Who was the Goddess Athena in Greek Mythology? 9 Key Facts

Kanishka21
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Greek Mythology consists of various influential and revered gods and goddesses. Each of them has excellent relevance. One of the supreme deities among them was Zeus. Zeus is considered as the King of all Gods. One of his daughters was Athena. Athena is a powerful goddess who signifies Power, wisdom, war and crafts. There are a vast number of stories associated with Athena. These tales are endless, from Athena having a single parent to how she helped in the Trojan War while playing an important role and becoming the Lady of Athens. It is also said that Zeus always considered her her favourite child.

Read this article’s few unique and interesting facts and tales about Athena.

1. Goddess Athena had Only One Parent

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Many stories revolve around the birth of the Virgin Goddess, Athena.

According to one story, the deity Athena emerged from the forehead of Zeus, the King of all Gods, who is her father.

Metis, the Greek Goddess of counsel, was swallowed by Athena’s father, Zeus, while she was pregnant. That’s why Athena grew from Zeus’s head. It all happened because once Metis told Zeus that if she ever got pregnant with a boy child, then he’d be so much greater and more powerful than Zeus. To avoid this scenario, Zeus swallowed her.

Hence, it could be said that Goddess Athena had only one parent, her father, Zeus.

2. What was Athena’s Role in the Iliad?

image displays athena with an armour.
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Athena, the goddess of good counsel, played a vital role in Homer’s Odyssey. She helped the protagonist of the tale, Odysseus, when he was returning home. Odysseus faced many obstacles, but Athena, showing pity on him, helped him overcome some of those struggles. She also requested the King of Gods and his father, Zeus, to show mercy on him.

3. Athena’s Epithets

Athena has many epithets, from being the daughter of Zeus to Glaukopis. In this section, read about a few significant epithets of the Greek female deity Athena.

3.1 Daughter of Zeus: Athena is widely known as the daughter of Zeus; Zeus was the King of all present gods. He’s regarded as one of the most potent and revered gods. Being her daughter, Athena is no less than him; she’s mighty and strong.

3.2. Glaukopis: In Homer’s Odyssey, Athena is described as having bright eyes at various times. The word mainly used there is ‘Glaukopis.’ She’s the one who has gorgeous, shining, pretty, and sparkling eyes.

Therefore, she vividly describes the tale of the Odyssey as bright-eyed.

3.3 Parthenos: Athena was a virgin female deity. The word ‘Parthenos’ symbolizes virginity.

Therefore, it could be said that this word reflects Athena’s purity.

3.4. Pallas: This word is often associated with the Greek female Goddess Athena, the Goddess of Power, handicraft, and wisdom.

4. Athena was Often Called Pallas or Parthenos

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Greek deity Athena was often associated with the epithet Pallas.

According to one of the myths, Pallas was Athena’s childhood friend. Once upon a time, when they were both small kids, they played with each other. Mistakenly, Athena killed him while playing, and she was sad about this. That’s why she took the name Pallas.

Coming on to Parthenos, This word means a virgin. Athena was a virgin female deity who represented purity. Therefore, she attributes Parthenos as well.

5. Athena: War Goddess and Patron Deity of Athens

Athena and Poseidon were in fierce competition to become Athens’s patron gods/goddesses. Although they both wanted to do so, only one could.

Hence, the competition was held, and Cecrops made the decision. Athena and Poseidon both presented their gifts.

Poseidon tried to create a spring so that people could have an abundance of water and not feel deficient. But all his efforts went in vain when salted water came from it.

Now, it was Athena’s turn to present or give something. She gifted a tree of olive to them. Olive trees were helpful since they could be used when people were doing trade, to have food, and when they needed wood.

As a result, Cecrops chose Athena to be Athens’s protector, patron, and Greek female deity. She also received the title of Greek lady of Athens.

Athena once adopted a boy named Erichthonius, who is said to be her adopted son. This could also explain why Athena is so closely associated with Athens.

6. Athena Created Medusa

this image displays the scripture of Medusa.
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There was a wonderful and admiring priestess named Medusa. She prayed to the Greek female Goddess Athena and was her devotee by heart.

Seeing the beautiful and admiring Medusa, Poseidon couldn’t stop himself and eventually raped her. There was a temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena. It all happened there. Athena felt agitated and angry When she learned about everything that happened with her devotee. Therefore, she cursed that any man who looked at Medusa’s head would automatically convert it into a stone.

She also cursed Medusa that from now on, Medusa’s head would have snakes instead of hair.

7. Lady of Athens

olive tree can be seen in the image
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Athens are the people who live in Athens. Once, there was a competition between Athena and Poseidon. They were both supposed to offer a gift to the Cecrops. Athena presented an olive tree, and Poseidon provided something else. Cecrops accepted the gift offered by Athena.

