Divine intercession is a characteristic of ancient Grecian literature. One is amazed and even dumbfounded by the charming myths so often referred to. In Grecian literature. the Gods play an huge function in the lives and destinies of the mortal inhabitants of the Earth. As one examines the Gods throughout the myths and heroic verse forms of the Greeks. one recieves a strong feeling that the Gods “play” with and manipulate persons and each other. One goddess who exemplifies this is the great goddess Athena. This girl of Zeus impacted everyone that she came across. The character Athena is “splashed” over Grecian plants. However. there are specific pieces of Grecian literature that tell a great trade about this fiery goddess. This is non a inactive goddess. This is an active. involved goddess who. in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. assumes godly leading and challenges even Zeus himself. In The Odyssey and other Grecian myths. Athena is an indispensable character and contributes many elements of her complex fabulous personality to Greek authorship.
Athena is one of the most of import goddesses in Greek mythology. In Roman mythology she became identified with the goddess Minerva. Besides known as Pallas Athena. Athena sprang adult and armored from the brow of the God Zeus and was his favourite kid. He entrusted her with his shield. adorned with the horrid caput of Medusa the Gorgon. his shield. and his chief arm. the bolt of lightning. A virgin goddess. she was called Parthenos ( “the maiden” ) . Her major temple. the Parthenon. was in Athens. which. harmonizing to legend. became hers as a consequence of her gift of the olive tree to the Athenian people. Athena was chiefly the goddess of the Grecian metropoliss. of industry and the humanistic disciplines. and. in ulterior mythology. of wisdom ; she was besides goddess of war. Athena was the strongest protagonist. among the Gods. of the Grecian side in the Trojan War.
After the autumn of Troy. nevertheless. the Greeks failed to esteem the holiness of an communion table to Athena at which the Trojan prophesier Cassandra sought shelter. As penalty. storms sent by the God of the sea. Poseidon. at Athena’s request destroyed most of the Grecian ships returning from Troy. Athena was besides a frequenter of the agricultural humanistic disciplines and of the trades of adult females. particularly whirling and weaving. Among her gifts to adult male were the innovations of the plough and the flute and the humanistic disciplines of chastening animate beings. constructing ships. and doing places. She was frequently associated with birds. particularly the bird of Minerva. Through an account of Athena’s distinguishable personality. her relationships are more easy understood
The names and rubrics associated with this fabulous goddess reflect her function as a individual of action and leading. Athena. besides spelled Athene. is said to be the goddess of wisdom. conflict and war. and certian trades. Athena is often known as “Pallas” or “Pallas Athena. ” Harmonizing to Sawyer. Athena took on the excess name to mark the decease of her friend. Pallas. She had by chance killed Pallas while they were practising lances. To demo her deep heartache. Athena added this name to all of her distinguishing rubrics. In the Odyssey Athena is given the rubric “Hope of Soliders” because she is so active in war ( 416 ) . Athena. the frequenter of the metropolis of Athens. is normally linked with the topic of war. She is ever depicted in armour and is said to be the keeper of Zeus’s shield. the Aegis. and his helmet ( Sawyer ) .
Athena was even born have oning armour. There are several different versions of the birth narrative of Athena. However. they all are fundamentally similar. Zeus was purportedly in love with Metis. the Titaniss of wisdom. who was to hold Zeus’s babe. Zeus had heard that any babe that Metis had would be greater than the male parent. So. Zeus turned Metis into a fly and swallowed her. After some clip. Zeus developed a crisp concern and asked Hephaesios. the blacksmith God. to divide his caput unfastened with an axe. When he did. Athena “popped out” to the full grown and to the full armed ( Sawyer ) . The to the full adult adult female carried many names during her life. although they did non alter the manner she thought or acted.
Persons recognized Athena’s active function as an influence and mediator with others. This is what made Athena so “popular” with the Grecian people. In the Odyssey by Homer. Athena has an unbelievable relationship with Odysseus. After reading the heroic poem verse form. one can witness the really complete. really extended bond she develops with non merely Odysseus but with the other characters as good. At the gap of the book. Athena begs her male parent Zeus to let her to assistance Odysseus. so he can travel place to his household ( Odyssey 1-2 ) .
