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Athene

ah THEE nee

Αθηνη

Athena

ah thee NA

Αθηνα

Goddess of Wisdom

Athene

The Daughter of Zeus and Metis
The Birth of Athene
Athene at Troy
Athene and Odysseus
The Grim Goddess
Athene and Pandora
Athene and Hera
A Prayer to Athene
The Judgement of Paris
On the Lighter Side
Athene in The Iliad (reference)
Athene in The Odyssey (reference)
Other Text References
Images of Athene

The Daughter of Zeus and Metis

Athene is the daughter of Zeus and Metis. She is the virgin goddess of wisdom and craft but that is not to imply that she is reserved or reflective ... Athene can be bold and cruel or thoughtful and protective depending on the situation.

She is called Athene in The Iliad and The Odyssey but after 500 BCE the spelling of her name was changed slightly and she was thereafter referred to as Athena. She has various other names: Pallas Athene (Young Woman Athene) and Glaukopis (Bright Eyed). She is also called Tritogeneia because she was raised by the Nymphs of the Tritonian lake (or river) in Libya.

Athene is the guardian of cities ... fierce to her enemies and gentle to her followers ... she is the goddess of wisdom, craft, intellect and invention. She taught men how to construct war chariots and inspired women to engage in crafts which would make their homes more efficient and comfortable. She delights in battle and strides beside her stepbrother, Ares (god of War), when she is not fighting against him. When Herakles (Heracles) killed Kyknos (Cycnus), a son of Ares, Athene stood against Ares and warned him not to seek revenge for his son’s death ... she turned Ares’ spear aside and would allow no harm to come to the heroic son of Zeus by the hand of her stepbrother. (Shield of Herakles, lines 126, 325, 443 and 455)

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The Birth of Athene

Zeus took the goddess Metis as his first wife and she soon became pregnant ... Gaia (Earth) and Ouranos (Heavens) warned Zeus that Metis’ children would have the power to depose him. Being fearful and prudent, Zeus swallowed Metis and, in the vastness of his being, the goddess Athene was born. Metis gave her daughter weapons and clothed her in armor ... Athene then burst from Zeus’ head, fully armed and armored shaking her spear in the face of Zeus. Helios (Sun) halted his chariot in the sky, the earth shook and the sea tossed violently as the fierce goddess stood defiantly before the astonished Immortals ... finally, Athene stripped off her armor to reveal her elegant feminine form and divine beauty ... Helios began to move through the sky once more and the troubled sea became quiet. (Theogony, lines 886-900)

Her mother’s name, Metis, means ‘Wisdom’ or ‘Thought,’ therefore it might be more proper to call Athene, The Daughter of Wisdom instead of The Goddess of Wisdom.

Athene is one of only three goddesses who can resist the charms and spells of Aphrodite. Histia (Hestia) and Artemis are the other two. (Hymn to Aphrodite, lines 7-14)

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Athene at Troy

One of the most defining events of the ancient Greek world was the kidnapping of Helen and the resulting war at the gates of the city of Troy ... this conflict was known as the Trojan War and divided the Greeks of the Balkan Peninsula from their colonists along the coast of Asia Minor ... it also divided the Immortals of Mount Olympos (Olympus) ... Athene took the side of the Greeks and spared no effort to see the Trojans vanquished.

After ten brutal years of warfare, the armies decided to stop the fighting and let the two major figures of the dispute face one another in hand to hand combat ... Helen’s lawful husband, Menelaos (Menelaus), and her Trojan lover, Alexandros (Paris), agreed to fight ... the winner would take possession of Helen (and her dowry) and the war would be over. As the two men began to grapple, Pallas Athene descended Mount Olympos and strode between the two armies to inspire a Trojan archer named Pandaros (Pandarus) to commit a supreme act of cowardice ... Pandaros, against all sworn oaths, loosed the arrow that broke the fragile peace ... the arrow injured Menelaos and Aphrodite spirited Alexandros away from the battlefield to the safety of his bedchamber. The bloody war was resumed to the delight and horror of the Olympians.

To avenge Aphrodite’s meddling, Athene gave the Greek warrior, Diomedes, the ability to see the Immortals on the battlefield and advised him to avoid them, but she suggested that if he saw Aphrodite, to attack her. Diomedes obeyed and Aphrodite was the first Immortal to be wounded on that bloody day. (Iliad, book 5, lines 129 and 337)

