The Life of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and War

Birth of Athena

540 BCE

Zeus swallowed his wife, Metis, while she was pregnant with Athena, in order to make sure she wouldn't overthrow him. Zeus heard a prophecy that she would soon overpower him. Meti lived in his brain and gave birth to Athena there. Once Athena became grown, she was clothed with a spear, shield and helmet. Zeus experienced horrible headaches, and eventually asked Hephaestus to open his head with an ax. She sprang from his head

Pallas and Athena

500 BCE

Pallas was Athena's greatest friend, and he would practice warfare and combat skills with her. He was known as the god of war craft. One day they were practicing, and Pallas was killed. Some stories say that Athena herself kills him while in combat, other stories say that Zeus came down and killed him because he thought Pallas was going to kill her. However, to pay respect to him, Athena added his name to her own, becoming Pallas Athena.

Patronage of Athens

480 BCE

Once Athens became a prospering city, under the rule of their great king Cecrops, there was a very public battle between Poseidon and Athena for which god would be the patron deity of Athens. Poseidon brought forth a stream of seawater through a crack in a rock made from his trident. Athena planted an olive branch. Cecrops decided Athena's gift would be more beneficial than Poseidon's making Athena the patron goddess of Athens.

The Myth of Arachne

440 BCE

There was a mortal, Arachne, who boasted that her skill at weaving was better than the gods. Athena, being the goddess of crafts as well, gave Arachne the chance to repent, but Arachne refused. So Athena challenged her to a weaving duel. Arachne's tapestry depicted the plight of mortals from the gods, and Athena's tapestry depicted the punishments of mortals. Arachne's was better, but Athena wouldn't have it, so Athena changed Arachne into a spider, the fate of weaving for the rest of her days.

Athena aids Odysseus

400 BCE

Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, is written in the "Odyssey" to be on his way home from the Trojan War with his men, when they meet their fair share of trials and tribulations. After killing the son of Poseidon and slaughtering the cattle on Helios' island, Zeus sends thunderbolts to wreck their ship, drowning all the men except Odysseus. Athena, after 7 years, uses her wit and eloquence to talk Zeus into letting Odysseus go, and he lets Odysseus go. She is forever known as the "Helper of Heroes".