Athena Essay, Research Paper

Athene

Back in clip when Greece was doing its grade in history as one of the

great civilisation of the Ancient World, there was a great trade of accent on the

Supreme beings and Goddesses. To the Greeks the universe was governed by the Supreme beings and they

were the ground many things happened in the universe, largely thing that where

unaccountable. The goddess Athena was one of the many Gods or goddesses that

played a big function in Greek mythology. Even though Athena was the frequenter saint

of Athens she supported other Greeks outside of Athens, such as, Achilles,

Orestes, and particularly Odysseus ( ? Athena? -1 ) .

Athena is know to be the goddess of war, defender of metropoliss, patronne of

humanistic disciplines and trades, and booster of wisdom ( ? Images of Women & # 8230 ; ? -1 ) . Athena? s

name really came organize the Cretan and Mycenean name Athene which predates

the Greeks by about 1,500 old ages ( Daly-20 ) . The stoping? -ene, ? was set aside for

royalty and goddesses, like Helene ( Harris-4 ) . She was besides called by some Greeks

as Pallas Athena. Not many people know where the name Pallas came from.

Some fables say she obtained it from the elephantine Pallas that she killed in the war of

the Gods and giants ( Grant-Hazel 83 ) . Another fable says that Athena

by chance killed her childhood playfellow Pallas. By taking Pallas? in forepart of her

ain, Athena shows the heartache that she endured for the loss of her friend ( Daly-20 ) .

Athena had such an impact on the Greeks that the Romans adopted her and called

her Minerva ( ? Minerva? -1 ) .

The beginnings of Athena? s name is non the lone disagreement that historiographers

hold had. The beginning of where Athena came signifier is besides a disagreement. Zeus

feared that he would be overcome by a boy greater than he born from the

intelligent Metis. To forestall this Zeus Ate Metis. There for, Athena, in the most

common fable, was born to the full grown out of Zeus? s caput after Hephaestus split it

unfastened with an ax. Another fable, this one signifier Crete, says Athena was hidden in

a cloud. Zeus hit his caput on the cloud and caused Athena to look ( Daly-20 ) .

Out of all the metropoliss that Athena helped and protected Athens claimed her as

at that place ain. The Atheans believed that the first male monarch of Athens, Erichthonius, was a

descendent of Athena ( Daly-20 ) . Even though Poseidon was greedy of crude

lands, he challenged Athena for the metropolis. The both of them appeared before

the tribunal of Gods and goddess to do a judgement. Poseidon presented H2O to be

of usage to the Atheans. But the H2O was salty. Athena presented the olive tree

which gave fruit, oil and wood. The tribunal judged that this was a more good

gift and allow Athena hold the metropolis ( Daly-100 ) .

To demo their court, the Atheans, built the Parthenon. The word

Parthenon means virgin? s topographic point, for Athena was a virgin goddess ( ? Parthenon? -1 ) .

The east side of the edifice showed the birth of Athena and the west side showed

the competition with Poseidon ( ? Athena? -1 ) .

Atheans, on the other manus, were non the lone people Athena favored.

Harmonizing to Homer the Greeks were greatly benefited when Athena came down

from the celestial spheres and stopped Achilles of Phthia from killing Agamemnon.

Achilles protested but Athena replied:

Down from the skies I come to look into your fury if

merely you would give & # 8230 ; Stop this combat,

now & # 8230 ; Don? T lay manus to sword & # 8230 ; I know it is the

truth-one twenty-four hours glistening gifts will lie before you,

three times over to pay for all his indignation. Keep

battalion now. Obey & # 8230 ; ( Homer-104 )

Even though Athena was the patronne of war she besides had compassion for the

Greeks. Athena new if Achilles had killed Agamemnon that would surely intend

licking for the Greeks. Athena was ruthless, manipulative, barbarian, and found

delectation in Trojan blood ( ? Athena, girl of Zues? -1

) .

