter of [[Oceanus]]. <ref>[http://www.theoi.com/Nymphe/NymphePolyphe.html POLYPHE : Oceanid nymph of Rhodes in the Aegean ; Greek mythology<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.theoi.com/Cult/AthenaTitles.html TITLES OF ATHENA : Ancient Greek religion<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. In each of these cities her temple frequently was the major temple on the acropolis.<ref>Burkert, p. 140.</ref> Athena often was equated with [[Aphaea]], a local goddess of the island of [[Aegina]], located near [[Athens]], once Aegina was under Athenian's power. The Greek historian [[Plutarch]] (46 AD–120 AD) also refers to an instance during the Parthenon's construction of her being called ''Athena [[Hygieia]]'' ("healer"): :''A strange accident happened in the course of building, which showed that the goddess was not averse to the work, but was aiding and co-operating to bring it to perfection. One of the artificers, the quickest and the handiest workman among them all, with a slip of his foot fell down from a great height, and lay in a miserable condition, the physicians having no hope of his recovery. When [[Pericles]] was in distress about this, the goddess [Athena] appeared to him at night in a dream, and ordered a course of treatment, which he applied, and in a short time and with great ease cured the man. And upon this occasion it was that he set up a brass statue of Athena Hygeia, in the citadel near the altar, which they say was there before. But it was [[Phidias]] who wrought the goddess's image in gold, and he has his name inscribed on the pedestal as the workman of it.<ref>Plutarch, ''Life of Pericles'', [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Pericles*.html#13 13.8]</ref> In classical times the [[Plynteria]], or “Feast of Adorning,” was observed every May, it was a festival lasting five days. During this period the Priestesses of Athena, or “Plyntrides,” performed a cleansing ritual within “the Erecththeum,” the personal sanctuary of the goddess. Here Athena's statue was undressed, her clothes washed, and body purified. In [[Arcadia]], she was assimilated with the ancient goddess Alea and worshiped as [[Athena Alea]]. ==In Classical art== [[Image:PallasGiustiniani.jpg|thumb|left|The ''[[Athena Giustiniani]]'', a Roman copy of a Greek statue of Pallas Athena with her serpent, Erichthonius]] [[Image:AttalusICorrected.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Athena depicted on a coin of [[Attalus I]], ruler of [[Pergamon]]—c. 200 BC.]] <br /> Classically, Athena is portrayed wearing full armor, with her helmet raised high on the forehead to reveal the image of [[Nike (mythology)|Nike]]. Her shield bears at its centre the ''[[gorgoneion]]'', the head of the [[gorgon]], as does her aegis. It is in this standing posture that she was depicted in [[Phidias]]'s famous lost [[Chryselephantine|gold and ivory]] statue of her, '''36 m tall''', the ''[[Athena Parthenos]]'' in the [[Parthenon]]. Athena also often is depicted with an [[owl]] sitting on one of her shoulders.<ref>The owl's role as a symbol of wisdom originates in this association with Athena.</ref> The ''[[Mourning Athena]]'' is a relief sculpture that dates around 460 BC and portrays a weary Athena resting on a staff.<!--better interpretation?--> In earlier, archaic portraits of Athena in [[Black-figure pottery]], the goddess retains some of her Minoan-Mycenaean character, such as great bird wings although this is not true of archaic sculpture such as those of [[Aphaean Athena]], where Athena has subsumed an earlier, invisibly numinous—''[[Aphaea]]''— goddess with Cretan connections in her ''mythos''. Other commonly received and repeated types of Athena in sculpture may be found in [[:Category:Athena types|this list]]. Apart from her attributes, there seems to be a relative consensus in late sculpture from the Classical period, the fifth century onward, as to what Athena looked like. Most noticeable in the face is perhaps the full round strong chin with a high nose that has a high bridge as a natural extension of the forehead. The eyes typically are somewhat deeply set. The unsmiling lips are usually full, but the mouth is fairly narrow, usually just slightly wider than the nose. The neck is somewhat long. The net result is a serene, serious, somewhat aloof beauty. ==Name, etymology, and origin== Athena had a special relationship with [[Athens]], as is shown by the etymological connection of the names of the goddess and the city. Athena was said to have won a contest with [[Poseidon]], god of the Sea, over the