Athena - “Goddess of Wisdom”; ancient Greece origin, derived from the city of Athens
A maiden, or virgin goddess, birthed from thoughts and knowledge rather than sex. Athena is known to have never married nor taken a lover in her lifetime.
Daughter of Zeus, said to have been birthed from Zeus’ head following a severe headache with no mother; although, some stories involve Zeus swallowing a pregnant Metis which led to her birth.
- She has no children by birth, but does have one son Erichthonius, conceived by Hephaestus’ sperm and the Earth (which some associate with Gaia), whom she adopted.
She primarily rules over war and wisdom, particularly involving logic and strategy, while the deity Ares rules over the brutality and bloodlust side of war.
Mythos
Athene’s Wrath - Arachne
- Lydia Arachne was renowned only with the arts of wool-craft.
- She denied any god-given gift or training from Pallas [Athena]
- Pallas [Athena] disguised herself as an older man who attempted to give young Arachne some advice on asking for a pardon from the goddess.
- This enraged Arachne who denounced any reason behind the advice and suggested Pallas come herself. To which Pallas disassembled her disguised and revealed herself.
- Arachne had no fear when facing the goddess, both setting up their looms to face off with one another.
- Her tapestry depicted the seduction of various mortals by gods in animal disguise and no fault could be found within her craft.
- In response to either the subject of the painting or the quality, Athena tore it to pieces, to which Arachne hanged herself [to some extent] in response.
- From there, Athena transformed Lydia Arachne into a spider, who would weave endlessly until the end of time.
The Birth of Erichthonius
- Hephaistos fell in love with Athena after being forsaken by Aphrodite and attempted to pursue her, but she fled.
- She was a virgin and would not be with him, resulting in his seed falling on the dirt in the Earth, creating Erichthonius.
- He was brought up by Athene herself in the precinct, eventually becoming the king of Athens.
Perseus and Medusa
- Medusa, one of the Gorgon sisters with the abilities to turn whoever looks at them into stone, was slain by Perseus.
- Perseus offered her severed head to the goddess Athene who used it as a protective device, depicted as a talisman on any kind of surface.
- When Medusa’s neck was severed, Pegasus and Chrysaor were born, both sired by the god Poseidon.
- Re-tellings of Medusa’s story by the Roman poet Ovid claimed that Medusa was assaulted by Poseidon. In turn, Minerva punished Medusa by turning her into a hideous monster.
Epithets / Aspects