1、Atheneah THEE neeAthenaah thee NAGoddess of WisdomThe Daughter of Zeus and MetisThe Birth of AtheneAthene and HeraAthene and PandoraAthene and HeraklesAthene and The ArgonautsThe Judgement of ParisAthene at TroyAthene and OdysseusThe PhaiakiansTelemachosOdysseuss RevengeThe Grim GoddessA Prayer to A
2、theneOn the Lighter SideAthene in The Iliad (reference)Athene in The Odyssey (reference)Other Text ReferencesImages of AtheneThe Daughter of Zeus and MetisAthene is the daughter of Zeus and Metis. She is the virgin goddess of wisdom and craft but that is not to imply that she is reserved or reflecti
3、ve. Athene can be bold and cruel or thoughtful and protective depending on the situation.She is called Athene in The Iliad and The Odyssey but after 500 BCE the spelling of her name was changed slightly and she was thereafter referred to as Athena. She has various other names: Pallas Athene (Young W
4、oman Athene) and Glaukopis (Bright Eyed). She is also called Tritogeneia because she was raised by the Nymphs of the Tritonian lake (or river) in Libya.Athene is the guardian of cities . fierce to her enemies and gentle to her followers. She is the goddess of wisdom, craft, intellect and invention.
5、She taught men how to construct war chariots and inspired women to engage in crafts which would make their homes more efficient and comfortable. She delights in battle and strides beside her stepbrother Ares (god of War) when she is not fighting against him.(Back to Top)The Birth of AtheneZeus took
6、the goddess Metis as his first wife and she soon became pregnant. Gaia (Earth) and Ouranos (Heavens) warned Zeus that Metiss children would have the power to depose him. Being fearful and prudent, Zeus swallowed Metis and in the vastness of his being, the goddess Athene was born. Metis gave her daug
7、hter weapons and clothed her in armor . Athene then burst from Zeuss head, fully armed and armored shaking her spear in the face of Zeus. Helios (the Sun) halted his chariot in the sky, the earth shook and the sea tossed violently as the fierce goddess stood defiantly before the astonished Immortals
8、. Finally, Athene stripped off her armor to reveal her elegant feminine form and divine beauty . Helios began to move through the sky once more and the troubled sea became quiet.Her mothers name, Metis, means Wisdom or Thought, it might therefore be more proper to call Athene, The Daughter of Wisdom
9、 instead of The Goddess of Wisdom.Athene is one of only three goddesses who can resist the love charms and spells of Aphrodite. Histia (Hestia) and Artemis are the other two. Histia is goddess of the Hearth and Artemis is goddess of the Hunt.(Back to Top)Athene and HeraWhen Athene was born, Hera bec
10、ame extremely angry with Zeus because she thought she could have given him a child of Athenes quality. Hera cursed Zeus and swore a bitter oath that she would spite him with a child of her own that would be as repugnant as Athene was perfect. Hera conceived, without consort, the monstrous snake-bodi
11、ed thing named Typhaon. Also adding to Heras misery, she had just given birth to a son named Hephaistos (Hephaestus). To add to her humiliation, when Zeus and Hera argued over Hephaistos, the young god was thrown from Mount Olympos (Olympus) and severely injured his legs when he finally hit the eart
12、h. From that time on, Hephaistos was lame and therefore Hera did not consider him to be a worthy son for the queen of the Immortals. Hera blamed Athene as much as Zeus for the embarrassment Hephaistos caused her.As Athene grew older and Hera became more secure with Zeuss affections, the two goddesse
13、s became allies and friends. Since Athene was a chaste goddess and did not compete on the battlefield of love, Hera came to appreciate the young goddess for her cleverness and fierceness.Hera and Athene conspired on several occasions to thwart the will of Zeus and although their efforts were clearly
14、 known to Zeus, the two schemers often succeeded in altering Zeuss commandments and softening the punishments he meted out to the other Immortals and mortals who had offended him.The two most notable collaborations between Hera and Athene were in assisting Jason and the Argonauts in their Quest for
15、the Golden Fleece and assuring victory for the Achaean (Achaian) Greeks in the Trojan War.The most notable confrontations between Hera and Athene were caused by Herakles (Heracles) and Prince Paris (Alexandros) of Troy. Hera hated Herakles and tried to kill him on many occasions but Athene protected
16、 Herakles and foiled Heras plots with subtle manipulations and direct intervention. The dispute which arose involving Prince Paris at first pitted the two goddesses against one another but eventually united them against the goddess of Love, Aphrodite.(Back to Top)Athene and PandoraAt the dawn of tim
17、e, mortal men lived without mates on the cruel and pitiless earth. The first woman was created as a gift and punishment to mankind. The actions of the god Prometheus indirectly caused this incredible event.Prometheus is the son of the Titans, Iapetos (Iapetus) and Klymene (Clymene). Although he foug
