Athena

Goddess of War,
Wisdom, and Arts and
Crafts
Sarah Green
Period 3

(Wikipedia)
The Goddess
Known as Zeus’s favorite daughter, the Goddess Athena
was named the Goddess of War, Wisdom, and Arts
and Crafts. Her mother, Metis, was the original
Goddess of War. She has seven siblings, all of which
serve with their father and some aunts and uncles as
the twelve Gods and Goddesses who rule on Mount
Olympus. The skills Athena possesses include weaving
and poetry. She also watches over Athens and leaders,
with good objectives, in battle. Athena’s brother, Ares,
is the god of war. (Low 16)
 Family Tree
Cronus, Zeus’s father, has six children, Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Zeus,
Poseidon, and Hades. Zeus married Metis and he has eight children,
Persephone, Hermes, Hephaestus, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis,
and Dionysus. (D’Aulaires’ 2)

Persephone Hermes Hephaestus Ares Athena Apollo Artemis Dionysus

Hestia Demeter Zeus= Metis

Hera Poseidon Hades

Cronus
= means
marriage
Athena’s Feud
During the time of King Cecrops, Athena and her uncle
Poseidon had been quarreling over the land of Attica.
In this quarrel Po the rock of the Acropolis with his
trident and a salt water spring formed. Athena, in
return, made an olive tree form on the Acropolis.
Cecrops asked to settle the quarrel with God and
Goddess and he ruled in Athena’s favor.
(GoddessAthena.org)
Athena’s Birth
While Metis was expecting Athena, Mother Earth warned Zeus
that Metis was going to bare a son that would dethrone him as
he had dethroned his father, Cronus who dethroned his
father, Uranus. This worried Zeus, so he tricked Metis in to a
game. Metis and Zeus could both shape shift, this game
consisted of them both shifting shapes. Metis changed into a
fly and Zeus didn’t change. Instead he opened his mouth wide
and swallowed Metis. Metis lived with in Zeus and began
making things for her baby. She make a helmet, which gave
Zeus a headache, and weaved a robe. When Athena was ready
to be born Zeus had his son, Hephaestus, use an ax to open
his head and Athena came out fully grown and dressed.
(D’Aulaires’ 34)
 Chastity
Athena never had a lover of any sort. So she was known as
Athena Partenos, "Virgin Athena“. One of her most famous
temples, Parthenon, is named after this title. It was named
this for her modesty and mystery and is a recognition of
these and other traits. Many women followed her in this
modesty and worshiped her for it. Many think she chose
this because of how close she was to her father, Zeus.
(Wikipedia)

The Parthenon, Temple of

Athena Parthenos.
Works Cited
D’Aulaire, Edgar Parin, and Ingri D’Aulaire. D’Aulaires' Book Of

Greek Myths. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell,1962. Print.

Goddess-Athena.org. NP, 1999. Web. 29 April 2010.

Low, Alice. The Macmillan Book of Greek Gods and Heroes.

NewYork:1985. Print.

Wikipedia. NP, ND. Web. 29 April 2010.