The god to be the topic of discussion in this report is Athena. Athena was an
important member of the Olympic pantheon. She was born fully armed from the forehead of
Zeus, the chief god. Athena was Zeus's favorite child. He entrusted her with the Aegis,
his breastplate, and with his thunderbolt.
Athena's role as a goddess varied. She was a major warrior and most images
depict her dressed in armor and holding a spear. In Homer's Iliad, she is described as a
fierce battle goddess who continually intervened on the side of the Greeks. She also
took an interest in handicrafts and agriculture. The olive tree, which she said to have
created, is sacred to her. She was noted for her wisdom which explains her close
association with the owl, an ancient symbol of wisdom and reason.
The most famous temple to Athena was the Parthenon (5th century BC) which was
named for Parthenos ("the Maiden"), which still stands atop the Acropolis in Athens. The
interior of the Parthenon stands a statue of Athena Parthenos, sculpted by Phidais.
When I was reading through myths, I decided I would talk about "The Gift of
Athena" which, in my opinion, best illustrates Athena's colorful personality. Here is
how "The Gift of Athena" goes:
Long, long ago, when this old world was a very young place, and when the few
people there were had just begun to live together in groups for their own protection, the
great gods selected the places for humans to build the cities. They looked down upon the
earth, through the clouds that shrouded their home on the very peak of the high mountain
called Olympus, and they chose the sites they thought would provide everything mortals
needed to live and prosper.
Now, each god and goddess was eager to have a great city built in his or her
honor, and so the prime locations-the very best places for the great cities to be built
came to cause much bickering and jealousy among the many deities for all wanted a great
city built in their honor, a city whose people would worship that particular god or
goddess above all others. It happened that great Zeus, the king and ruler of all the
gods, had found a spot on earth that appeared absolutely ideal for the building of a
noble city; indeed, he foresaw that the city that would be built there would someday
become the noblest city on earth. Well, you can imagine that all the gods and goddesses
wanted this city for their own, 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's daughters, and you might expect that her father would honor
her request, but Poseidon was Zeus's brother, and Zeus did not want to disappoint him,
either. Poseidon appealed to Zeus, saying that this location would provide the city with
the greatest natural harbor in all of the world and destine it to be a great seaport.
Therefore, as god of the sea, it was only right that he, Poseidon, should be its chief
god. But Athena argued just as earnestly that the greatness of this city would not lie
in its commerce, but rather in the respect its people would someday have for art and
learning. As goddess of wisdom, therefore, she should be its guardian.
Zeus, at last, decided upon a way to end this quarrel and to choose, fairly,
between the two. He called for a great council to be held at the very site of the new
city, and there, with all of the gods and goddesses arrayed before him, Zeus spoke from
his golden throne in a clear, commanding voice. "Listen," he said, "to the will of Zeus,
who judges now between Poseidon and Athena. The city that is desired by each shall bear
the name of that god who shall bring forth from the earth the better gift for the mortals
who will dwell here. If Poseidon's gift be judged more useful, this city shall be called
Poseidonia, but if Athena's gift be deemed the better, the city shall forever after be
known as Athens."
Upon hearing this, Poseidon arose in all his majesty, and he struck his trident
(that is, the long, three-pronged spear that he always carried)-he struck this trident
hard into the ground right where he stood. The earth shook violently all around until,
at last, a great crack opened up in the surface. Out of this steaming chasm leaped a
magnificent horse, his powerful white body fully arrayed in battle gear, a war-horse like
none had ever seen before. "Behold my gift," said Poseidon, "and call the city after my
name, for who can give these mortals a better present that the horse, which will ensure
their protection from all their enemies."
But Athena looked steadfastly with her keen gray eyes at the assembled gods, and
she stooped slowly down to touch the earth where she stood. She said nothing but
continued to gaze calmly on that great council. Presently they all witnessed a small
shoot growing from the ground where Athena had touched her hand. It grew swiftly and in
minutes had sprouted thick and luscious boughs and leaves; higher and higher it rose
until green fruit appeared on its clustering branches. "My gift is better, O Zeus, than
that of Poseidon," she said. "The horse he has given shall bring war and strife and
anguish to these morals and their children, but my gift-the olive tree-is the sign of
peace and plenty, of health and strength, and the pledge of happiness and freedom. Is it
not more fitting, then, that the city to be founded here should be called after my
name?"
Then the voices of the gods rose in the air as one: "The gift of Athena is better
by far, for it is the token that this city shall be greater in peace than in war, and
nobler in its freedom than it its power. Let the city be called Athens forevermore."
Hearing their appeal, Zeus then bowed his head as a sign of his judgment that the
city should be named for Athena. The earth trembled as he rose from his golden throne to
return to the halls of Olympus. Athena stood gazing over the land that her victory had
given her, and she decided that it was here that she would make her home. "Here," she
said, "my children will grow up in happiness, and they will come to understand that
freedom is the greatest gift a people can receive. 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."
This myth shows how Athena longed for peace and wisdom rather than war. Also,
Poseidon held a trident. Trident is actually a combination of a Latin prefix tri-,
meaning "three" and the Latin root or stem dent-, meaning "tooth". So, the trident is
like a spear with three teeth! Words like tricycle, triangle, etc. also originated from
this tri- prefix. Words like dentist and denture originated from this dent- stem. So,
these are good examples of how today's words originated from the Greek and Roman times!
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