Who is Athena in Greek mythology. The most interesting facts about Athena

ATHENA - in Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom and justice
live war.
The myth of the birth of Athena from Zeus and Metis ("wisdom",
Greek metis - "thought", "reflection") - the period of registration
classical Olympic mythology.
The birth of Athena is depicted in this myth from the position of heroic
which mythology of the period of patriarchy, in which
elk is a male organizing principle. Athena is, as it were, unpos-
a mere continuation of Zeus, the executor of his plans
and will. She is the thought of Zeus, carried out in action. Post-
the foamy motherhood of Metis takes on an increasingly abstract and yes-
the same symbolic character, so that Athena is considered a product of
one Zeus and assumes the functions of the deity of wisdom,
just as Zeus received them from Metis.

Zeus, knowing from Gaia and Uranus that his son is from Metis
deprive him of power, swallowed his pregnant wife and then
with the help of Hephaestus (or Prometheus), who split his head
with an ax, he himself gave birth to Athena, who emerged from his
heads in full combat armor. Since this event is
supposedly came out at the lake (or river) Triton in Libya, Athena received
la nickname Tritonida or Tritogenei.

Athena is one of the most important figures not only in the Olympic
mythology, in its significance it is equal to Zeus and sometimes even

Surpasses it, rooted in ancient period development of
Greek mythology - matriarchy. She is equal in strength and wisdom
Zeus. She is honored after Zeus and her place is close
closest to Zeus. Along with the new functions of the goddess of military
soup, Athena retained her matriarchal independence, showing
who appeared in the understanding of her as a virgin and protector of chastity.
The origins of Athena's wisdom go back to the image of the goddess with snakes
Cretan-Mycenaean period. The image of the goddess with the shield of Mycenae
some time - the prototype of the Olympic Athena. Among the indispensable
attributes of Athena - aegis - a shield made of goat skin with a snake's head
Eulas Medusa, who has great magical power,
frightens gods and men.
Numerous information about the cosmic features of the image of Aphi-
us. Her birth is accompanied by golden rain, she keeps
lightning of Zeus. Her image, the so-called. palladium fell from the sky
(hence Pallas Athena).
According to Herodotus, Athena is the daughter of Poseidon and the nymph Tritonis.
Athena was identified with the daughters of Kekrop - Pandrosa ("all-
lazhnoy") and Aglavra ("light-air"), or Agravla ("field-
furrowed").
The sacred tree of Athena was the olive. The olives of Athena count
thawed "trees of fate", and Athena herself was conceived as fate
and the Great Mother Goddess.
The powerful goddess of the archaic, the owner of the aegis, Athena in the
The era of heroic mythology directs its strength to fight against
titans and giants. Together with Hercules, Athena kills one
of the giants, on the other she piles the island of Sicily, with
of the third one rips off the skin and covers his body with it during the battle
zheniya.

She is the slayer of the gorgon Medusa and bears the name "gorgon slayer".
Athena demands sacred reverence, not a single death
he can't see her. There is a myth about how she deprived
sight of the young Tiresias (the son of his beloved Chariklo), when he
accidentally saw her ablution.

Classical Athena is endowed with ideological and organizing functions
yami: she patronizes heroes, protects public
row etc. . Zeus sent Athena to help Hercules, and he brought
from Erebus the dog god Hades. Athena's favorite was Odysseus, smart and
brave hero. In the poems of Homer (especially the Odyssey) not a single
an important event is not complete without the intervention of Athena. She is -
the main protector of the Greek Achaeans and the constant enemy of the Trojans,
although her cult existed in Troy. Athena - protector of Greek
some cities (Athens, Argos, Megara, Sparta, etc.), bearing the name
"city protectors".
Huge statue of Athena Promachos ("forward fighter") with
with a spear shining in the sun, adorned the Acropolis in Athens, where
The temples Erechtheion and Parthenon were dedicated to the gyna.
Glorification monument wise ruler of Athens
states, founders of the Areopagus, is the tragedy of Aeschi-
la "Eumenides".

Athena is always considered in the context of artistic
crafts, arts, craftsmanship. She helps potters, weavers,
boor, needlewomen, working people in general. Athena helped Pro-
I can steal the fire from the forge of Hephaestus.

Athena is credited with inventing the flute and teaching the game.
Apollo is on it. One touch is enough to
to make a man beautiful (she exalted Odysseus with a camp,
endowed curly hair, clothed with strength and attractive
ness). She gave Penelope on the eve of meeting with her husband
amazing beauty.
Athena is the goddess of wisdom. She is characterized by wisdom in
state affairs. For late antiquity, Athena appeared
the principle of the indivisibility of the cosmic Mind and the symbol of the all-embracing
shchi world wisdom. As legislator and patroness
Athenian statehood revered Athena - Phratria
("brotherly"), Bulaya ("advisory"), Soteira ("savior"),
Pronoia ("seer").

Although the cult of Athena was spread throughout the mainland and
island Greece (Arcadia, Argolis, Corinth, Sikyon, Fessa-
lia, Boeotia, Crete, Rhodes), Athena was especially revered in Atti-
ke, in Athens (the Greeks associated the name of the city of Athens with the name
goddess - the patroness of the city). She was dedicated to the earth -
business holidays. During these festivities,
washing the statue of Athena, the young men took the oath of civil
service to the goddess.

In Rome, Athena was identified with Minerva. Roman feast-
two large excerpts from the "Fast" of Ovi-
diya. Throughout antiquity, Athena remains a witness
by the organizing and directing power of the mind, which
completes cosmic and social life, glorifying strict
the foundations of a state based on democratic legislation
authority.

The image of Athena is reflected in many significant pa-
pennies of Greek sculpture. Giant statue "Athena Parfait-
nose "Phidias, set in Athens in the Parthenon in 438 BC
AD, has not been preserved and is known to us from several reduced
copies. Numerous statuettes of the goddess have survived. Separate-
scenes of the myths about Athena are reflected in relief plastic
temples, for example, a multi-figure group on the eastern pediment
The Parthenon depicts the birth of Athena from the head of Zeus,
the pediment embodied the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for possession
land of Attica.
In Greek vase painting, scenes dedicated to
born to Athena, her participation in the Trojan War, dispute with
Poseidon. There are images of Athena on Pompeian frescoes.
kah.
During the Renaissance, Athena is depicted in accordance with
ancient artistic tradition - in a shell and a helmet. In a number
scenes, Athena appears as the personification of wisdom and symbolizes
the triumph of reason ("Minerva conquers ignorance" B. Spranger,
"Kingdom of Minerva" by A. Elsheimer), virtue and chastity
("Pallas and the Centaur" S. Botticelli, "Victory of virtue over
sin" by A. Mantegna), the world ("Minerva and Mars" by J. Tintoretto,
P. Veronese and others).
In the musical and dramatic art, the myths about Athena are
served as a plot for the libretto of several works 17-18
centuries, including the operas "The Birth of Athena" by A. Draghi, "Miner-
va" by R. Kaiser, "Pallas and Mars" by M. Grimani, "Pallada solemn
blowing" by F.B. Conti; cantatas "The Dispute of Pallas and Venus" by L. Caldara
and "Pallada" by P.V. Guglielmi.

Ancient Greek mythology is very bright, due to the many gods and goddesses represented in it. One of the extraordinary representatives is the beautiful fair-haired goddess Pallas Athena. Her father, none other than the supreme god Zeus himself, the lord of heaven. In its significance, Athena is not inferior, and sometimes surpasses her imperious father. Her name is immortalized in the title Greek city- Athens.

Who is Athena

The appearance of Athena is shrouded in secrets, from the text of the ancient source of Theogony it follows that Zeus learned that his wise wife Metis should give birth to a great daughter and son. The ruler did not want to give his reins of government to anyone, and swallowed his pregnant wife. Later, feeling a severe headache, Zeus asked the god Hephaestus to hit him on the head with a hammer - this is how Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom, appeared in all her weapons. Possessing the strategies and tactics of waging just wars, Athena succeeded and also became the patroness of many types of crafts:

• public order- Athena in public affairs, established the highest court in Athens;
• shipbuilding and navigation - the architects Ferekl, Arg and Danai, under the mentorship of Athena, created their own ships, one of which Argo was sent by the goddess to heaven;
• metal craftswoman - the statue of Aphrodite is considered the work of Athena herself;
• weaving and spinning craft - she made clothes for herself and other goddesses. Athena taught women to weave. The spinning wheel is a symbol of Athena;
• music - a trumpet and a two-horned flute, the invention of Athena;
• healing - healed and resurrected with the blood of the Gorgon medusa;
• patroness - in many other positive aspects. Athena is loved for her timely assistance. Hercules, Odysseus, Perseus, Achilles, Jason, Telemachus are the heroes of ancient Greek mythology who called Athena in difficult moments.

