Greek Mythology/Gods/Athena

Athena was the goddess of battle strategy, and wisdom. Identified in the Roman mythology as the goddess Minerva. She was always accompanied by her owl and the goddess of victory, Nike. Also known as Pallas Athena, she wore a breastplate made out of goatskin called the Aegis, which was given to her by her father, Zeus. She had many names that explain her. Some of her names are helmet head, Athena the wise, and others.

Athena was an armed warrior goddess. The Parthenon at Athens was her most famous shrine. She never had a true lover. For some strange reason it was hopeless that she would fall in love; Hephaestus tried once, yet failed. Athena was well known for giving advice/mentoring heroes. One example of that is in The Odyssey, where Athena assists Odysseus' son Telemachus in finding his father; another is where she gives Perseus the shield he will need to fight Medusa.

Athena's mother was Metis. Metis warned Zeus that if she bore him a boy child, the child would be greater than him. Zeus swallowed her and started having a terrible headache. Then his head split open by an axe from help from Hephaestus. Suddenly, Athena came out of his head. Athena came out fully grown, with her symbols the aegis and the famous helmet of Athena. Athena is much like her brother Ares: They are both rulers of war, but she is more of the strategy and quick thinking. Her brother Ares is the power, strength, and villain of mythology. Athena is also known of being and having Wisdom, Wealth and Crafts.

Athens is named after Athena for memory of her. She has proved her skills for craft for making cloth. Once a young maiden named Arachne, who was a very talented weaver, claimed that she was a better weaver then Athena herself. So Athena came down to Earth to test Arachne. Athena and Arachne competed in weaving a tapestry. At the end of the competition Arachne made a tapestry mocking the gods, which sent Athena into such an uncontrollable rage that she turned Arachne into a spider, thus creating the name Arachne.