Athena is the goddess of war and combat strategy, but is also the goddess of wisdom, skill,
science, and justice. She was one of the twelve main deities who lived in Mount Olympus, and
her name comes from the Greek word Athēná, which means "divine" or "ethical" intelligence.
There are many theories about her origin: The most widespread says that her father was
Zeus himself. His first wife Metis, a titaness, prophesied that the children they had would
be more powerful than their father. Thus, when she got pregnant of him, Zeus swallowed
Metis out of fear. Even then she managed to give birth, and her daughter Athena managed
to escape Zeus' body through his forehead with the help of Hephaestus, the god of the
forge and the metals, who made way for her with his ax.
Another theory says that she was the daughter of Pallas, the titan of wisdom. At some point
he tried to attack her, and thus she killed him and used his skin to make a protective
armor, the Aegis, and tied her wings to her feet. And another theory even says that she
was the daughter of Poseidon, god of the seas, that she ended up getting mad at him, and
the situation resulted in her being adopted by Zeus.
The only thing that's clear is that her heart is void of any passions: She never had any
husband or lover, and she was known as "Athena the virgin" or Athena Párthenos, which is
the name of the most famous temple dedicated to her image: The Parthenon of the Acropolis
of Athens.
You can find in there a colossal 12 meter tall statue of her, built by the famous Phidias.
Unlike other goddesses she was always portrayed dressed, with a long tunic and with the Aegis
over her chest.
Being the goddess of war and protector of heroes, she usually wears a helmet raised
on her forehead as a way to show her peaceful face. On one hand she carries a golden rod
which grants protection to her warriors, and on the other she holds a shield with the head
of the gorgon Medusa, a gift from Perseus for helping him defeat her. A small owl is
usually with her, bird which eventually became a symbol of philosophy.
Some other times she is depicted with a snake on her lap or at her feet. This comes from
the myth where she becomes the foster mother and protector of Erichthonius, first king
of Athens, son of Hephaestus and Gaia. One day she placed him in a small basket, and
trusted him to three of her sisters. Athena didn't say what it contained, but warned them
not to open it until she came back. However, they couldn't help checking out what was inside,
and horrified they found the child transformed into a snake.
At a later time, when Erichthonius became the founder of the capital of ancient Greece,
Athena competed with Poseidon to become the protector of the city, which didn't have a
name yet. Poseidon hit the ground with his trident, and salt water gushed out of it.
Meanwhile, Athena planted an olive tree. Zeus decided that the tree had appeared before,
choosing Athena as the protector of the city and naming it in her honor.
Another version of the story says that the very Athenians voted for one of the two gods:
The women voted for Athena, and the men for Poseidon. Athena won by a single vote, and
the god of the sea, furious by this result, flooded the entire region. Afterwards, to
calm down his anger, women lost their right to vote.
Athena helped people become prosperous, fostering agriculture by inventing plowing and plowshares.
She also taught men how to tame beasts and make fire. And not only that, but many inventions
related to science and art are attributed to her, such as numbers, navigation, sewing,
and even some instruments such as the flute and the trumpet.
As protector of the city she would guard it against foreign enemies as a goddess of war,
but in a very different sense compared to Ares. She didn't even have weapons – she
would borrow them from Zeus', and would never sacrifice her soldiers in vain. Also, she
didn't love war per se, and only supported those battles which were assumed to be more
favorable.
She also stands out for being a great advisor for many classical heroes: She taught Heracles
how to skin the Nemean lion using its own claws to cut its thick skin, and also helped
him kill the Lernaean Hydra.
During the Trojan War she was on the side of the Greeks, and after the conflict she
supported Ulysses by telling him what he needed to do to recover his wife Penelope and his
kingdom. In the myth of Jason and the Argonauts she is also the one who teaches the builders
of the "Argo" ship.
To this day Athena is still a very relevant character: Her statue appears in many government
buildings in America and Europe, such as Vienna's Parliament. She also appears in many coins,
such as the 50 dollar coin minted in 1915 – the highest coin value in US history.
Athena stars in so many myths and stories that we could spend hours talking about her…
but we want to tell you about many other gods too, tiktakers! Feel free to ask for your
favorites in the comments!