Ancient Greece’s Athena was one of the most famous goddesses of the Greek civilization. She is Athena Goddess of wisdom, of craft as well as the patron of the city-state of Athens. Athena was also the Goddess of defensive Warcraft.
So, while on the one hand, she symbolized matriarchal principles and ideals of domesticity in weaving and crafts, she also had masculine roles to play. That is why ancient Greece Athena is depicted as wearing a full armor and carrying a shield bearing the severed head of Medusa, the Gorgon who could turn people into statues by looking at them.
The origin and the various roles of ancient Greece Athena:
The story of the birth of Athena and her various roles have been found in Greek mythology as well as the writing of several scholars.
1. Ancient Greece Athena has been described as the favorite daughter of Zeus, the king of Gods.
2. After the war with the Titans, Zeus lay with Titaness Metis, who is described to be the first wife of Zeus. When she conceived, it was predicted that the child she will bear will be more powerful than Zeus. So, Zeus transformed his wife into a fly and swallowed her.
3. Later, during the war with the giants, Zeus asked his son Hephaistos to cut open his head because of a painful headache. From this cut head of Zeus sprung Athena, brandishing a spear and ready to join the battle.
4. The militant role of ancient Greece Athena is clear from the story of this birth. Athena also aided Perseus in defeating the gorgons. She inspired Odysseus to create the Trojan horse and end the Trojan War. For all these roles, Athena is regarded as the goddess of the stratagem of war.
5. On the other hand, ancient Greece Athena is also the patron of many gentle feminine arts, notably weaving and needlework. She is the patron of craftsmen.
6. Athena is also regarded as the patron of ships and navigation.
7. Several inventions are credited to Athena. She gifted the olive tree to Athens which made her the patron of the city-state. She is also supposed to have invented the art of navigation. Ancient Greece Athena also invented the plow, the chariot, and the rake.
8. Athena is widely regarded as a virgin Goddess. She embodies modesty, chastity and the restrained side of life.
Some stories surrounding Ancient Greek Athena Goddess:
Strange though the tale of her birth, there are many other myths surrounding Athena. Some of these are as follows:
1. Athena often took the guise of a man or a woman and helped Odysseus find his way home.
2.Teiresias was a famous oracle of Greece. It is said that he accidentally saw Athena bathing. The Athena Goddess blinded him but gave him the gift of second sight.
3. Arachne was a young woman who challenged Athena to a weaving contest. The two were evenly matched but Arachne depicted the dalliances of the gods in her tapestry. This angered Athena who turned her into a spider. They still weave beautiful webs.
These and many other stories keep the image of ancient Greece Athena alive even in the contemporary world.