city of Athens. In Classical myths Zeus had decided that, in order to settle the feud, whoever gave the city the most useful gift would win ownership and patronage of the city. Poseidon gave the city a fountain of flowing water, but it was salty and was not much help to the people. Athena planted the first olive tree, which provided the people with food, firewood, and shade. She showed how to crush olives to make oil, that could then be used in a variety of ways. Athena's gift was the most useful, and she won patronage of the city. Athens was then named in her honor. <ref>"Whether the goddess was named after the city or the city after the goddess is an ancient dispute" (Burkert, p. 139).</ref> The citizens of Athens built a statue of Athena as a temple to the goddess, which had piercing eyes, a helmet on her head, attired with a aegis or [[cuirass]], and an extremely long spear. It also had a crystal shield with the head of the Gorgon on it. A large snake accompanied her and she held the goddess of victory in her hand. [[Image:Bust Athena Velletri Glyptothek Munich 213.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Bust of Athena in the [[Munich]] [[Glyptothek]]]] Athena is associated with [[Athens]], a plural name because it was the place where she presided over her sisterhood, the ''Athenai'', in earliest times: "[Mycenae] was the city where the Goddess was called Mykene, and Mycenae is named in the plural for the sisterhood of females who tended her there. At [[Thebes (Greece)|Thebes]] she was called Thebe, and the city again a plural, Thebae (or Thebes, where the 's' is the plural formation). Similarly, at Athens she was called Athena, and the city Athenae (or Athens, again a plural)." <ref>Ruck and Staples 1994:24.</ref> Whether her name is attested in [[Eteocretan]] or not will have to wait for decipherment of [[Linear A]]. Günther Neumann has suggested that Athena's name is possibly of [[Lydian]] origin;<ref>Günther Neumann, "Der lydische Name der Athena. Neulesung der lydischen Inschrift Nr. 40" ''Kadmos'' '''6''' (1967).</ref> it may be a compound word derived in part from [[Tyrrhenian languages|Tyrrhenian]] "ati", meaning ''mother'' and the name of the [[Hurrian]] goddess "[[Hannahannah]]" shortened in various places to "Ana". In [[Mycenaean Greek]], at [[Knossos]] a single inscription ''A-ta-na po-ti-ni-ja'' ''/Athana potniya/'' appears in the [[Linear B]] tablets from the Late Minoan II-era "Room of the Chariot Tablets"; these comprise the earliest Linear B archive anywhere.<ref>Kn V 52 (text 208 in Ventris and Chadwick). </ref> Although ''Athana potniya'' often is translated ''Mistress Athena'', it literally means "the ''potnia'' of At(h)ana", which perhaps, means ''the Lady of Athens'';<ref>Palaima, p. 444.</ref> Any connection to the city of Athens in the Knossos inscription is uncertain.<ref>Burkert, p. 44.</ref> We also find ''A-ta-no-dju-wa-ja'' ''/Athana diwya/'', the final part being the Linear B spelling of what we know from Ancient Greek as ''Diwia'' (Mycenaean ''di-u-ja'' or ''di-wi-ja''): '''''divine''''' Athena also was a weaver and the deity of crafts. (see ''[[dyeus]]'').<ref>Ventris and Chadwick [page missing]</ref> In his dialogue ''[[Cratylus (dialogue)|Cratylus]]'', the Greek philosopher [[Plato]], 428/427 BC – 348/347 BC, gives the etymology of Athena's name, based on the view of the ancient Athenians: {| class="toccolours" style="margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 95%; background:#c6dbf7; color:black; width:55em; max-width: 60%;" cellspacing="5" | style="text-align: left;" | :''"That is a graver matter, and there, my friend, the modern interpreters of Homer may, I think, assist in explaining the view of the ancients. For most of these in their explanations of the poet, assert that he meant by Athena "mind" [''nous''] and "intelligence" [''dianoia''], and the maker of names appears to have had a singular notion about her; and indeed calls her by a still higher title, "divine intelligence" [''Thou noesis''], as though he would say: This is she who has the mind better than others. Nor shall we be far wrong in supposing that the author of it wished to identify this Goddess with moral intelligence [''en ethei noesin''], and therefore gave her the name ethonoe; which, however, either he or his successors have altered into what they thought a nicer form, and called her Athena''". |- | style="text-align: left;" | Plato, ''Cratylus'', 407b |} Thus for Plato her name was to be derived from Greek Ἀθεονόα, ''Atheonóa''— which the later Greeks rationalised as from the deity's (''theos'') mind (''nous''). The Greek historian, [[Herodotus]] (c. 484-425 BC), noted that the Egyptian citizens of [[Sais]] in Egypt worshipped a goddess whose Egyptian name was [[Neith]];<ref>"''The citizens have a deity for their foundress; she is called in the Egyptian tongue Neith, and is asserted by them to be the same whom the Hellenes call Athena; they are great lovers of the Athenians, and say that they are in some way related to them"''. ('' [[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]'' 21e)</ref> and they identified her with Athena. (''[[Timaeus (dialogue)|Timaeus]]'' 21e), (''[[Histories (Herodotus)|Histories]]'' 2:170–175). Some authors{{Fact|date=August 2007}} believe that, in early times, Athena was either an [[owl]] herself or a [[bird goddess]] in general: in Book 3 of the [[Odyssey]], she takes the form of a [[Sea eagle (bird)|sea-eagle]]. These authors argue that she dropped her prophylactic owl-mask before she lost her wings. "Athena, by the time she appears in art," Jane Ellen Harrison had remarked, "has completely shed her animal form, has reduced the shapes she once wore of snake and bird to attributes, but occasionally in [[Black figure pottery|black-figure vase-paintings]] she still appears with wings."<ref>Harrison 1922:306. ([http://people.uncw.edu/kozloffm/Winged_Athena.jpg Harrison 1922:307 fig. 84: detail of a cup in the Faina collection]).</ref> Some authors{{Who|date=July 2007}} claim that her tasselled [[aegis]] may be the remnants of wings. Others believe that it is scaly, indicating that it is snakeskin. ==In post-classical culture== [[Image:Vienna Pallas closeup.jpg|thumb|170px|A neoclassical statue of Athena stands in front of the [[Austrian Parliament Building]] in Vienna.]] Athena (Minerva) is the subject of the $50 1915-S Panama-Pacific [[commemorative coin]]. At 2.5 troy oz (78 g) gold, this is the largest (by [[weight]]) coin ever produced by the [[United States Mint|U.S. Mint]]. This was the first $50 coin issued by the U.S. Mint and no higher was produced until the production of the $100 platinum coins in 1997. Of course, in terms of face-value in adjusted dollars, the 1915 is the highest denomination ever issued by the U.S. Mint. For over a century [[Parthenon (Nashville)|a full-scale replica of the Parthenon]] has stood in [[Nashville, Tennessee]], which is known as ''the Athens of the South''. In 1990, a gilded 41 feet (12.5 m) tall [[Athena Parthenos|replica of Phidias' statue]] of Athena Parthenos was added. The state [[seal of California]] features an image of Athena (or Minerva) kneeling next to a brown grizzly bear.<ref>[http://www.learncalifornia.org/doc.asp?id=97 LearnCalifornia.org - Symbols of the Seal of California<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Athena is the symbol of the [[Darmstadt University of Technology]], Germany. She is the symbol of the United States Women's Navy and was depicted on their Unit Crest. A medal awarded to women who served in the Women Army Auxiliary Corps from [[10 July]] [[1942]] to [[31 August]] [[1943]], and to the Women Army Corps from [[1 September]] [[1943]] to [[2 September]] [[1945]] featured Athena on the front. [[Image:Renan12.jpg|thumb|left|The statue of Renan in Tréguier.]] Athena's Helmet is the central feature on the [[United States Military Academy]] [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:U.S._Military_Academy_COA.png crest]. Athena is reported as a source of influence for feminist theologians such as [[Carol P. Christ]]. Pallas Athena is the tutelary goddess of the international social fraternity [[Phi Delta Theta]]<ref name="pdt">{{cite web |url=http://www.phideltatheta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=122 |title=Phi Delta Theta International - Symbols |accessdate=2008-06-07 |publisher=phideltatheta.org |date= }}</ref>. Her owl is also a symbol of the fraternity<ref name="pdt">{{cite web |url=http://www.phideltatheta.