Preview

Greek Goddess Athena

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
471 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Greek Goddess Athena
Many Greek gods and goddesses make up the stories we know about the most famous constellations of stars we look at every night. One of which is the goddess Athena. While not a constellation herself, she?s a key character in many of the stories. Athena was the goddess of crafts, war, and wisdom. She is very unique in lots of ways, some of which are her many names, how she came about, and her very own city. It was said that she was to carry out deeds that Zeus could not do but would want to do. She taught mortals natal care and healing. She also made the flute, the olive tree, and showed men how to train horses.

Since the beginning of time names have had their own special meanings. Athena held several names, three of which are, Pallas, Athene, and Athena. Pallas and Athene came from her full name Pallas Athene, representing her duel nature. Pallas, meaning the goddess of storms, strength, battle, war, chivalry, and victory. She?s also known as Athene, meaning the goddess of peace, beauty, wisdom, creativity, education, science, and the arts. Athena was the Greek goddess of war, wisdom, the arts, industry, justice, and skill. Athena is the patron of craftsmen and the protector of cities. Her symbols include, the olive tree, and the animal symbols, the cock, snake, and owl.

She was the favorite child of Zeus. Athena wasn?t born like a normal child, she burst fully grown from Zeus?s forehead. Zeus?s first wife, Metis, goddess of wisdom. In Zeus?s fear that Metis would bear a son greater than himself, Zeus swallowed her and she began to make a robe and helmet for her daughter. All the hammering of the helmet caused Zeus many painful headaches and he cried out in agony. The skilled Hephaestus ran to his father and split his skull open. From it, Athena emerged, fully grown and wearing her mother?s robe and helmet. She is the virgin mother of Erichthnonius.

Athena and her uncle, Poseidon, both found a city in Greece that they loved. Both of them wanted to claim the city

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    Humanities Wk3 Assignment

    • 1040 Words
    • 4 Pages

    She was portrayed to be the goddess of love and beauty often shown smiling. She is the daughter of Zeus. Some myths also say they daughter of Uranus (Aphrodite, 2002). One of the more known and told myth is her helping Paris to abduct his love Helen of Troy.…

    • 1040 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Athena is pivotal in assisting Odysseus by aiding in his struggle to return home and in Ithaca. She supports Odysseus throughout the epic. Athena first helps by explaining Odysseus’ predicament to others on Mount Olympus. Athena begs “Olympian Zeus” to “care for him in [his] lofty heart” (Homer 1.72,73). Athena knows that if she is able to convince the other gods and goddess to be on Odysseus’ side it would positively impact his…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Inanna Research Paper

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Athena is the Greek goddess of reason. She was also known as the goddess of Athens, goddess of wisdom,…

    • 417 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In book 7 and 8, Athena alters how Odysseus appears to others. In book 7, Odysseus has arrived in Phaeacia and makes his way to the King’s palace. During his walk, the narrator explains how Athena alters Odysseus’s appearance: “Pallas Athena, harboring kindness for the hero, drifted a heavy mist around him, shielding him from any swaggering islander who’d cross his path… [and] search out who he was” (VII.16-19). Here, Athena tries to help Odysseus by concealing him during his journey by surrounding him with mist. Mist conceals or hides objects that would otherwise be visible. This shows that Odysseus wants to be hidden from other people, and is not ready to be in the public eye yet. The narrator also explains the mist shields him from the islanders.…

    • 283 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    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, 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." He was too late: Metis had already conceived.…

    • 767 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Athena was the goddess of power and wisdom, and she cared a lot for Odysseus, who was struggling to find his way back home, so she helped him in some difficult situations. However, she was kind of passive while he was fighting, letting him fight his own battles as she sat back and watched him prevail. She also helped Telemachus so he could earn a name for himself in battle. She is confident, smart, a great warrior, and she is also the goddess of the womanly arts. Athena lived on Mount Olympus with all the other Greek gods, and she was a big supporter of Odysseus while the other gods debated whether to help him. Athena also has an important role in the town she live in as an protector from all enemies. Athena got her name from another town name…

    • 152 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dionysus Research Paper