Athena besides is credited with assisting a immature adult male that was on test in

Athinais for killing his female parent. This immature adult male was Orestes and his female parent

Clytemnestra, both signifier Argos. Athena holding no female parent had more compassion

for the male figure than female. She considered the offenses of Clytemnestra

( killing her hubby, Agamemnon ) more punishable than Orestes offense

( Parada-2 ) . Aeschylus seems to sum it up in Athena? s address to the tribunal in The

Oresteia. ? The Eumenides. ?

& # 8230 ; No female parent gave me birth. I honor the male, in all

things but matrimony. Yes, with all my bosom I am my

Father? s kid. I can non put more shop by the

adult females? s death-she killed her hubby, defender of

their house & # 8230 ; ( 644 )

With this test Athena presented a new signifier of justness, test by jury. The jury had

voted every bit but Athena broke the dead end with a guiltless ballot puting Orestes

free.

But of all the people Athena helped, Odysseus was the Grecian that she liked

the most. Harmonizing to Kathleen Daly, writer of Greek and Roman Mythology

A-Z, Athena displays her? alone rational qualities? the best in Homer? s

Odyssey ( 20 ) . If it was non for her aid and counsel Odysseus would hold ne’er

reached his darling Ithaka.

With all the phenomenon? s that were unaccountable in the ancient universe ;

mythology was able to cast some visible radiation on the topic. By today? s criterions these

fabulous accounts seem a small far fetched. But for the clip,

achievements and prevail that many Greeks made where make to the aid of the

Gods like the wise Athena. She saved Greece from being defeated by keeping back

the choler of Achilles. A new signifier of authorities was established thanks to

Athena? s thought of test by jury which allowed Orestes to travel free. She besides helped

the mighty Odysseus happen his way place. In regard, Athena was a goddess that

was for all of Greece non merely a individual metropolis. This made her one of the more

favourable goddess and for this she was paid much court.

Aeschylus. ? The Eumendies. ? Vol I of The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces.

Ed. Maynard Mack, et Al. 6th Ed. 2 vols. New York: Norton, 1985: 1991.

? Athena. ? Classic Athena Page. : n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 Oct. 1999. Available

World Wide Web: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.princeton.edu/~rhwebb/athena.html.

? Athena, girl of Zeus. ? : n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 Oct. 1999. Available Universe

Wide Web: hypertext transfer protocol: //www-st.towson.edu/~dbaker2/ .

Daly, Kathleen N. Greek and Roman Mythology A-Z. New York, NY. : Facts on File,

Inc. , 1992.

Grant, Michael, John Hazel. Supreme beings and Persons in Classical Mythology. Springfield,

Mass. : G. & A ; C. Merriam Company, 1973.

Harris, William. ? A Humanist and His Writing. ? : n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 Oct.

1999. Available World Wide Web:

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.middlebury.edu/~harris/GreekMyth/Chap2Women.html.

Homer. ? Iliad. ? Vol I of The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. Ed. Maynard

Mack, et Al. 6th Ed. 2 vols. New York: Norton, 1985: 1991.

? Images of Women and Goddesses. ? The Ancient Greek World- Women and Goddessess

Exerpts. : n. pag. Online. Internet. 26 Oct. 1999. Available World Wide Web:

hypertext transfer protocol: //www.museum.upenn.edu/greek_World & # 8230 ; s_Other/Women % 26Goddesses_e

xerpts.html.

? Minerva. ? HistoryChannel.com. : n. pag. Online. Internet. 25 Oct. 1999. Available

World Wide Web:

wysiwyg: //index.108/http: //www.historychannel.com/perl/print_book.pl? ID=2527

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Parada, Carlos. ? Athena. ? Greek Mythology Link. : n. pag. Online. Internet. 21 Oct.

1999. Available World Wide Web: hypertext transfer protocol: //hsa.brown.edu/~maicar/Athena.html.

? Parthenon. ? HistoryChannel.com. : n. pag. Online. Internet. 25 Oct. 1999. Available

World Wide Web:

wysiwyg: //index.108/http: //www.historychannel.com/perl/print_book.pl? ID=2523

3.