Kayla Sisson
Class 39 term paper
Athena
Athena is known as the Greek virgin goddess of wisdom, war, and arts and crafts. Her wise and generous demeanor led her to be a great leader in both the mortal and immortal world. The story of her life on Earth and Mount Olympus is one that many historians throughout the years have found to be very intriguing. Athena is renown for her willingness to help others, be a their protector, and her knowledge to help them succeed. She plays a role in the lives of many warriors, kings, and heroes, including Bellerphon and Perseus, becomes the patron of Athens, and helps reunite the great hero Odysseus and his son Telemachus in Homer’s The Odyssey. In many of her appearances in ancient mythology she is depicted as a wise, strong, and generous female deity.
Athena was the daughter of Zeus and the Titan Metis, known for her knowledge and wisdom. The story of her birth is one of the most familiar in Greek mythology. Before Athena was born, her father, Zeus, had heard from an oracle that if his and Metis’ child was a boy he would overthrow his father when he grew up. Zeus became very worried and in order to protect himself from being overthrown, he swallowed Metis while she was still pregnant with Athena. Metis then had Athena while still inside of Zeus. After swallowing Metis, he developed a horrible headache and cried out that he felt as if a warrior were stabbing him inside. Hephaestus, the god of metals, understood Zeus’ problem and cut his head open with an ax. Athena sprung out of Zeus’ head fully grown and dressed in the armor of a warrior. Athena instantly became Zeus’ favorite child, causing the jealousy of many other gods. Due to the manor of which Athena was born, she is named the goddess of wisdom and intelligence.
One example of Athena’s significant influence on a great mortal hero is the story of Bellerophon and Pegasus. Bellerophon was a prodigious mortal hero whose father was Sisyphus, a man who must forever...