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Athena was the goddess of wisdom and war. She was born from Zeus when he had an awful headache, and she sprouted from his forehead in full armor. She was Ares’ partner in war. According to myth, she was Zeus’ favorite child. Symbols of Athena include an owl, and a helmet.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Athena (Roman name: Minerva), goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, is one of the most beloved and well known gods of the Greek myths. According to Greek mythology, Athena sprang from the head of Zeus, fully grown and wearing battle attire. Athena is always portrayed with her armor and helmet, carrying her shield and lance. Athena is also a gifted craftsman; she created the bridle to tame horses, along with many other crafts and useful objects. Her favorite bird is the owl, which is the symbol of wisdom, watchfulness and the hunt. Athena made all of her followers live a life of purity, and she created a big impact on Greece’s history. On of the most famous myths involving Athena is the origination of the city of the Athens’ symbol. The story begins when Poseidon and Athena have a dispute over who is to rule Athens. Whoever greats the best symbol to represent the city would become patron god or goddess. Poseidon, god of the sea, produced a freshwater spring for the Acropolis. Athena chose to present an olive tree, one of her many symbols. Because olive trees are deemed very useful, Athena became crowned patron goddess of Athens, and she has been ever since.…

    • 302 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    She was also known to have never lost a competition or war for that matter. The next story is about the city of Athens, where Athena and her uncle Poseidon waged war and anger with each other. Athena and Poseidon fought for control over Athens and its surrounding territory, Attica (Myth Summary). The contest was located on the Acropolis. Poseidon struck the rock with his trident and created a salt spring or a horse. Athena created an olive tree from the ground by the touch of her spear and she was announced the victor. The olive was fundamental to Athenian life. Poseidon continued to be worshiped in Athens. In his temple the Erechtheum, on the Acropolis, just across from the Parthenon, the marks from the blow of his trident could be seen, and nearby it, the olive tree that Athena had created continued to…

    • 875 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Athena Role Model

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages

    When studying modern mythos in terms of comic books, I kept myself in the lense of female superheros being the goddesses of today. I use the comic books as the goddesses’ mythic narrative, but it also moves beyond written and into a visual medium which seems to be a very intriguing thing to the culture of our world today. The pictures and narrative storyline of the female superheroes provides a clear understanding of their purpose in the world created by the writers. When I posed a question of are these writers using these characters as tools to maintain a patriarchal culture or are they strong female role models created to instigate a change in the views of the world, the answer I arrived on was that they were no different from the heroines…

    • 801 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Athena is a god, but she still has human like qualities. She feels bad for Odysseus, so she convinces Zeus to allow him to get home. This shows she has sympathy and feels for Odysseus because he's always from his family . She also may identify with Odysseus because she is always with her family. She is also brave enough to go against the far more powerful Poseidon. She's smart enough to know Poseidon could kill her, yet she still saves Odysseus. She's so determined enough to go against a powerful God to see a man. Athena the Goddess of wisdom is more than smart; she is brave, determined, and sympathetic.…

    • 111 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    There are many gods and goddesses that have been born a god or goddess of some sort. Artemis was the goddess of chastity, virginity, the hunt, the moon ,and the natural environment. She is the protector of childbirth and labor. Some people even called her the virgin goddess because she rejected love. The town of Ephesus was put in her honor and they worshiped her. Artemis is one of the greatest goddess' in Greece and…

    • 643 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is clear that Athena is a bad “goddess” in the Odyssey. When Odysseus returns to his home, Athena suggests he test the suitors to see who is guilty. Even though she sets this task for him, Homer says that “But not even so would Athena save one man from death.”(pg.291) Inferring that even if the suitor was innocent she would still have them executed, this action of hers contradicts what it means to be good therefore she can’t be, she must be bad. Following this, Athena allowed the suitors to insult Odysseus wanting “to make the anguish cut still deeper into the core of Laertes’ son Odysseus.”(pg.312) Athena knew what Odysseus has been through and that he has been waiting to return home for a while so to allow insults to flow through the…

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Athena Greek Goddess

    • 1234 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The god to be the topic of discussion in this report is Athena. Athena was an…

    • 1234 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Athena In The Odyssey

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages

    ak to the people they are watching over such as the instance in the Odyssey where Athena comes to Ithaca to visit Telemachus and reassure him that his father will be coming home and recommends a journey for the boy and to wait a year to allow him to make it home (pg.296). Though Telemachus may have not known it was Athena this is an example of a seen and heard Goddess which allows for her to reassure the boy. It is also seen with Achilles and Athena in the Iliad when Achilles is about to fight to the death with Agamemnon, on lines 205 and 206 it says “Athena came sent by the white-armed goddess Hera who loved and watched over the two men” (pg 194). In this scene it goes on to display a scene of the gods taking their power of visibility and…

    • 582 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics