~Mythology~

Athena (Minerva)

*Goddess of Wisdom

.........*Goddess of Wisdom during war through Prudence, Courage & Perseverance

....*Patroness of Agriculture, Industry, Arts & City of Athens

*Sacred to Athena were the Owl, Serpent, Rooster & Olive

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Athena was the goddess of wisdom and war. She guided men through the perils of war where victory was to be gained through prudence, courage and perseverance. She was also the patroness of agriculture, industry, the arts and the City of Athens. Athena was surnamed Pallas, due to killing a giant by that name. Frequently called Pallas Athena, the goddess was worshipped in a wide variety of roles. Sacred to her were the owl, the serpent, the rooster, and the olive.

Athena, the favorite daughter of Zeus (Jupiter), leaped into life from Zeus' head - fully grown and fully armed. She was an active goddess, the focus of many legends. Ancient Greek authors often portrayed Athena in their stories and plays. In the Iliad, Homer referred to the goddess as Athena of the Flashing Eyes, or Grey-eyed Athena.

Athens, the capital of Greece today, was protected by Athena. In the fifth century, Pericles developed a master plan for the city which focused on creating works of public art and architecture which would reflect the city's glory and would inspire exceptional allegiance and tribute by its people. Under Pericles' leadership and direction, the buildings of the acropolis were designed as a home for the goddess Athena. In the middle of the acropolis was a statue of the goddess. One of the most famous and unusual structures was Athena's majestic temple, the Parthenon. The decorative frieze, a band of stonework running between the tops of the columns and the roof line, around the Parthenon's internal chamber was revolutionary. For the first time in Greek history, a human scene was sculpted on a temple instead of gods and heroes. This was a shocking statement of pride and patriotism. The daring scene was the yearly Panathenaic1 procession in which Athenians carried a richly decorated peplos, a woolen robe made from a single length of cloth and specially woven by a group of virgin girls, to clothe the statute of Athena. The ruins of the Parthenon serve to remind us, 2500 years later, of the wealth, sophistication and power of ancient Athens.

It was a little earlier, perhaps in the mid 500s B.C. that the Athenians initiated their famous silver coinage featuring the helmeted head of Athena on the obverse and her sacred owl with a spray of olive (her gift to the city) and a crescent moon on the reverse. It is believed that this coin may have been introduced at the Great Festival of the Panathenic Games in the summer of 566 B.C. since that summer's festival was attended on a grand scale. Gaining universal recognition as being of good silver of uniform weight and fineness, the Silver Owl was the first coin in the ancient world to achieve the true status of "international money".