ATHENA - Athena was Greek goddess of wisdom, crafts, justice and war. She was often associated with a shield for war, the owl for wisdom or the olive tree. She was also a patron of the agricultural arts and of the crafts of women, especially spinning and weaving. Among her gifts to man were the inventions of the plow and the flute and the arts of taming animals, building ships, and making shoes. Zeus entrusted her with his shield, adorned with the hideous head of Medusa the Gorgon, his buckler, and his principal weapon, the thunderbolt. When Athena and Poseidon vied to be the patron of a prominent city , they held a contest to see who could give the city the finest gift. Poseidon provided the well , but it produced salty water. Athena gave the olive tree that provided food , oil and wood. The city took the name Athens. Athena had a prominent role in Homer's epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, serving as Odyssey's patron throughout his long voyage. In addition to sponsoring warriors and heroes, she introduced many skills necessary for civilization. In an unusual but not unique birth, she sprang from Zeus's head fully grown and ready for battle. Legends say that Zeus had prevented a normal birth of a son with Athena's abilities, who he feared to unseat him. Although she was a protector of human heroes, she maintained a distance from male gods whom she perhaps found unworthy of her. Athena was the strongest supporter, among the gods, of the Greek side in the Trojan War. After the fall of Troy, however, the Greeks failed to respect the sanctity of an altar to Athena at which the Trojan prophet Cassandra sought shelter. As punishment, storms sent by the God of the sea, Poseidon, at Athena's request destroyed most of the Greek ships returning from Troy. Athena's companion was Nike, the goddess of victory.

Posted in: Greek Mythology and Greek Goddess Athena.