18、ht for Zeus and his siblings so that they could become the Olympians and thus the ultimate deities, he still disagreed with the way the mortal men on the earth were being treated. In direct defiance to the command of Zeus, Prometheus gave men fire. Zeus was outraged and had Hephaistos shackle Promet
19、heus to the side of a crag, high in the Caucasus Mountains.As a punishment to mankind for Prometheuss gift of fire, Zeus ordered the creation of the first woman, her name was Pandora meaning All-Endowed, i.e. given attributes by all the Immortals. Hephaistos molded Pandoras body from earth into the
20、likeness of a modest young girl. Athene taught Pandora the skills of weaving and gave her dexterity. Aphrodite put a mist upon her head to engender longings and desire. Hermes gave her treachery and shamelessness. The Graces and Peitho (Persuasion) gave her necklaces of gold and the Seasons put a ha
21、lo of flowers on Pandoras head.Zeus intended Pandora for Prometheuss brother Epimetheus and despite dire warnings from Prometheus, Epimetheus accepted Pandora because she was irresistible. When Epimetheus accepted Pandora he unleashed all the evils on the world. The only positive influence that Pand
22、ora brought to the world of men was Hope.(Back to Top)Athene and HeraklesEven the greatest hero of all times needed a protector. Athene fulfilled that role by being Herakless guardian and advisor. There were numerous occasions where Herakles benefited from Athenes divine intervention but this is not
23、 to imply that Herakles could not have succeeded in his many Labors and Deeds without Athenes help. Athene simply made the tragic and difficult life of Herakles a little less painful.The goddess Hera hated Herakles and devised a series of hardships to torment the hero. Herakles was the son of Zeus a
24、nd Alkmene (Alcmene) and Hera was unforgiving of Zeuss wanton infidelity. When Hera learned that Alkmene was pregnant, she tricked Zeus into promising that the next son to be born in the bloodline of Perseus would rule Argos. Zeus was sure that Herakles would be that son but Hera delayed Eileithyia,
25、 the goddess of Childbirth, from attending Alkmene and allowed a man named Eurystheus to be born before Herakles. Herakles was later bound to Eurystheus and required to perform the labors which have become known as the Twelve Labors of Herakles.Athene assisted Herakles in six of his Twelve Labors:La
26、bor Number 2 - Killing the Hydra;Labor Number 4 - Capturing the Boar of Mount Erymanthos;Labor Number 5 - Cleaning the Stables of Augeas;Labor Number 6 - Killing the Stymphalosian Birds;Labor Number 11 - Retrieving the Golden Apples of the Hesperides; andLabor Number 12 - Bringing Kerberos (Cerberus
27、) from the Underworld.Athene helped Herakles in other ways too. When Herakles had to fight one of the sons of Ares named Kyknos (Cycnus), Athene protected Herakles from the wrath of Ares. Kyknos had offended Zeus when he stole the sacrificial hecatombs intended for his son, Apollon. Herakles was sen
28、t to kill Kyknos and was given a shield of divine creation to insure his success. After the fight, Kyknos was dead. Ares was furious and attacked Herakles but Athene stood in front of Herakles turned Aress spear away. She told Ares that it was at the command of Zeus that Kyknos should die and that A
29、res was to take no revenge against Herakles.With Athenes assistance, Herakles also killed a man named Periklymenos (Periclymenus). He was the eldest son of Neleus and Chloris, and one of the Argonauts who sailed to retrieve the Golden Fleece.Periklymenoss grandfather Poseidon (lord of the Sea) gave
30、him boundless strength and the ability to assume any shape he desired. Periklymenos could transform into an eagle, an ant, a swarm of bees, a snake or any other form. Herakles came into conflict with Periklymenos in a rather sad and roundabout way.Herakles committed many atrocious acts in his life a
31、nd one of them involved the murder of a man named Iphitos (Iphitus). Herakles went to Periklymenoss father Neleus and asked for absolution for his crime. Neleus refused. In a fit of rage, Herakles killed Neleus, Periklymenos and his brother Chromios. During the fight with Periklymenos, the goddess A
32、thene warned Herakles about Periklymenoss shape-shifting abilities. When Periklymenos assumed the shape of a bird and perched on the yoke-boss of Herakless chariot, Herakles killed Periklymenos with an arrow.Alkmene looks down helplessly as an infant Herakles fights the snakes which Hera sent to des
33、troy him. Herakless brother Iphikles tries to escape as Athene (right) leans on the aegis and simply looks on.(Back to Top)Athene and The ArgonautsThe Quest for the Golden Fleece would not have been attempted or completed without the assistance of Athene and Hera. The two goddesses worked closely to