What does Athena look like?

The Greek goddess Athena is traditionally depicted in military attire, with a majestic bearing in her hand a spear shining in the sun. Homer, the ancient narrator of the epic poem The Iliad, describes Athena as a bright-eyed, sharp-eyed, full of power in golden armor, a beautiful, but "not soft-hearted" Virgin. The artists depicted the goddess with a stern, thoughtful face, in a long hoodie (peplos) or shell.

Symbol of Athena

In mythology, each piece of clothing, the background around the deity is replete with various symbols that have a sacred meaning. These archetypes are the link between humans and gods. Knowing these symbols, images arise with the help of which one or another character can be identified. The symbolism of Athena is easily recognizable:

• Athena's helmet - made of iron, decorated with 4 horses, or a monster with a snake tail;
• spear - one of the statues of the goddess adorned ancient acropolis in Athens, her shining golden spear, the first thing sailors saw when returning to the city;
• aegis - a shield made of goatskin, with the image of the Gorgon Medusa;
• Nike - a figurine of the goddess of Victory in the hand of Athena;
• the owl is a symbol of wisdom;
• the snake is a gift of foresight.

Children of Athena

The ancient Greek goddess Athena was considered a chaste virgin, Eros himself ignored the request of his mother, the goddess Aphrodite, to shoot an arrow of love at Athena, as he was afraid to even fly past because of the goddess’s menacing gaze. Nevertheless, the joys of motherhood were not alien to Athena and she raised adopted children:

• Hygieia - the goddess of health, is considered by one source the daughter of Asclepius (healer) and Athena;
• Erichthonius is the son of Gaia and Hephaestus, according to legend, Hephaestus chased Athena and dropped the seed on the ground, Gaia considered this a shame for herself and refused to raise her son. Athena secretly raised Erichthonius. The goddess Athena is often depicted with a snake; researchers believe that this is a symbol of Erichthonius.

The myth of the goddess Athena

Ancient Greek mythology describes gods who are like people: they love, they hate, they strive for power, they crave recognition. The myth about Athena is interesting, in which Kekrops, the first Athenian king, could not decide who should be the patron of the city. Athena and Poseidon (the god of the ocean) began to argue, Kekrops suggested that the gods resolve the dispute as follows: invent the most useful item. Poseidon carved a source of water with a trident, Athena struck the ground with a spear and appeared olive Tree. Women voted for Athena, men for Poseidon, so Athens had two patrons.

Long ago, many centuries ago, the ancient Greeks lived on our beautiful planet. They were doing the most different things: established the basic laws economic activity, revered the beauty of the body, invented the standards of world art, and at their leisure they organized the Olympic Games, in which the strongest had to win without fail. The ancient Greeks believed in very different things, and in the literal sense of the word - the ancient pantheon is so diverse that there are not many people in the world who can offhand list at least half

There were titans and gods, heroes and nymphs, sphinxes and sirens in their picture of the world, not to mention cyclops and other more extravagant creatures, whose names are not so deeply and firmly embedded in the memory of mankind.

In the same article, we will find out who Athena is.

Variety of interpretations

Since, unfortunately, not a single one has survived to this day. ancient Greek, researchers have to build their theories on archaeological finds, written monuments and other historical heritage. Perhaps this is the reason for the variety of interpretations regarding who Athena is.

The most common point of view is the positioning of this representative of the Greek pantheon as It is this understanding of the goddess that we are taught in educational institutions and popular publications like I Know the World. In fact, everything is much broader, more diverse and more interesting, which is what will be discussed in this article. So, let's get down to business: who is Athena?