The final conflict in the battle of Troy was not fought on the battlefield ... the Greeks resorted to an ingenious idea that has survived to this day as the icon of Greek treachery and ingenuity ... the Trojan Horse. Athene inspired the craftsman, Epeius, to construct a giant wooden horse that could be left as a tantalizing gift for the Trojans and give the illusion that the Greeks had given up the war and sailed home. The Greeks hid their best men inside the horse, burned their encampment and pretended to leave in their ships. When the Trojans saw the giant wooden horse outside their gates, they assumed that the war was over and that Greeks had left it as a peace offering ... they debated the issue and the only man to suspect the deceit was a seer named Laokoon (Laocoon) ... Poseidon (lord of the Sea) was also on the side of the Greeks and sent one of his sea creatures to quickly silence Laokoon ... the Trojan king, Priam, reasoned that the death of Laokoon was a favorable sign from the gods and ordered that the horse be brought it into the city ... the Trojans celebrated their apparent victory. When the Trojans were exhausted from their merriment, the Greek warriors emerged from the hollow belly of the horse and began the final, victorious assault on Troy. It’s ironic that Athene would inspire the device that would bring about the destruction to Troy because when the Trojans brought the wooden horse into the city, they wanted to dedicate the trophy to the Grim-Goddess as a tribute to her divine protection.

When the Achaeans were preparing to return to their homes with the spoils of Troy, Athene engineered a quarrel between the brothers, Agamemnon and Menelaos ... Agamemnon wanted to remain at Troy and appease Athene for the destruction of her temple but Menelaos wanted to leave as quickly a possible. Menelaos returned safely home with a few detours but Agamemnon sailed directly home to meet his death at the hands of his vengeful wife, Klytemnestra (Clytemnestra). (Returns, fragment 1)

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Athene

Athene and Odysseus

Athene’s love and protection of Odysseus permitted the long suffering hero to finally return home to his wife and son again. She would assume the shape of men (Odyssey, book 8, line 8), women (Odyssey, book 6, line 23) and children (Odyssey, book 7, line 20) to better serve as guide and protector of the resourceful Odysseus and his son Telemachos (Telemachus).

During the final battle for Troy, the greatest Achaean (Achaian) warrior was killed ... the death of Achilles was the signal that the Trojan War was near its completion ... the heroes had been given glory and death in equal measures and Zeus was content that all the old debts had been paid. When the body of Achilles was laying in the dust of the battlefield, both armies fought to gain possession of the body and his divine armor ... while Odysseus fought to keep the Trojans away, Aias (Ajax) dragged the body of Achilles back to the Achaean encampment. At that point a bitter argument arose between Odysseus and Aias ... both men thought that they deserved Achilles’ armor. The aged hero, Nestor, suggested that the dispute be settled by sending a spy to the walls of Troy to eavesdrop on the Trojans and see which of the two fighters, Odysseus or Aias, was most respected and feared ... the eavesdropper heard two young women talking about the terrible fight for Achilles’ body ... one woman remarked that Aias was the better man because he had actually carried Achilles’ body from the fighting but, at the contrivance of Athene, the other woman replied that even a woman could have carried the body from the fighting but only a brave and strong man like Odysseus could have withstood the fierce attack of the Trojan warriors ... on this testimony, Odysseus was awarded Achilles’ armor. Aias either killed himself in sorrow or was killed by Poseidon after he left Troy ... regardless, when Odysseus met the ‘shade’ of Aias in the Underworld, the sullen hero would not speak or acknowledge Odysseus even though they had fought side by side for ten long years. (Little Iliad, fragments 1 and 3)

When Troy was in ruins, Odysseus rescued the statue of Athene (Palladium) from her temple inside the burning city. The Trojans claimed that they had made a duplicate of the Palladium and that the statue that Odysseus took was not the real one but Athene’s protection of Odysseus and his family suggests that the Trojans were mistaken. (Sack of Ilium, fragment 2)

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The Grim Goddess

Athene is called the Grim Goddess because the snaky head of the Gorgon, Medusa, is on her aegis (shield), but Athene’s gift of the olive tree made her ‘grimness’ tolerable. The city, Athens, was named in her honor.

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Athene and Pandora

As a punishment to Prometheus for giving mortals the gift of fire, Zeus had Prometheus chained to a mountainside for thirteen generations ... but Zeus felt that more punishment was needed to demonstrate his displeasure ... to that end, Zeus instructed the Immortals to create the first mortal woman ... her name was Pandora which means All-Endowed because she was given gifts from various Immortals and was thus Endowed By All. Zeus intended Pandora for Prometheus’ brother, Epimetheus, and despite dire warnings from Prometheus, Epimetheus accepted Pandora because she was irresistible.

Hephaistos (Hephaestus) molded Pandora’s body from earth into the likeness of a modest young girl ... Athene taught Pandora the skills of weaving and gave her dexterity ... Aphrodite (goddess of Love) put a mist upon her head to engender longings and desire ... Hermes gave her treachery and shamelessness ... the Graces and Peitho (Persuasion) gave her necklaces of gold and the Seasons put a halo of flowers on Pandora’s head. When Epimetheus accepted Pandora he unleashed all the evils on the world; the only positive influence that Pandora brought to the world of men was Hope. (Theogony, lines 561-602) (Works and Days, lines 60-105)

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Athene and Hera

When Athene was born, Hera became extremely angry with Zeus because she thought she could have given him a child of Athene’s quality. Hera cursed Zeus and swore a bitter oath that she would spite him with a child of her own that would be as repugnant as Athene was perfect ... thus Hera conceived, without consort, the monstrous thing named Typhoeus. Also adding to Hera’s misery, she had just given birth to a son named Hephaistos (Hephaestus) who was lame and therefore not considered to be worthy of the queen of the Immortals ... Hera blamed Athene as much as Zeus for the embarrassment that Hephaistos caused her.

