In Greek mythology, Athena was the goddess of wisdom, of warfare, and of crafts. She ranked as Zeus's * favorite child and one of the most powerful of the 12 Olympian gods. Although Athena was worshiped in many cities, the Athenians considered her to be their special protector and named their city after her. Many rulers sought her wisdom in both government and military matters. The Romans called her Minerva. Like Artemis (Diana), the goddess of the hunt, Athena was a virgin goddess. Unlike Artemis, she did not reject men. Athena took an active part in the lives of many heroes and enjoyed their bravery in battle. Athena was the daughter of Zeus and of the Titan Metis, known for her knowledge and wisdom. Metis had tried to avoid Zeus's advances by changing herself into different animals, but her tactic failed, and she became pregnant. Zeus learned from an oracle that Metis was expecting a girl. The oracle also predicted that if Metis and Zeus had a male child, the boy would overthrow his father when he grew up, just as Zeus had overthrown his father. To protect himself from this possibility, Zeus swallowed Metis after she changed herself into a fly. Some sources say that Zeus did this mainly because he wanted to possess all her wisdom.The Acropolis is a hill rising 500 feet above the city of Athens. On it stand the remains of some of the finest temples of ancient Greece. The largest and most famous of these temples is the Parthenon, dedicated to Athena. This magnificent white marble building was surrounded by columns. Inside stood a huge statue of Athena, made of gold and ivory. Carvings all around the building showed scenes from the Panathenaean procession.
Titan one of a family of giants who ruled the earth until overthrown by the Greek gods of Olympus
oracle priest or priestess or other creature through whom a god is believed to speak; also the location (such as a shrine) where such words are spoken
patron special guardian, protector, or supporter...