Mysterious Birth of a Goddess

Nothing is ever simple in anything - everything is shrouded in some kind of mystery, mystery and full of surprises. The birth of this Greek goddess is far from an exception. Let's start with the fact that there is simply no consensus on this matter. In this respect, everything depends on the time frame of the interpreter. According to early reports, the Greek triumphantly left the head of Zeus himself, causing him simply unbearable pain. Later historians turned out to be somewhat more merciful and, according to their interpretation, the place where this representative of the pantheon came from was the beard of the Thunderer.

In any case, the birth of the goddess can be regarded as another confirmation that the ancient Greeks liked everything unusual: either they appeared from the foam of the sea goddess, or crawled out of their heads ...

Why is it so

According to the most common interpretation, the story of the goddess Athena begins with the desire of the supreme god to maintain his position and prevent his own son from overthrowing the throne. That is why, according to the myth, Zeus swallowed Metis, who was pregnant at that time. And everything would be fine if the unexpected did not happen. Soon, the Thunderer began to experience unbearable pain, and in order to alleviate this suffering, Hephaestus had to hit the head of the pantheon with an ax on the head. The same Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom, the patroness of cities and entire states, skill, ingenuity and dexterity, triumphantly emerged from the hole that had formed.

Significance in the mythological picture of the world

At first glance, it may seem that this representative of the ancient Greek pantheon is not one of the key figures, but this opinion can safely be called erroneous. The goddess of war is one of the twelve main representatives of Olympus. According to some myths, it was Athena who remained in Greece when everyone else fled to Egypt. Many researchers associate the subsequent name of the country's capital in her honor with this.

Appearance

Since this is the goddess of war, outwardly she is significantly different from the rest. First of all, it should be noted that she is traditionally depicted in male armor and with a shield, which cannot be said even about Artemis, whose invariable attributes are considered to be a bow and a quiver with arrows.

As for more characteristic features, in the testimonies that have survived to this day, Athena is called “scow-eyed”, gray-eyed and fair-haired, so we can say that the goddess had something in common with Slavic girls.

If we talk about the symbols of this representative of the Olympic pantheon, then traditionally in this respect an owl or a snake is depicted as ancient symbols wisdom.

Since ancient times, the olive branch has also been considered an invariable attribute of this goddess, which is still associated with Greece in the world consciousness.

Feminist Goddess?

Despite the fact that far from all written monuments have preserved references to the participation of Athena in gigantomachy, they still exist and there is no getting away from this. According to the texts of Gigin, the overthrow of the titans in Tartarus is partly the merit of this goddess. According to this myth, Athena was able to accomplish this feat thanks to the help of Zeus, Artemis, and Apollo.

Despite the fact that the birth of the goddess of war, according to the main myths, was after the battle of the titans, there is other evidence of her participation in this event literally global scope. An example is the shield of the statue, which depicts other details of the battle.

Trojan horse connection

Oddly enough, the name of this Olympic warrior is also associated with this war. In general, Athena is a goddess, the myths about which are quite diverse. So, according to the available monuments of writing, it was she who came up with the idea of ​​​​creating a Trojan horse. There is also evidence that this manipulation was done in her honor.

Who is Athena in this story? This is not only the author of the Trojan horse idea. This is also the goddess who managed to save the Achaeans from starvation at a time when they needed to sit in anticipation of action. According to the plot of the myth, Athena brought them the food of the gods so that they would not die of hunger.

She secretly helped to drag the horse into the besieged city and gave signs in the form of snakes and earthquakes when someone objected to this.

inventions

Few places mention this, but it is this representative of the Greek pantheon who owns the idea of ​​the state, the invention of the chariot and even the ship. Most household items like ceramic pots or a plow were invented by Athena. She is generally considered the patroness of artisans. According to some myths, it was this goddess who at one time taught the Phoenicians weaving, and in many sources the spinning wheel is mentioned as a gift from Athena.

She also patronized many heroes and exceptionally just wars, which is what differed from Ares, for whom the battles themselves were the goal and patronage in them brought him exceptional pleasure.

Athena is one of the 12 main gods of the Greek pantheon. The legendary daughter of Zeus, born from his head. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, military art, the patroness of the city-state, of which she is the eponym (Athens), as well as many sciences and crafts. Many mythical events and literary plots are associated with the name of Athena, her image is multifacetedly reflected in philosophy and art.

