Athena

She was the daughter of Zeus, produced without a mother, so that she emerged full-grown from his forehead. There was an alternative story that Zeus swallowed Metis, the goddess of counsel, while she was pregnant with Athena, so that Athena finally emerged from Zeus. Being the favourite child of Zeus, she had great power.

Philosophy & Religion Ancient Religions & Mythology Athena Greek mythology Also known as: Athene, Pallas Written by Last Updated: Sep. 22, 2025 •Article History relief of the Pensive Athena relief of the Pensive Athena Pensive Athena, relief sculpture from the Acropolis, Athens, c. 460 bce; in the Acropolis Museum, Athens. Top Questions Who was Athena? How was Athena born? How is Athena usually portrayed? Athena, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess and was later taken over by the Greeks. Yet the Greek economy, unlike that of the Minoans, was largely military, so that Athena, while retaining her earlier domestic functions, became a goddess of war.

She was the daughter of Zeus, produced without a mother, so that she emerged full-grown from his forehead. There was an alternative story that Zeus swallowed Metis, the goddess of counsel, while she was pregnant with Athena, so that Athena finally emerged from Zeus. Being the favourite child of Zeus, she had great power.

In Homer’s Iliad, Athena, as a war goddess, inspires and fights alongside the Greek heroes; her aid is synonymous with military prowess. Also in the Iliad, Zeus, the chief god, specifically assigns the sphere of war to Ares, the god of war, and Athena. Athena’s moral and military superiority The qualities that lead to victory are found on the aegis, or breastplate, that Athena wears when she goes to war: fear, strife, defense, and assault. Athena appears in Homer’s Odyssey as the tutelary deity of Odysseus, and myths from later sources portray her similarly as the helper of Perseus and Heracles (Hercules). As the guardian of the welfare of kings, Athena became the goddess of good counsel, of prudent restraint and practical insight, as well as of war.

She was associated with birds, particularly the owl, which became famous as the city’s own symbol, and with the snake. Her birth and her contest with Poseidon, the sea god, for the suzerainty of the city were depicted on the pediments of the Parthenon, and the great festival of the Panathenaea, in July, was a celebration of her birthday. She was also worshipped in many other cities, notably in Sparta. Athena became the goddess of crafts and skilled peacetime pursuits in general. She was particularly known as the patroness of spinning and weaving. That she ultimately became allegorized to personify wisdom and righteousness was a natural development of her patronage of skill.

Medusa was always the daughter of the sea titan, forcis, and the sea beast, keto. With a look that could turn you to stone, people were curious about her existence and despite clear warnings, still ventured into her abode.

The goddess Athena decided to end this cycle where the gorgon was tormented and humans met their end in stone. So she sent Perseus with divine gifts to ensure his protection and finally, end the Gorgon.

Here, Athena makes a weave detailing the story of how Athens was named with a few extra myths thrown in here and there. Arachne's, however, is basically a collage of all the times Zeus and Poseidon seduced an unsuspecting lady.

Not to happy about seeing a reminder of her father and uncle's biggest faults, Athena compliments Arachne's skill before destroying the weave in anger, insulting Arachne's lack of awareness in the process.

Arachne, saddened by the harsh criticism, attempts to commit suicide, but before she can, Athena turns her into a spider in an attempt to save her life.

This is my attempt to draw awareness to the real myth, and it is the second bot in what will be a series dedicated to drawing the real face of myth. I am no historian but I tried my best