Athena
Publié le 22/02/2012
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The most important GODDESS of the
ancient Greeks. Athena was a warrior goddess
renowned for her intelligence. In that regard she
contrasts with Ares, the god of military chaos
and unthinking violent rage. According to myth
Athena was born from the head of ZEUS. She herself
remained always a virgin. Thus, the name for
her most famous temple, the Parthenon in Athens,
derived from the Greek word parthenos, "virgin."
Many cities worshipped Athena, but she
was especially the goddess of Athens. At Athens
the major festival in her honor was the Panathenaia.
During this festival an enormous procession
paraded through the city. It accompanied a newly
made peplos or embroidered robe, which was suspended
from the masts of a ship-like cart. Then
the Athenians presented the robe to the image of
Athena on the Acropolis.
Because of her intelligence, Athena was the
goddess of all skillful undertakings, especially spinning
and weaving. In myth she was the patron of
many heroes, especially the crafty Odysseus. Her
special animal was the owl. Images also show her
with the aegis, a mythical object shown as either a
cloak or a shield (interpretations vary). The aegis
is decorated with the head of Medusa. Later generations
have seen Athena, like APOLLO, as embodying
characteristics distinctive of the Greeks.
Liens utiles
- ATHENA, PROTECTRICE DES HEROS
- From Bulfinch's Mythology: Minerva (Athena) - anthology.
- Athena Athena, one of the most important goddesses in Greek mythology.
- La place d'athena dans l'odyssée
- « Black Athena :l'Égypte au coeur de la polémique