There are many interesting facts about the maiden dressed in armor.

Athena - sole daughter of Zeus

According to legend, Athena was born in full dress and with a battle cry straight from the dissected head of Zeus. The king of the gods learned that his future son from Metis would kill his father, so he swallowed his pregnant wife and gave birth to a daughter on his own.

Athena - virgin goddess

Along with Artemis and Hestia, Artemis is a chaste goddess who does not have a spouse and children. She is the patroness of chastity and unmarried girls, but women also pray to her for pregnancy.
Athena demands sacred reverence for herself, so none of the mortals can see her. When she saw her washing Tiresias, she deprived her of sight.

Attributes of Athens

Mandatory attribute of the fair-haired and gray-eyed goddess - aegis. This is a goat-skin shield with a snake-headed jellyfish that frightens people and gods. According to one version, it was Athena who killed the monster. The warrior maiden also holds a spear in her hands.

Athena wears a crested helmet on her head. In her hand, the daughter of Zeus holds Nike, the goddess of victory.

The image of Athena has archaic roots

In Greek mythology, Athena is equal to Zeus and sometimes even surpasses him in wisdom and strength. It is known that together with the Hero and


Other gods Athena participated in the attempt to overthrow Kronid. There was a temple of Zeus and Athena in Athens. The goddess was revered no less than the supreme deity. The significance of Athena is rooted in the matriarchal period.

In Greek, the capital of Greece is not called "Athens", but "Athena"

Athena is the eponym of the capital of Greece. The city officially received this status in 1834 after the liberation from Turkish rule. But according to legend, the name of the ancient Greek policy goes back to the confrontation between Poseidon and Athena for the right to protect the city. Poseidon opened the source to the inhabitants sea ​​water and Athena planted an olive tree. The last gift was considered more valuable, so the championship was given to the daughter of the Thunderer. According to another version, the female half of the population voted for Athena with a one-vote advantage, after which women were denied the right to vote.

Athena and the Judgment of Paris

According to a well-known legend, Athena was one of the 3 contenders for victory in the ancient "beauty contest". But the shepherd Paris preferred Aphrodite to her and Hera, who promised him the most beautiful of women, Helen, as a reward. The prize, the apple of discord, went to the goddess of love, who helped the young man get Helen the Beautiful, because of whose abduction the Trojan War began.

How are Athena the weaver and arachnology related?

Athena was the patroness of crafts, in particular, she was an excellent weaver. But mortal woman Arachne achieved no less skill and began to boast of it. Then Athena challenged her to a competition, and although the fabric woven by Arachne turned out to be no worse than the product of the goddess, the latter turned the impudent woman into a spider. From the name of Arachne comes the name of the science of arachnology.

Stones are scattered around the Athenian Parthenon for tourists

Parthenon, Temple of the Virgins Athenian monument architecture, which was dedicated to the patroness of the city and all of Attica. It contained an 11-meter statue of Athena made of wood, gold and ivory. So that tourists do not destroy the attraction, special workers scatter stones around the temple every night, which travelers take with them as a keepsake.

• In the Roman mythological tradition, Athena is called Minerva.
• Athena is the patroness of state wisdom and the principle of the indivisibility of the cosmic mind.
• Sacred animals and plants of Athens: owl, snake, olive.
• Athena, unlike Ares, patronizes only just wars. She is an active participant Trojan War on the side of the Achaeans, the fight against the titans and gigantomachy.
• Famous epithets of Athena: Tritonida (Tritogenea) - born near the hydronym Triton in Libya; Pallas is a victorious warrior; owl-eyed - an indication of the zoomorphic past of the image; Promakhos - advanced fighter; Peonia is a healer; Phratry - fraternal; Soteira - savior; Pronoia - seer; Gorgofon - The Gorgon Killer and many others.
• Athens is the birthplace of democracy and Olympic Games, as well as tragedy, comedy, philosophy, historiography, political science and mathematical principles.