As Athene grew older and Hera became more secure with Zeus’ affections, the two goddesses became allies and friends. Since Athene was a chaste goddess and did not compete on the battlefield of love, Hera came to appreciate the young goddess for her cleverness and fierceness. During the Trojan War, Hera and Athene fought side by side to insure the fall of Troy ... Athene obeyed Hera̱s commands and lent her support to all of Hera’s schemes designed to undermine the defense of Troy.

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A Prayer to Athene

One interesting prayer to Athene is from the makers of pottery ... a potter would beseech the goddess to stand beside his kiln with upraised hand to bless his craft and insure the profits from his work. After the blessing was intoned, the potter would then ask that a curse be put on any potter who made false promises ... he would ask that Cheiron (Chiron) bring the Centaurs to trample the impious potters wares and that the witch goddess, Kirke (Circe), cast evil spells on the wicked potters.

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The Judgment of Paris

The Nereid, Thetis, was given to Peleus (a mortal) because of his undying devotion to the gods on Mount Olympos (Olympus) ... the marriage was also a punishment for Thetis because she had rejected Zeus’ advances. The wedding of Thetis and Peleus was the setting for a dramatic event which set the stage for the Trojan War. This event has come to be known as The Judgment of Paris although, at that time, it was just another demonstration of the rivalry between the Immortals.

In order to honor Thetis, Hera invited all the Immortals to the wedding. Athene polished an ashen spear which she, Cheiron (Chiron) and Hephaistos (Hephaestus) had fashioned for Peleus. The goddess Eris (Discord) was in attendance but she did not come to celebrate ... she came to do what she does best, cause trouble. Eris cast down a golden apple with the inscription, ‘For the most beautiful one.’ Hera, Athene and Aphrodite all assumed that the prize was for them and when the intended conflict arose, the Trojan prince Paris (Alexandros), was asked to make the final decision as to which goddess deserved the golden apple. Aphrodite promised Paris the hand of the most beautiful mortal woman in Greece, Helen ... Paris could not refuse such a prize ... he chose Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess. Hera and Athene never forgave the insult ... the walls of Troy toppled and all of Paris’ family paid with their lives for his greed and desire.

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On the Lighter Side

In the comic epic, The Battle of Frogs and Mice, the frogs and mice went to war ... the enormity (and ridiculousness) of the conflict caught the attention of the Immortals on Mount Olympos (Olympus) ... Zeus called upon Athene to go to the aid of the mice but she replied that she would do no such thing because, when she was traveling, the mice ate holes in her fine robe and drank the oil from her lamp ... she also said that she would not help the frogs because they had made such a racket that she could not sleep and gave her a headache. Without her divine intervention, the frogs and mice were destined to resolve their differences in the same way that mortals and Immortals have done throughout the ages, i.e. war. (Battle of Frogs and Mice, line 177-201)

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Athene is often confused with the Roman goddess, Minerva.

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Athene

Athene in The Iliad

(listed by book and line)

The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Lattimore and Murray/Wyatt translations of The Iliad. Other translations (Fitzgerald, Fagles et al) do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use. Lattimore (ISBN 0226469409); A.T. Murray/William F. Wyatt Vol. I & II (ISBN 0674995791 and 0674995805); Robert Fitzgerald (ISBN 0374529051); Robert Fagles (ISBN 0140275363)

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Athene in The Odyssey

(listed by book and line)

The line numbers listed here correspond fairly well with the Lattimore and Murray/Dimock translations of The Odyssey. Other translations (Fitzgerald, Fagles et al) do not correspond as well but, with a small amount of effort, you should be able to find the reference you need regardless of the translation you use. Richmond Lattimore (ISBN 0060931957); A.T. Murray/George E. Dimock Vol. I & II (ISBN 0674995619 and 0674995627); Robert Fitzgerald (ISBN 0374525749); Robert Fagles (ISBN 0140268863)

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Other Text References

Works and Days

Theogony

Catalogues of Women

Shield of Herakles

Hymn to Pythian Apollon

Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite

Homeric Hymn to Athene XI

Homeric Hymn to Hephaistos XX

Homeric Hymn to Athene XXVIII

Epigrams of Homer

The Kypria

The Little Iliad

The Sack of Ilium

The Returns

The Telegony

The Battle of Frogs and Mice

The Contest of Homer and Hesiod

The Argonautika

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