Athena Minerva

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Athena(Minerva)

• Goddess of Warfare, Wisdom, and Crafts

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Athena

• Goddess of Warfare, Wisdom, and Crafts
• Symbols Olive tree, Owl, Aegis (shield- Athenas
  was decorated with the severed head of Medusa)
• Patron Deity of Athens
• Protected Warriors, heroes,
• civilization, and wisdom

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The Birth of Athena

• Zeus was in love with a woman named Metis
  (Thought in Greek) and she became pregnant with
  their child. However, fearing that the child
  would become too powerful and overthrow him, Zeus
  swallowed Metis. One day, Zeus had a terrible
  headache. Apollo, the god of the sun, truth and
  of health, did all he could to help his father
  but nothing could cure his headache. Eventually,
  Hephaestus, the god of fire and metal crafts (and
  also a son of Zeus), cleaved Zeuss head open
  with an axe, and Athena fully grown and dressed
  for battle, sprung from Zeuss forehead.

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Contest for Athens
The Acropolis

• Both Athena and Poseidon wanted to be the patron
  deity of Athens and have their primary sanctuary
  be located on the acropolis. To win the contest
  and impress the people of Athens, Poseidon
  created a spring from which flowed salt water.
  After seeing this gift to the people of Athens.
  Athena gave people the gift of the olive tree.
  The people of Athens decided that Athenas gift
  was much more useful and awarded Athena with the
  gift of Athens. Athens name is derived from
  Athena and ever since the people of Greece have
  been known for their fantastic olives.

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Arachne

• Once there was a girl named Arachne who was a
  very skilled weaver. She was so good that people
  would come from all around just to watch her.
  She became arrogant and conceited and began to
  tell her admirers that she rivaled the goddess
  Athena in her skill at weaving. The goddess
  heard her and disguised herself as an old woman.
  She visited Arachne on earth and gently warned
  her not to become too conceited and not to
  compare herself to the Gods. She told Arachne
  that she would insult Athena. Arachne laughed in
  the face of the old woman and told her she wasnt
  afraid of Athena. Suddenly, the old woman
  vanished and before Arachne stood the Goddess
  Athena. Athena challenged Arachne to a weaving
  contest to truly determine who was the most
  skilled weaver. Athena wove scenes of what
  happened to humans who had compared themselves to
  and insulted the gods. Arachne wove scenes of
  mistakes the gods had made over time. In
  reality, the contest was never finished but
  Athena was so insulted that Arachne would
  continue the contest that she struck Arachnes
  loom down.

Arachne was so frightened that she hung herself
with her own yarn, but Athena wouldnt let her
go. She brought her back to life and cursed her
and all her descendents to hang for all eternity.
She turned her into a spider explaining the
spiders beautiful skill at weaving their webs.
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Medusa

• Once there was a girl named Medusa who was very
  beautiful. She, like Arachne, became too
  conceited and began to compare herself to the
  goddesses. She said she surpassed Athena in
  beauty, especially her hair, which was her most
  attractive quality. To punish Medusa, Athena
  turned Medusas beautiful curls into hissing
  snakes. She was no so hideous that anyone who
  looked upon her was turned to stone. All around
  the country side there were men and animals who
  were forever frozen and turned to stone.Then, to
  spare the countryside of the dangers of Medusa,
  Hermes lent the hero Perseus his winged sandals
  and Athena lent him her Aegis (shield). Persues
  snuck up on Medusa while she slept and was
  careful not to look directly at her but instead
  look at her reflection on the shield. He jumped
  up and severed her head and gave it as a gift to
  Athena who then placed it on her shield as a
  decoration and warning to all.

Shows Athena with her Aegis decorated with
Medusas severed head
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Bibliography

• Context
• http//www.loggia.com/myth/myth.html
• http//www.bulfinch.org/fables/welcome.html
• http//www.google.com/images?hlenlrqathenabt
  nGSearch
• Images
• http//www.google.com/images?hlenlrqbirthof
  athenabtnGSearch
• http//www.google.com/images?hlenlrqathenaan
  dmedusabtnGSearch
• http//www.google.com/images?hlenlrqathenaan
  darachnebtnGSearch