She says. ”My ain bosom is broken for Odysseus” ( Odyssey 3 ) . Athena goes every bit far as heightening his visual aspect so that Princess Nausikaa will be certain to assist him make place ( Odyssey 105 ) . Once Odysseus reaches the metropolis that Nausikaa leads him to. Athena “pours a sea fog” around him to protect him. and she takes on the signifier of a little miss in order to demo him the manner to the castle ( Odyssey 111-112 ) . Once Athena leads Odysseus place to Ithaka. she disguises herself as a sheperd male child and makes conversation with her beloved Odysseus ( Odyssey 238 ) . However. she finally transforms herself into her natural province and says:
Two of a sort. we are. planners. both. Of all the work forces alive you are the best in secret plans and narrative relation. My ain celebrity is for wisdom among the Gods – misrepresentations excessively. Would even you have guessed that I am Pallas Athena. girl of Zeus. I that am ever with you in times od test. a shield to you in battle” ( Odyssey 240 ) .
Athena demonstrates throughout the Odyssey and in her relationship with Odysseus that she is a goddess of action merely as Odysseus is a adult male of action. She states. “I am here once more to advocate with you” ( Odyssey 240 ) . It is Athena who plots and plans the autumn of the suers in Odysseus’ house. To follow her program. Athena disguises Odysseus into a mendicant and leads him to the pigman. a faithful retainer. There they unite with Telemakhos. Odysseus’ boy. to transport out the secret plan of day of reckoning ( Odyssey Books 13 and 14 ) . Once they go to the castle. the goddess of war and her followings destroy and dramatis personae retaliation upon the suers of Penelope. Athena flaunts her militant qualities making conflict in which her “side” was doubtless the master ( Odyssey Book 22 ) . Throught the mist of confusion and blood. Athena makes certain to maintain Odysseus and Telemakhos safe. The goddess even “held the night” so that Odysseus and Penelope could hold longer to acquire reacquainted.
Homer remarks that “she held Dawn’s horses” ( 437 ) . Athena demonstrates her function as an active leader in her protection of Telemakhos. In the beginning of the heroic poem verse form. the Odyssey. she “flies” to him in the form of Mentes. a Taphian captian. to speak to him and press him to look for his male parent. Odysseus. While with him. she sits. drinks. dines. and carries on conversation ( Odyssey 415 ) . Subsequently. she besides takes on Mentor’s figure to speak to him. At the terminal of the Odyssey. the war goddess enhances Laertes’ looks for his reunion with his boy Odysseus ( Odyssey Book 24 ) . In the concluding scene. she takes up the signifier of Mentor one time more to convey peace to the spat people ( Odyssey 460 ) . It is simple to see how intensly Athena makes contact with persons by merely few illustrations. Other Gods and goddesses are involved in these plants. but none are so expressed and huge as the workss of Athena.
From reading the Odyssey. one can get down to organize an image of Athena’s relationships with her equals. the other Gods and goddessess of ancient Greece. Through the interactions between this goddess and other supreme existences. one can witnessAthena’s beliefs that she is superior to the other. Athena assumes leading by taking action. doing determinations. and step ining for good and evil. In the Odyssey. Athena begs Zeus to let her to give Odysseus assistance on his transition place. against the attempts and wants of Poseidon. the Sea God ( Odyssey 4 ) . One can see that Athena does what she thinks gives the best consequence. even if she is faced with stiff resistance from her equals.
The goddess Athena is decidedly a dominant figure. accepting no authorization except possibly Zeus. When thought of this outstanding goddess. one thinks of her relationships and extended contact with many persons. The Greeks favored her because she was a adult female goddess of rare quality. Womans were ne’er protrayed with the masculine features of Athena. such as her demand for laterality and passion for war. This makes her more appealing and puts her in a category above all the remainder. By reading both the Ilaid and the Odyssey. one can recieve a clear. precise position of Athena.
