Athena Essay, Research Paper

Athene

by Jason Stowe

Period 2

The God to be the subject of treatment in this study is Athena. Athena was an

of import member of the Olympic pantheon. She was born to the full armed from the

brow of Zeus, the main God. Athena was Zeus & # 8217 ; s favourite kid. He

entrusted her with the Aegis, his aegis, and with his bolt of lightning.

Athena & # 8217 ; s function as a goddess varied. She was a major warrior and most images

depict her dressed in armour and keeping a lance. In Homer & # 8217 ; s Iliad, she is

described as a ferocious conflict goddess who continually intervened on the side of

the Greeks. She besides took an involvement in handcrafts and agribusiness. The

olive tree, which she said to hold created, is sacred to her. She was noted for

her wisdom which explains her close association with the bird of Minerva, an ancient symbol

of wisdom and ground. The most celebrated temple to Athena was the Parthenon ( 5th

century BC ) which was named for Parthenos ( & # 8221 ; the Maiden & # 8221 ; ) , which still stands

atop the Acropolis in Athens. The inside of the Parthenon stands a statue of

Athena Parthenos, sculpted by Phidais. When I was reading through myths, I

decided I would speak about & # 8220 ; The Gift of Athena & # 8221 ; which, in my sentiment, best

illustrates Athena & # 8217 ; s colourful personality. Here is how & # 8220 ; The Gift of Athena & # 8221 ;

goes:

Long, long ago, when this old universe was a really immature topographic point, and when the few

people there were had merely begun to populate together in groups for their ain

protection, the great Gods selected the topographic points for worlds to construct the metropoliss.

They looked down upon the Earth, through the clouds that shrouded their place on

the really extremum of the high mountain called Olympus, and they chose the sites they

idea would supply everything persons needed to populate and thrive. Now, each

God and goddess was eager to hold a great metropolis built in his or her award, and so

the premier locations-the really best topographic points for the great metropoliss to be built came

to do much spat and green-eyed monster among the many divinities for all wanted a

great metropolis built in their award, a metropolis whose people would idolize that

peculiar God or goddess above all others. It happened that great Zeus, the

male monarch and swayer of all the Gods, had found a topographic point on Earth that appeared

perfectly ideal for the edifice of a baronial metropolis ; so, he foresaw that the

metropolis that would be built at that place would someday go the noblest metropolis on Earth.

Well, you can conceive of that all the Gods and goddesses wanted this metropolis for their

ain, and you would be right. But the two who wanted it most of all were Athena,

the goddess of wisdom, and Poseidon, the God of the seas and rivers. Now,

Athena was one of Zeus & # 8217 ; s girls, and you might anticipate that her male parent would

award her petition, but Poseidon was Zeus & # 8217 ; s brother, and Zeus did non desire to

disappoint him, either. Poseidon appealed to Zeus, stating that this location

would supply the metropolis with the greatest natural seaport in all of the universe and

destine it to be a great haven. Therefore, as God of the sea, it was merely

right that he, Poseidon, should be its main God. But Athena argued merely as

seriously that the illustriousness of this metropolis would non lie in its commercialism, but

instead in the regard its people would someday hold for art and acquisition. As

goddess of wisdom, hence, she should be its guardian. Zeus, at last, decided

upon a manner to stop this wrangle and to take, reasonably, between the two. He

called for a great council

to be held at the really site of the new metropolis, and

at that place, with all of the Gods and goddesses arrayed before him, Zeus spoke from

his aureate throne in a clear, dominating voice. & # 8220 ; Listen, & # 8221 ; he said, & # 8220 ; to the will

of Zeus, who Judgess now between Poseidon and Athena. The metropolis that is desired

by each shall bear the name of that God who shall convey Forth from the Earth the

better gift for the persons who will brood here. If Poseidon & # 8217 ; s gift be judged

more utile, this metropolis shall be called Poseidonia, but if Athena & # 8217 ; s gift be

deemed the better, the metropolis shall forever after be known as Athens. & # 8221 ; Upon

hearing this, Poseidon arose in all his stateliness, and he struck his trident ( that

is, the long, three-pronged lance that he ever carried ) -he struck this trident

hard into the land right where he stood. The Earth agitate violently all around

until, at last, a great cleft opened up in the surface. Out of this steaming

chasm leaped a brilliant Equus caballus, his powerful white organic structure to the full arrayed in

conflict cogwheel, a war-horse like none had of all time seen before. & # 8220 ; Behold my gift, & # 8221 ; said

Poseidon, & # 8220 ; and name the metropolis after my name, for who can give these persons a

better nowadays that the Equus caballus, which will guarantee their protection from all their

enemies. & # 8221 ; But Athena looked firm with her acute grey eyes at the assembled

Gods, and she stooped easy down to touch the Earth where she stood. She said

nil but continued to stare calmly on that great council. Soon they all

witnessed a little shoot turning from the land where Athena had touched her

manus. It grew fleetly and in proceedingss had sprouted midst and juicy boughs and

foliages ; higher and higher it rose until green fruit appeared on its bunch

subdivisions. & # 8220 ; My gift is better, O Zeus, than that of Poseidon, & # 8221 ; she said. & # 8220 ; The

Equus caballus he has given shall convey war and discord and anguish to these ethical motives and

their kids, but my gift-the olive tree-is the mark of peace and plentifulness, of

wellness and strength, and the pledge of felicity and freedom. Is it non more

adjustment, so, that the metropolis to be founded here should be called after my name? & # 8221 ;

Then the voices of the Gods rose in the air as one: & # 8220 ; The gift of Athena is

better by far, for it is the item that this metropolis shall be greater in peace than

in war, and nobler in its freedom than it its power. Let the metropolis be called

Athens forevermore. & # 8221 ; Hearing their entreaty, Zeus so bowed his caput as a mark of

his judgement that the metropolis should be named for Athena. The Earth trembled as he

rose from his aureate throne to return to the halls of Olympus. Athena stood

staring over the land that her triumph had given her, and she decided that it was

here that she would do her place. & # 8220 ; Here, & # 8221 ; she said, & # 8220 ; my kids will turn up

in felicity, and they will come to understand that freedom is the greatest gift

a people can have. And when the torch of freedom has gone out in Athens, it

will be passed on to other peoples in other lands throughout the world. & # 8221 ;

This myth shows how Athena longed for peace and wisdom instead than war. Besides,

Poseidon held a trident. Trident is really a combination of a Latin prefix

tri- , intending & # 8220 ; three & # 8221 ; and the Latin root or root dent- , intending & # 8220 ; tooth & # 8221 ; . So,

the trident is like a lance with three dentitions! Wordss like trike, trigon,

etc. besides originated from this tri- prefix. Wordss like tooth doctor and dental plate

originated from this dent- root. So, these are good illustrations of how today & # 8217 ; s

words originated from the Greek and Roman times!