Athena Athena - in the myths of the ancient Greeks, the goddess of wisdom and just war. Born from Zeus and Metis (wisdom). Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife, then Hephaestus (or Prometheus) split his head with an ax, and Athena appeared from there in full combat armor and with a militant cry. Athena is equal in strength and wisdom to Zeus. Her attributes are a snake and an owl, as well as an aegis - a goat-skin shield with the head of a snake-haired Medusa, which has magical powers and frightens gods and people. The sacred tree of Athena is the olive. Athena of the period of heroic mythology fights with the titans and giants. She killed the Gorgon Medusa. No mortal can see her (she blinded the young Tiresias when he accidentally saw her ablution). She patronizes heroes, protects public order. Her favorite is Odysseus, she is the main protector of the Achaean Greeks and a constant enemy of the Trojans during the Trojan War. She helped potters, weavers, needlewomen, the builder of the Argo ship, and all artisans. Athena helped Prometheus steal fire from the forge of Hephaestus. Her own pieces are true works of art. She is also the legislator and patroness of Athenian statehood. Although the cult of Athena was spread throughout mainland and insular Greece, Athena was especially revered in Attica, in Athens (the Greeks associated the name of the city of Athens with the name of the goddess). A huge statue of Athena Promachos (front fighter) with a spear shining in the sun adorned the Acropolis in Athens, where the Erechtheion and Parthenon temples were dedicated to the goddess. Many agricultural holidays were dedicated to Athena. The holiday of the Great Panathenas was universal in nature (during the holiday, sacrifices were made to Athena and the transfer of peplos took place - the cover of the goddess, which depicted her exploits in gigantomachy - the fight against giants). In Rome, Athena was identified with Minerva.

Historical dictionary. 2000 .

See what "Athena" is in other dictionaries:

- (Άθηνά), in Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom and just war. The pre-Greek origin of the image of A. does not allow us to reveal the etymology of the name of the goddess, based only on the data of the Greek language. The myth of the birth of A. from Zeus and Metis (“wisdom”, ... ... Encyclopedia of mythology

Athena- Lemnia. Reconstruction of the statue of Phidias on the Acropolis of Athens. OK. 450 BC sculpture collection. Dresden. Athena Lemnia. Reconstruction of the statue of Phidias on the Acropolis of Athens. OK. 450 BC sculpture collection. Dresden. Athena in the myths of the ancient Greeks ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary " The World History»

- (Pallas, among the Romans Minerva) in Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom and military affairs; daughter of Zeus, born from his head; considered the patroness of Athens. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Pavlenkov F., 1907. ATHENA (Greek ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

- (Athena Pallas) in Greek mythology, the goddess of war and victory, as well as wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts. The daughter of Zeus, born in full armor (in a helmet and armor) from his head. The patroness of Athens. It corresponds to the Roman Minerva. Among … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Athena- Lemnia. Reconstruction of the statue of Phidias on the Acropolis of Athens. OK. 450 BC sculpture collection. Dresden. ATHENA (Athena Pallas), in Greek mythology, the goddess of war and victory, wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts, the patroness of Athens. Daughter of Zeus... Illustrated encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Athena Pallas), in Greek mythology, the goddess of war and victory, wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts, the patroness of Athens. The daughter of Zeus, born in full armor (in a helmet and armor) from his head. Attributes of Athena snake, owl and aegis shield with ... ... Modern Encyclopedia

Pallas Athena, in ancient Greek mythology, one of the main deities, a virgin goddess; revered as the goddess of war and victory, as well as wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts. According to the myth, A. in a helmet and armor came out of the head of Zeus. BUT.… … Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Minerva, Poliada, Pallas, Nika Dictionary of Russian synonyms. athena n., number of synonyms: 10 athena pallas (3) ... Synonym dictionary

- (also Pallas) one of the most ancient deities of Greece, the daughter of Zeus, the maiden warrior, the Greek parallel to the Valkyries (see) of Germanic mythology. The origin of the image is unclear: perhaps it is based on the heavenly projection of the primitive family ... ... Literary Encyclopedia

Greek goddess … Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Books

• Athena is the daughter of an oligarch, Musin Marusya. To get out of financial difficulties, Musya Musina gets a job as a tutor to Athena, the spoiled daughter of the capital's oligarch. Dad has a new young wife and an oil business, but no...