Athena is the goddess of wisdom, craftsmanship, and war.[1] This biography focuses on her birth, family, the place she protected, disposition, and her involvement during and after the Trojan War.

Birth

According to Homer, Zeus gave birth to Athena.[2] But Zeus swallowed the pregnant Metis after hearing the oracle that his child would defeat him.[3] Athena was born from the head of Zeus. Her birth symbolically revealed her dispositions. Coming out of her father’s head means that she is wise (symbolizing wisdom). On the other hand, it made Athena a manly goddess because she—being “motherless”—did not grow out of a womb.

Family

As mentioned before, Zeus is the father of Athena. Metis could be considered the mother of Athena. The siblings of Athena who played major or minor roles in the Trojan War are Apollo, Aphrodite, Ares, and Hephaestus.

In Greek mythology, Athena is emphasized to be a virgin goddess.[4] Her usual attribute—Pallas—means girl.[5] Thus, Athena is not married and does not have a child of her own. The god Erichthonius is regarded as her son, despite she never bore him. Hephaestus—Athena’s half-brother—tried to rape her, impregnating the earth instead. Though Athena took Erichthonius “up from the earth” and made him her son, she is not his mother.[6]

Place

As a major goddess, Athena was worshipped in many Greek states.[7] But she tied most closely with Athens, a city that was named after her and protected by her. Having a city named after a major deity was rare in ancient Greece, which makes the bond between Athena and Athens special.[8]

Disposition

Athena is manly. Her masculinity exudes in her roles and thoughts. The ancient Greeks regarded war and craftsmanship as the tasks of men, but Athena shares the privilege of ruling both trades with, respectively, Ares and Hephaestus.[9] Athena sides with men in important judgements. In the Oresteia, Aeschylus presented Athena as voting for Orestes—who killed his mother—against Clytemnestra—who killed her husband.

In the Trojan War

Athena stood with the Greeks in the Trojan War because Paris chose Aphrodite over her as the most beautiful goddess. Paris was made to judge whether Hera, Athena, or Aphrodite was the most beautiful goddess, in order to allocate the apple of strife. As Paris turned down Hera’s offer of power and Athena’s offer of wisdom—choosing instead Aphrodite’s offer of the hand of Helen (the wife of Menelaus)—Athena and Hera sided with the Greeks while Aphrodite with the Trojans.

As the protectress of warriors, Athena aided many Greek heroes during the Trojan war. She settled the quarrel between Agamemnon and Achilles as their tension becomes violent. She encouraged Diomedes to fight hard, pushing him towards his Aristeia (the best moment on the battlefield). In this Aristeia, Athena propelled him to wound Aphrodite, even challenging Apollo.

Athena killed Hector by misguiding him. Athena and Hector disliked each other. While Athena refused to help Hector because he is a Trojan, Hector blemished Athena, referring to her as “the dread goddess”.[10] Athena pretended to be Hector’s brother Deiphobus, convincing him to confront Achilles.[11] When Hector realized that he is alone,  Achilles—better at war than Hector—seized him and killed him.

After the Trojan War

Athena planned to punish Ajax. Her anger towards Ajax came from his outrageous act of raping Cassandra in her shrine.[12] In Sophocles’ eponymous play, Ajax was described as a hubris character who speaks out against Athena. Athena blurred the vision of Ajax so that he mistook a flock of cattle as Agamemnon, Menelaus, and Odysseus. Realizing that he slayed cattle instead of killing and capturing the three men, Ajax was led by Athena to be ashamed of himself. Eventually, Athena lead him to commit suicide.

Athena judged the case of Orestes, one that closely relates to the aftermath of the Trojan War. Avenging Clytemnestra’s murder of her husband, Orestes—her son—killed her and her lover. Whether Orestes should be punished for his matricide was debated by the gods. Athena served as the mitigator and judge for this controversial case, pacifying the tension between both sides of the argument and restored peace. In this case, Athena sided with Orestes due to her manly disposition. At the end, Orestes was set free.

Bibliography:

  1. Encyclopedia Mythica. “Athena.” Accessed January 24th, 2020. https://pantheon.org/articles/a/athena.html.
  2. Greek Mythology Link. “Athena.” Accessed January 26th, 2020. http://www.maicar.com/GML/Athena.html.
  3. Brill’s New Pauly. “Athena”. Accessed January 26th, 2020. https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly-supplements-i-4/athena-e205490?s.num=0&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.cluster.New+Pauly+Online&s.q=athena.
  4. The Oxford Classical Dictionary. “Athena.” 2012. https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199545568.001.0001/acref-9780199545568-e-911?rskey=Mz4c6e&result=921.
  5. Homer. Iliad. Translated by Stanley Lombardo. Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. Co., 1997.
  6. Greek Mythology Link. “Cassandra”. Accessed January 26th, 2020. http://www.maicar.com/GML/Cassandra.html.

References:

[1] “Athena,” Encyclopedia Mythica, accessed January 24th, 2020, https://pantheon.org/articles/a/athena.html;

[2] Encyclopedia Mythica, “Athena”;

[3] “Athena,” Greek Mythology Link, accessed January 26th, 2020, http://www.maicar.com/GML/Athena.html;

[4] Greek Mythology Link, “Athena”;

[5] “Athena,” Brill’s New Pauly, accessed January 26th, 2020, https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/brill-s-new-pauly-supplements-i-4/athena-e205490?s.num=0&s.f.s2_parent=s.f.cluster.New+Pauly+Online&s.q=athena;

[6] Greek Mythology Link, “Athena”;

[7] Encyclopedia Mythica, “Athena”;

[8] “Athena,” The Oxford Classical Dictionary, 2012, https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199545568.001.0001/acref-9780199545568-e-911?rskey=Mz4c6e&result=921;

[9] Greek Mythology Link, “Athena”;

[10] Homer, Iliad, trans. Stanley Lombardo (Indianapolis: Hackett Pub. Co., 1997): 123;

[11] Greek Mythology Link, “Athena”;

[12] “Cassandra,” Greek Mythology Link, accessed January 26th, 2020, http://www.maicar.com/GML/Cassandra.html.