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The ancient Greek goddess Athena or Athene, often known by the name Pallas, was syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva and is known for her associations with knowledge, battle, and craftsmanship. Athena was revered as the protector and patron of many Greek towns, especially Athens, from where she most certainly derived her name. She is honored with the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens. She frequently uses owls, olive trees, snakes, and the Gorgoneion as her emblems. She is typically seen carrying a spear and wearing a helmet in art.

From her beginnings as an Aegean palace goddess, Athena had a strong connection to the metropolis. Both of her names, Polias and Poliouchos, are derived from the Greek word polis, which means “city-state.” Her temples were often located atop the fortified acropolis in the middle of the city. She is honored with various temples and monuments, including the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens. Athena was known as Ergane, the goddess of weaving and workmanship. She was a goddess of war as well and was said to have led warriors into battle under the name Athena Promachos. The Panathenaia, which was observed in midsummer during the month of Hekatombaion and was the most significant celebration on the Athenian calendar, was her primary festival in Athens.

According to Greek mythology, Athena was said to have been conceived from her father Zeus’ brow. In some versions of the narrative, Athena is born from Zeus’ brow through parthenogenesis without a mother. In contrast to other versions, such as Hesiod’s Theogony, in which Zeus eats his wife Metis while she is carrying Athena, in this one Athena is born inside of Zeus and subsequently leaves his body via his brow. In the origin story of Athens, Athena beat Poseidon by planting the first olive tree in a contest for the city’s patronage. She was referred to as Athena Parthenos, or “Athena the Virgin,” although in one antiquated Attic story, the deity Hephaestus attempted to rape her but was unsuccessful, and as a result, Gaia gave birth to Erichthonius, a significant founding figure of Athens. As the patron goddess of bravery, Athena is credited with helping Perseus, Heracles, Bellerophon, and Jason, among others. One of the three goddesses whose conflict gave rise to the Trojan War was Athena, along with Aphrodite and Hera.

She actively participates in the Iliad, helping the Achaeans, and she serves as Odysseus’ divine advisor in the Odyssey. The Roman poet Ovid subsequently said that Athena had engaged in a weaving contest with the mortal Arachne, winning which resulted in Athena converting Arachne into the first spider. Ovid also claims that Athena changed Medusa into a Gorgon after seeing her being raped by Poseidon in her temple. Since the Renaissance, Athena has come to represent knowledge, the arts, and classical education on a global scale. Athena has frequently served as a symbol of liberty and democracy employed by Western painters and allegorists.

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