Athena, also known as Athene or Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft
. She was a member of the Twelve Olympians and was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva
. Athena was the daughter of Zeus and Metis, and she emerged fully-grown from Zeus' forehead
. She was known for her wisdom, practical reason, and her association with various crafts, particularly weaving
. In art, she is often depicted wearing a helmet and holding a spear
. Athena's major symbols include owls, olive trees, snakes, and the Gorgoneion
. She was the guardian of the welfare of kings and became the goddess of good counsel, prudent restraint, and practical insight, as well as of war
. Athena was also the patron of various crafts and skilled peacetime pursuits, such as weaving and pottery
. Some notable myths featuring Athena include:
- Her birth from the head of Zeus, fully-grown and arrayed in arms
- Her contest with Poseidon for dominion of Athens, in which she produced the first olive tree and he the first horse
- The War of the Giants, in which she buried Enkelados beneath Mount Etna and made her aigis from the skin of Pallas
- The attempted violation of the goddess by Hephaistos, who spilled his seed upon the earth and produced Erikhthonios
- The Judgement of Paris, in which she competed with Hera and Aphrodite for the prize of the golden apple
- The Trojan War, in which she sided with the Greeks in battle but attacked their ships with a storm when they failed to punish Oilean Aias for violating her Trojan shrine
