ATHENA

Greek God

Birth/Family of ATHENAAthena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. She was the favorite child of Zeus. She had sprung fully grown out of her father's head. Her mother was Metis, goddess of wisdom and Zeus' first wife. In fear that Metis would bear a son mightier than himself. Zeus swallowed her and she began to make a robe and helmet for her daughter. The hammering of the helmet caused Zeus great pain in the form of headaches and he cried out in agony. Skilled Hephaestus ran to his father and split his skull open and from it emerged Athena, fully grown and wearing her mother's robe and helmet. She is the virgin mother of Erichthnonius. Athena and her uncle Poseidon were both very fond of a certain city in Greece. Both of them claimed the city and it was decided that the one that could give the finest gift should have it. Leading a procession of citizens, the two gods mounted the Acropolis. Poseidon struck the side of the cliff with his trident and a spring welled up. The people marveled, but the water was as salty as Poseidon's sea and it was not very useful. Athena's gift was an olive tree, which was better because it gave the people food, oil and wood. Athena named her city Athens. Athena's companion was the goddess of victory, Nike, and her usual attribute is the owl. Athena possessed the Aegis.

ATHENA

A related story• Athena wasn’t born like all the goddesses. She was born a special

way. We don’t know exactly who Athena’s mother is but we might think it is Metis. Her father was Zeus. There is a thing that some gods did to their wives. The first child that the wife had would be a girl. The girl would grow up and be a goddess. The second child would be a boy. If the boy grew up he would kill his father. This is how Zeus’s father died (Cronus) and his grandfather (Uranus). So when Zeus caught Metis off guard, he opened his mouth and swallowed her. From the day on, Zeus had terrible headaches. Then these headaches stopped when Hephaestus snuck behind Zeus with an axe and sliced Zeus’s head open. Then Athena came flying out of his head full grown and in armor. Zeus did not die because he quickly pushed his head back together. Even though Athena gave Zeus many headaches, Athena was Zeus’s favorite daughter. If you think about it Athena was small to be able to come out of Zeus’s head. Athena also always had in her right hand she was holding either an owl or Nike another goddesses

biography

• http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112190/athena.htm

• http://www.answers.com/topic/athena

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