 | |
|---|---|
| Title | |
| Goddess of Wisdom and Strategy | |
| Goddess of Arts and Crafts | |
| Goddess of Battle and Reason | |
| Vital Statistics | |
| Gender | Female |
| Family | |
| Status | Immortal |
| Eye Color | Grey |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Height | Any height |
| Other | |
| Affiliation |
Olympus |
| Weapons |
Aegis |
| Species | Goddess |
| Home |
Olympus |
| Greek/Roman form | Minerva (Roman) |
| Appearances |
None |
| Actor | None |
| Quests |
None |
Athena (Αθηνά in Ancient Greek) is the Greek virgin goddess of wisdom, handicrafts, useful arts, defense and battle strategy. She is the daughter of Zeus and Metis, and her symbols include the owl, Aegis, the olive tree, the fox, and the snake. Her Roman counterpart is Minerva.
History[]
Athena was the daughter of Metis. There was a prophecy that Metis would give birth to a child that would be more powerful than Zeus. To prevent this, Zeus tricked Metis into taking the form of a fly and swallowed her. Over time however, Zeus began to suffer from a terrible headache and asked the Titan, Prometheus (in some cases it was Hephaestus), to split his head open and find the problem. Athena sprung fully-grown from Zeus' head in full battle armor and shouting a battle cry. She quickly became Zeus' favorite daughter. In the most ancient account, the Iliad, Athena is the goddess of ferocious and implacable fight, but, wherever she can be found, she only is a warrior to defend the State and the native land against the enemies coming from outside. She is, above all, the Goddess of the City, the protector of civilized life, of artesian activities, and of agriculture. She also invented the horse-bit, which, for the first time, tamed horses, allowing men to use them.
In Greek mythology, she was one of the most active goddesses. She assisted Odysseus in his journey home from the Trojan War in the Odyssey and made sure the Greeks won the Trojan War in the Illiad. She also helped heroes like Diomedes, Hercules (in killing the Stymphalian Birds) , Jason, and Perseus. Like Artemis and Hestia, she is one of the virgin goddesses although she has demigod children in the series, though they are born from thought (brain children, just like herself), which she believes to be the purest kind of love. It is unknown if any other god can give birth to children in a similar way.
In Greece she was known as Pallas Athena, the name she got from a friend who died. She was also known as Athena Parthenos or Athena the virgin, which is how she was worshipped at the Parthenon. In some places she was known as Athena Alea as she was associated with the ancient goddess Alea.
Rivalry with Poseidon[]
For many eons, Athena and Poseidon have had rivalry between them, which all started when they competed for being the patron of the city of Athens (called Attica at that time). The leader of the city told the two gods to make a gift for the newly constructed city. Poseidon created a salt-water spring, while Athena gave them the olive tree. Seeing that the olive tree was much better than a salt-water spring, the leader of the newly constructed city named it after Athena and made Athena a temple known as the Parthenon. Athena was also made the patron of the city. This made Poseidon very angry.
Also, Athena once caught Poseidon with his girlfriend Medusa (who was once a beautiful maiden) together in her temple. Furious at Poseidon and Medusa for doing such disgusting and "disturbing" acts in her temple, she turned Medusa and her sisters into the "Three Gorgons". They had snakes for hair and Medusa could turn anyone into stone if they looked into her eyes, which no one could resist. Medusa's sisters were also transformed because they helped Medusa get into the temple.
The competition for Athens and the terrible acts Poseidon committed in Athena's temple are probably the basis for why Athena dislikes Percy. Athena also helped Odysseus on his quest for home, while Poseidon tried to kill him. Poseidon's and Athena's rivalry didn't seem to affect Percy and Annabeth, but Athena tells Percy she doesn't approve of their relationship. At the end of the series, she seems to be indifferent to Percy, except for the fact that she singed his clothes as a warning.
Personality[]
Athena can be very sympathetic: once, a man saw her bathing, She blinded him, then sent snakes to protect him and gave him supernatural powers to see the future, amongst other things.
Athena is a very disciplined, quick thinking, and wise woman. She is very brilliant and always takes precautions before acting. People note that Athena might be the worst enemy someone could make, even among the gods, as she would never give up or make a rash mistake simply because she hated you. She loves all of her demigod children, and seems to be a caring mother. She is the only known god who claims her children at birth. She gave her daughter Annabeth the gift of a cap that turns the wearer invisible. She is shown to have blessed both Daedelus and his young nephew Perdix, and later punished Daedelus for killing Perdix by branding him with a partridge (the mark of a murderer).
Athena is also usually kind to other demigods. She often aids heroes on their quests. Athena is somewhat cold and calculating at times. Athena is also known for never giving up, and crossing her is a mistake. When Paris picked Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess instead of her, Athena took the side of the Greeks in the Trojan War and used every power within her to bring him down. In the book, Athena is seen as a strict and proud Goddess. In The Lightning Thief (Movie) she is less strict and didn't show any sign of not liking Poseidon or Percy. She even states that "War is not the answer". This is perhaps a little paradoxical, as she is the goddess of war strategies. However being the goddess of strategy, she knew that a war between the gods was not the answer and would only lead to unneeded sacrifice.
Appearance[]
Athena usually has long black hair and intense grey eyes, and her children inherit their eye color from her. As she is a goddess, she can turn to any form she would like so she will not always look like that. She is said to be beautiful and lean. She wears an elegant white dress. It is said Annabeth looks a lot like her mother, and has the same cold stare. In some myths she is said to be able to turn into a white owl. She is also said to be one of the most beautiful goddesses since many men fawn over her but she uses her powers to do horrible things to them if they do not leave on her first warning. She gets along with Artemis well, being seen having similar personalities and often conduct conversations.
Minerva[]
Athena can change into her Roman counterpart of Minerva. As Minerva, becomes more disciplined, militaristic, and warlike. She might have children or descendants at Camp Rome near San Francisco. The Greeks envisioned Athena as a fierce and proud goddess of warfare. The Romans depicted Minerva as a more cerebral and demure goddess of wisdom.
Abilities[]
- She presumably possesses the standard powers of a goddess
- She can shape shift into an owl. It is unknown if she can turn into other animals also
- She is an expert in all areas of warfare and weapons
- She is a skilled tactician (greater than Ares)
- She is very wise, intelligent, and knowledgeable
- She has great intellect
- She may have the gift of prophecy, as one of her symbols is the snake which can grant psychic powers
- She can conjure and use any kind of weapon
- She is the only one Zeus trusts enough to wield Aegis and the Master Bolt
- She has a thirst for knowledge which makes her achieve more
Family and children[]
Parents[]
Siblings[]
Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, Dionysus, Enyo, Eileithyia, Hebe, Heracles