Athena is perhaps the most celebrated Olympian god in all of Greek mythology. She is the namesake and patron goddess of the city of Athens. Throughout her life she never married or had a lover, and so was also known as Athena Parthenos, meaning “Athena the virgin.” As such, the great Parthenon in Greece was also named in her honor, after the virgin Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom, of weaving and crafts, and of the cunning of war. The owl and the olive tree were sacred to her.

She is usually depicted as a warrior, with the head of Medusa adorning her shield and a serpent at the foot of her lance. She wears a goatskin breastplate, known as an Aegis, that was a gift from Zeus, and is attended by an owl and the goddess Nike. Another mighty weapon associated with Athena is the thunderbolts, also bestowed upon her by Zeus.

Mythology

At one time, Zeus had a wife named Metis. After Metis had conceived Athena, Zeus was told that the child would be a son and would overthrow him, as Zeus had done to his own father. While the child was still in the womb, Zeus swallowed Metis. Eventually Zeus developed a tremendous headache, and called upon the craftsman god Hephaestus to help him. Hephaestus split Zeus’ head open with an ax, and Athena the warrior sprang forth. Athena and Zeus are the only two gods to share the thunderbolt as weapons.

Athena never married or took a lover, and remained a virgin her entire life. She enforced the rules pertaining to sexual modesty. At one point, Hephaestus tries to rape Athena, but she escapes from him. His semen instead impregnates the earth, Gaia, who then bears a child named Erichthonius. The baby is given to Athena, who raises him as her foster child.

The Gorgon Medusa, who had once been beautiful, either had sex with or was raped by Poseidon in the temple of Athena. When Athena learned that her temple had been desecrated, she turned Medusa into an ugly crone with a mane of snakes. Meeting Medusa’s stare would turn any creature into stone. Later, Athena assisted Perseus when he went to slay Medusa because she wanted the Gorgon’s head as a decoration for her shield.

Athena and Poseidon were both closely connected with the city of Athens, which had not yet been given a name. They competed against each other to become the patron god and namesake of the city by producing a gift to the townspeople that would be the most useful. Poseidon used his trident to strike the earth, and from it a well sprang up. Unfortunately, since Poseidon was a sea god, the water in the well was salty and could not be used. Athena then produced an olive tree, which provided wood, oil, and food to the people. Her gift was accepted, and the city was given her name. Athena was the patron goddess to other cities in Greece, including Sparta.

The warriors of Greece sought the council of Athena, who assisted Heracles, Perseus, Odysseus, and Jason.

Athena in Popular Culture

• Athena is pictured on the Panama-Pacific commemorative coin, the largest coin ever produced by the U.S. Mint.

• Nashville, Tennessee, known as the Athens of the south, has had a full-size replica of the Parthenon in the city for over 100 years. A statue of Athena Parthenos was added to the structure after its completion.

• Athena is seen with the grizzly bear on the seal of the state of California.

• The United States Military Academy’s crest features Athena’s helmet.

• Athena is the symbol of the United States Women’s Army Corps. She is pictured on their crest and on medals awarded to the women who served the unit during the World War II era.

• Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania has Athena’s owl as its mascot. A statue of the goddess adorns the Great Hall, and students have been known to leave offerings at her feet.

• Athena played a prominent role in the television series Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and Young Hercules. The three actresses who portrayed her were Amanda Lister, Jane Fullerton-Smith, and Paris Jefferson. In the series, Athena has assumed her father Zeus’ position as ruler of the Olympian gods.

• Pallas Athena can be found residing in the Marvel Universe of Marvel Comics.

• Athena’s Daughters: Television’s New Women Warriors examines the role of women on television cast as super heroes and violent warriors.

• Athena films produces television shows for the BBC, National Geographic, and the Discovery Channel.

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