34、gether so that a seemingly impossible task could be accomplished and become known as one of the most remarkable adventures of all time. The Quest took place one generation before the Trojan War which would date the Quest to circa 1480 BCE.The primary mortal characters in the Quest were:Pelias - the
35、king of Iolkos (Iolcus);Aeson (Aison) - the father of Jason;Jason - the rightful heir to the throne of Iolkos;Aietes (Aeetes) - the king of Kolchis (Colchis);Medeia (Medea) - a princess of Kolchis.Pelias usurped the throne of Iolkos and made Aeson an outcast in his own kingdom. Aeson sent his infant
36、 son Jason into hiding so that Pelias could not harm him but when Jason became a man, he returned to Iolkos to claim the throne which was rightfully his. Pelias said that he would relinquish the throne if Jason would go to the distant land of Kolchis and retrieve the Golden Fleece.From the very begi
37、nning, Hera was involved in orchestrating the Quest because of her love of Jason and also because she wanted to punish Pelias for his disrespectful behavior towards her.Jason accepted Peliass challenge and began making preparations for his journey. A ship was built and the finest young heroes in Gre
38、ece joined the crew, some of the heroes came at the bidding of Athene.The ship was called the Argo, meaning Swift. The Argo was inspired by Athene and constructed by a man named Argos (Argus) to be the most magnificent and seaworthy ship ever built. The keel of the Argo was made of oak which Athene
39、cut in Dodona and endued with a human voice. The crewmembers of the Argo were called Argonauts, i.e. Argo Seaman. When the Argo set sail, the Nymphs of Mount Pelion marveled as they beheld the work of Athene.As vital as the Argo was to the Quest, Athene also gave Jason a wondrous shield to protect h
40、im and then drifted down on a cloud and into the sea to speed the Argo on its way. The Argo soon reached the Clashing Rocks which were two gigantic rocks the size of islands. When any ship attempted to pass between the rocks, they would clash together and crush it. When the Argo tried to sail betwee
41、n the Clashing Rocks, Athene held one of the rocks with one hand and pushed the ship safely through with the other.As the Argonauts approached Kolchis, Athene and Hera tried to think of a way to help Jason obtain the Golden Fleece. They correctly assumed that King Aietes would never surrender the Go
42、lden Fleece voluntarily so a plan had to be devised to thwart Aietess interference. They decided to enlist the help of Aphrodite and hesitantly approached the goddess of Love. Aphrodite was willing to help and suggested that Eros (the primal god of Love) might be induced to cast a love spell on Jaso
43、n and King Aietess daughter, Princess Medeia. Eros obeyed Aphrodite and shot Medeia with an arrow that infused her with an irresistible love for Jason. After being blinded by love, Medeia willingly helped Jason take the Golden Fleece without her fathers knowledge.The voyage back to Iolkos was not an
44、 easy one. Athene and Hera repeatedly helped calm the seas and inspire other Immortals to assist the Argonauts. When the Argonauts were stranded in the Libyan desert, the Nymphs of the desert helped them because they had once helped Athene when she had been born by the waters of nearby Lake Tritonia
45、n.Before reaching home, the Argonauts built a shrine to Minoan Athene on the island of Crete to show their appreciation for all the help the goddess had given them during their perilous journey.(Back to Top)The Judgment of ParisThe Immortals all have a common heritage and it would seem that they sho
46、uld also share common goals and values. The actuality of the situation is quite different from the ideal. The Judgment of Paris caused a seemingly trivial rivalry between three goddesses to escalate into a conflict of truly epic proportions.The Nereid Thetis was given in marriage to Peleus (a mortal
47、) because of his undying devotion to the gods on Mount Olympos (Olympus). The marriage was also a punishment for Thetis because she had rejected Zeuss amorous advances. The wedding of Thetis and Peleus was the prelude for a dramatic event which set the stage for the Trojan War. This event has come t
48、o be known as The Judgment of Paris although, at that time, it was just another demonstration of the frivolous jealousies of the Immortals.In order to honor Thetis, Hera invited all the Immortals to the wedding. Athene polished an ashen spear which she, Cheiron (Chiron) and Hephaistos had fashioned
49、for Peleus. The goddess Eris (Discord) was in attendance but she did not come to celebrate . she came to do what she does best, cause trouble. Eris cast down a golden apple with the inscription, For the most beautiful one. Hera, Athene and Aphrodite all assumed that the prize was for them and when the intended conflict arose, the Trojan prince Paris (Alexandros), was asked to make the final decision as to which goddess deserved the golden apple. Aphrodite promised Paris the hand of the most beautiful mortal woman in Greece, Helen. Paris could not re