Since this happened, Athena became the Lady of Athens and their protector. She also became the Greek female deity of Patrons for the Athenian people. She solely took on the responsibility of protecting and caring for all those people.

8. Athena Played a Major Role During the Trojan War

Athena played a vital role in the Trojan War. She even talked several times to the King of all gods, Zeus, about what was happening. She was mainly on the side of the Greeks in the war. She tried to talk to Zeus and intervened only regarding that.

Athena also showed her ruthless nature in the war when she punished Archaeans who didn’t listen to her or went against her during the war. She punished them brutally.

Athena even killed many of the Greeks herself when they didn’t listen to her. Greeks did not kill Cassandra, so she became very furious and agitated. In response, she destroyed the ships of the Greeks whom she was supporting in the war.

Athena also helps Odysseus in the Odyssey, written by Homer, when he returns home after years of torture. (Torture, as in, he was away from his beloved family for about thirty years)

Athena guided him from time to time. She also asked the King of all Gods, Zeus, to please show mercy on Odysseus, help him go home, and let him meet his wife and son.

After the war ended and Odysseus was going home, he faced many difficulties, but A,thena was always there for him and completely ready to help in every scenario. She also helped him even when he reached home.

9. Art and Symbolism

This Greek female deity is represented by a wide variety of symbols, starting from the top of her head, where she wears a helmet, to the animal she considers her symbol. Here are a few symbols that could be associated with Athena’s divine name.

9.1 Helmet

Mostly, she’s seen with a helmet on her head, representing her supreme level of wisdom. Besides wisdom, her helmet symbolizes the tremendous cleverness, bravery, and strategies she has carried out as the Goddess of war.

9.2 Owl

depiction of owl.
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The owl is the symbol of Athena as well. It reflects Athena’s qualities, such as mindfulness and surveillance.

9.3 Different Types of Armors

As the war goddess, Athena carried various arms and armour. Her shield, lance, and helmet are frequently seen with her.

Odyssey, a book, also portrays Athena as an aeek female deity of war.

As a war goddess, she needed to carry such armour.

9.4 Olive Tree

There was a city named Athens. Athena, too, lived there and protected the place. The city’s symbol was an Olive Tree.

There’s a widely popular story about this Greek symbol and how it became a symbol of this place named Athens. The story goes like Once upon a time, there was a competition between Athena and Poseidon. They both offered different gifts to the people residing in Athens. Athena offered them an olive tree, and Poseidon offered them something else.

Then, the competition judge, Cecrops, chose Athena’s gift, and therefore, Athena became the city’s protector.

Apart from these, a few other symbols and many different animals are associated with Athena’s name.

Conclusion

Athena is such a powerful female deity that she can single-handedly fight many devils and evils and still win and make them all lose. She is the literal definition of Power, courage, and boldness.

As stated earlier, She was a single parent by birth. Her father is a supreme deity of all the gods present in Greek Mythology. She has adopted various qualities from him. She also played a preeminent role in the Odyssey, written by Homer, and the Trojan War. She helped Odysseus there and showed her merciless nature to the Greeks at one point when they refused to lister her and defied her.

Apart from all this, you also learn how she became the Lady of Athens and the essential symbols that could be associated with her.

The name Athena suggests Power, love, carefulness, boldness, bravery, intelligence and whatnot.

Add some more critical facts related to Athena in the comment section!

statue of Athena.
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10 Frequently Asked Questions

1. What was Athena, the Goddess of?

Athena was the Greek female deity of various domains, such as wisdom, mindfulness, Power, Armor, and craftsmanship, among other things.

2. What are the different kinds of symbols?

A wide variety of symbols represented Athena. Some of them are owls, Olive trees, and armours.

3. Did she play any role in the great Trojan War?

Athena also played a very prominent and vital role in the Trojan War.

4. Are Athena and the Lady of Athens the same person?

Yes, Athena is also called the Lady of Athens.

5. Is Athena the one who created Medusa?

Yes, Athena created Medusa.

6. How was Athena born?

Athena grew from the forehead of her father.

7. Is there something by which Athena was jealous of?

Yes, it is widely said that Athena was jealous of her devotee Medusa’s admiring beauty and her silky, shiny and smooth long hair.

8. Athena created which animal?

It is said that Athena created spiders. There is a story related to this as well.

9. Athena is prevalent and famous for helping whom?

Athena is greatly revered and appreciated for being the protector of Greek gods. She helped them a lot and also became her protector and saviour.

10. Is Athena a virgin goddess?

Yes, Athena is a virgin female deity. In Greek mythology, it is said that there are only three virgin female goddesses, one of which is Athena.

Last Updated on by Icy Tales Team

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