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=122 |title=Phi Delta Theta International - Symbols |accessdate=2008-06-07 |publisher=phideltatheta.org |date= }}</ref>. The goddess also holds a special place in the traditions at [[Bryn Mawr College]] in Pennsylvania. A statue of Athena (a replica of the original bronze one in the archaeology library) resides in the Great Hall. It is traditional at exam time for students to leave offerings to the goddess with a note asking for good luck, or to repent for accidentally breaking any of the college's numerous other traditions. Athena's owl also serves as the mascot of the college. A statue of the seated skeptical thinker [[Ernest Renan]], shown to the left, caused great controversy when it was installed in Tréguier, [[Brittany]]. Renan's 1862 biography of Jesus had denied his divinity, and he had written the [http://www.lexilogos.com/document/renan/acropolis.htm Prayer on the Acropolis] addressed to the goddess Athena. The statue was placed next to the cathedral. Renan's head was turned away from the building, while Athena, beside him, was depicted raising her arm, which has been interpreted by some to indicate a challenge to the church. The installation was accompanied by a mass protest from local Roman Catholics and a religious service against the growth of [[skepticism]] and [[secularism]]. <ref>[http://www.jeanboucher.net/?d=monuments&p=monuments Musee Virtuel Jean Boucher]</ref> ==Footnotes== {{reflist|2}} == References == === Ancient sources === *Lucan, ''Bellum civile ix.350'' *Livy, ''Ad urbe condita libri vii.3.7'' *Augustine, ''De civitate dei xviii.8–9'' *Eusebius, ''Chronicon 30.21–26, 42.11–14'' *Cicero, ''De natura deorum iii.21.53, 23.59'' *Lactantius, ''Divinae institutions i.17.12–13, 18.22–23'' === Modern sources === *[[Walter Burkert|Burkert, Walter]], 1985. ''Greek Religion'' (Harvard). *[[Seppo Telenius|Telenius, Seppo Sakari]], 2005 and 2006. ''Athena-Artemis''. *[[Robert Graves|Graves, Robert]], (1955) 1960. ''The Greek Myths'' revised edition. *[[Karl Kerenyi|Kerenyi, Karl]], 1951. ''The Gods of the Greeks'' (Thames and Hudson). *[[Jane Ellen Harrison|Harrison, Jane Ellen]], 1903. ''Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion''. *Trahman, C.R., 1952. "Odysseus' Lies ('Odyssey', Books 13-19)" in ''Phoenix'', Vol. 6, No. 2 (Classical Association of Canada), pp. 31-43. *[[Michael Ventris|Ventris, Michael]] and [[John Chadwick]], 1973. ''Documents in Mycenaean Greek'' (Cambridge). *Ruck, Carl A.P. and Danny Staples, 1994. ''The World of Classical Myth: Gods and Goddesses, Heroines and Heroes'' (Durham, NC). *Palaima, Thomas, 2004. "Appendix One: Linear B Sources." In Trzaskoma, Stephen, et al., eds., ''Anthology of Classical Myth: Primary Sources in Translation'' (Hackett). ==See also== [[Image:2005 Austria 10 Euro 60 Years Second Republic front.jpg|160px|thumb|[[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Austria)#2005 coinage|60 Years of the Second Republic commemorative coin]] featuring Athena.]] * Athena has been used numerous times as a symbol of a republic by different countries. A recent sample is the [[Euro gold and silver commemorative coins (Austria)#2005 coinage|60 Years of the Second Republic commemorative coin]] issued by Austria in 2005. Athena is depicted in the obverse of the coin, representing the Austrian Republic. * [[Palladium (mythology)]] ==External links== {{wikiquote}} {{commons|Athena}} *[http://www.nashville.gov/parthenon/index.htm The Nashville Parthenon] *[http://www.theoi.com/Cult/AthenaCult.html Theoi.com Cult of Athena]—Extracts of classical texts *[http://homepage.mac.com/cparada/GML/000Free/000Athena/AthenaAlbum.html (Carlos Parada) Athena Album]—Repertory of main Athena types and post-Renaissance depictions *[http://www.goddess-athena.org/Museum/Sculptures/index.htm Roy George, "Athena: The sculptures of the goddess"]—Another, more extensive repertory of Greek and Roman types {{Greek myth (Olympian)2}} [[Category:Athena| ]] [[Category:Greek mythology]] [[Category:Greek goddesses]] [[Category:Twelve Olympians]] [[Category:Offspring of Zeus]] [[Category:Smithing goddesses]] [[Category:Crafts goddesses]] [[Category:War goddesses]] [[Category:Wisdom goddesses]] [[Category:Deities in the Iliad]] {{Link FA|sl}} [[ar:آثينا]] [[ast:Atenea]] [[bn:অ্যাথিনা]] [[bs:Atena (mitologija)]] [[br:Athena]] [[bg:Атина (митология)]] [[ca:Atena]] [[cs:Athéna]] [[cy:Athena]] [[da:Athene]] [[de:Athene]] [[et:Athena]] [[el:Αθηνά]] [[es:Atenea]] [[eo:Atena]] [[eu:Atena]] [[fa:آتنا]] [[fr:Athéna]] [[gl:Atenea]] [[ko:아테나]] [[hi:अथीना]] [[hr:Atena (mitologija)]] [[id:Dewi Athena]] [[is:Aþena (gyðja)]] [[it:Atena]] [[he:אתנה]] [[ka:ათენა]] [[la:Athena]] [[lv:Atēna]] [[lb:Athene]] [[lt:Atėnė]] [[hu:Athéné]] [[mk:Атина (митологија)]] [[mr:अथेना]] [[nl:Pallas Athena]] [[ja:アテーナー]] [[no:Athene]] [[nn:Atene]] [[nds:Athene (Mythologie)]] [[pl:Atena]] [[pt:Atena]] [[ro:Atena (zeiţă)]] [[ru:Афина]] [[simple:Athena]] [[sk:Pallas Aténa]] [[sl:Atena]] [[sr:Атина (митологија)]] [[sh:Atena (mitologija)]] [[fi:Pallas Athene]] [[sv:Athena]] [[tl:Athena]] [[ta:அத்தீனா]] [[th:อะธีนา]] [[vi:Athena (thần thoại)]] [[tg:Афина]] [[tr:Athena]] [[uk:Афіна]] [[ur:ایتھنے]] [[zh:雅典娜]]