...2014 Athena was the goddess of wisdom, war, and craft. She was also the most courageous, and wisest of all the olympian gods and goddess. Athena is suppose to be zeus' offspring. Zeus swallowed Oceanid and her unborn child. Zeus was later then pregnant with Athena. Since he wasn't able to deliver a baby, the baby apparently was in his head. The goddess had to be born and kept applying pressuring in his head trying to get out. His step son Hepaetus opened his head with an axe releasing the goddess. Later on Athena had a son, but was a virgin. Hepaetus attempted to rape Athena and his seed spilled on her; she wiped it off and it fell to earth. Gaia then became part mother. Athena, Gaia, and Hapaetus were all parents of Erichthonius....
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...Athena, the goddess of wisdom, law and justice, strength, and also known as goddess of war. Athena was one of the three Goddesses who remained a virgin goddess, Athena never marry to anyone, and romance is never mention in Athena’s mythology. The story of how she was born was actually amazing. At the time Zeus, the chief of gods was having affair with a woman Metis. However there was a prophecy that Zeus and Metis’s first child will be a girl and the second child will be a boy and the boy will surpass Zeus and overthrow him. Zeus take the warning seriously so when he saw Metis, he immediately swallowed her and her unborn child in order to prevent the birth of a child. However, Metis was already pregnant before Zeus swallowed her, and while...
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...Ἀθηνᾶ Goddess magazine presents an exclusive interview with the ever-elusive Athena, goddess of wisdom, war and invention. She has been revered and worshipped for over three thousand years, is the daughter of the mightiest god, Zeus, and is the patron deity of Athens. She has counselled warriors and heroes as well as punished many mortals. Her power and beauty was renowned as was her purity and wisdom. She speaks today about her fantastical birth, her decision to remain chaste and her semi-feud with Aphrodite. T he first thing I noticed about the infamous goddess of wisdom was her undeniable beauty. Her very essence had fascinated me for years. The fact that she remained faithful to herself and her beliefs as well as the fact that she wielded her power with such grace and elegance made her my favourite deity by far. Goddess: Let’s start out first with your incredible birth. Unlike any other mortal or immortal, you were born from your father’s head. Do you think that gave you a closer relationship with him? Athena: [Nods] Certainly. I never knew my mother. He was everything to me. I believe the fact that I was born from his head allowed my father to feel a closer connection to me than any of my many other siblings. That being said, my father did initially swallow my mother, Metis, to prevent my birth. [Laughs] “I never knew my mother. He was everything to me. I believe the fact that I was born from his head allowed my father to feel a closer connection to me than any...
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...Circe is the goddess of magic and the most similar female to her encountered by Odysseus is Calypso, a nymph. These two goddesses have both had affairs with Odysseus and are similar in that Circe is a beautiful goddess/witch and Calypso is a beautiful goddess/nymph but they contrast in their motives toward and treatment of Odysseus. After Odysseus (following Hermes' advice) initially conquers Circe, she does everything she can to help him. In addition to releasing the spell that turned his men into swine, she shows excellent xenia to Odysseus that his men must talk him into going on with the journey a full year later. Even then, Circe helps the Odysseus and his men with supplies and advice. Calypso holds Odysseus captive for seven years in hopes of marrying him. When he resists and is saved by Hermes under orders from Zeus, Calypso offers him immortality if he will stay. When he declines her offer, Calypso leads Odysseus to believe that letting him go is her idea, "I am all compassion," she says. Athena is a powerful goddess and is often appears in disguise and her intervention is essential to help Odysseus with his journey home. She is similar to Circe as they are both powerful independent goddesses and both help Odysseus get home. Athena intervenes just enough to encourage Odysseus but then she recedes into the background and allows him to make his own way. However, Athena lives on Mount Olympus as she is an important goddess and cannot be overpowered whereas Circe lives...
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.... Comparing Gods and Goddesses HUM/105 June 15, 2011 Comparing Gods and Goddesses Myths are narrative stories that describe the creation of the world and how the first humans came into existence. According to Leonard and McClure (2004), human societies began as goddess-oriented and matrifocal (women-centered). Human societies evolved from primitive beginnings to a superior culture system of patriarchy (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 104). Although myths may differ from culture to culture, common elements and roles exist in each myth. In today’s society, myths and legends are fantasy-filled tales from ancient societies long gone. Therefore, Team A will describe the elements and functions of goddess myths, and compare two myths of the female divine from different cultures. Second, the team will describe the elements and functions of god myths, and compare two myths of the male divine from different cultures. Last, the team will summarize the elements and functions shared by both divines. According to the euhemerist Gimbutus, goddesses have three basic roles life, death, and regeneration (Leonard & McClure, 2004, p. 114). The goddesses of life are Mother Earth, nature, sea, and universe. These goddesses are nurturers and overseers of security and contentment, prosperity and growth, and creativity and artistry. The mother earth goddesses are creators of earth and universe, such as Gaia of the ancient Greeks, and Tellus of the Romans. These two Earth goddesses gave...
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...Daughter of Zeus, Athena was born fully grown from her father's forehead. This Greek goddess has no mother, but there are tales that say Zeus may have been with Metis around the time Athena arrived. Athena is the goddess of wisdom and warfare. She is known for her strategic skill in warfare and is known as “companion of heroes” and is the patron goddess of heroic strive (“Athena”). The Athenians considered her their “protector” and in honor of this, they named their city after her; Athens (“Myths”). She is commonly symbolized with an olive tree. Her sacred animals are the snake and owl. Athena is usually described as a rosy cheeked girl with a muscular body (“Athena”). She was one of the three Greek goddesses that remained a virgin (Littleton 171). Athena is one of the only goddesses that shows heroic skill and wisdom and she is one of the most important Greek and Roman goddesses known during this ancient time period....
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...The Olympians are major deities of the Greek pantheon; however, the deities: Poseidon, Hestia, Athena and Hephaestus appear to be salient towards humanity. All of these gods play a large role in shaping the lives of men as what they govern directly affects humanity. Poseidon for his control over the sea/floods/droughts, Hestia for hearth and home, Athena for wisdom, courage, peace and battle strategy, and lastly Hephaestus for inventions and craft. Poseidon, Shaker of the Earth and God of the Sea. For without him there would be drought. Men rely on Poseidon to aid the sailors as they set sail across the endless seas (H.22, 7). It is said that when Poseidon is in a good mood, he would create new lands in the water and calm the sea of any obstacles. However, if he is displeased or offended, then he would cause earthquakes and shipwrecks, thus giving him the name, Shaker of the Earth. Hestia’s importance stems from her role as the goddess of the hearth and home, for without Hestia there is no sense of banquet (H.29, 5). As the goddess of the hearth, she is commonly worshipped anywhere and by everyone, regardless of the temple’s dedication to any deities. She is personified by a fire burning in the hearth of all households and towns and is not to be put out. This is meant to bring the together the families or the community if put into a town setting. Although Athena is the goddess of warfare, she is foreseen as a defender of cities and savior of men. Athen...
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...Metis the Goddess of Prudence which also one out of seven Zeus’s wives. Athena's birth "is a desperate theological expedient to rid her of matriarchal conditions" says J. E. Harrison. However, no matter what the legend is, she never has a ‘real’ mother as Metis, her mom, was cursed by her dad Zeus and turned Metis onto a fly and swallowed her when she was pregnant. Although Athena’s nascency sound unreal for todays society, the legend stated that after Zeus swallowed his own wife, he was extremely plagued by a painful headache and run to Hephaestus (Smith God) and begged him to open his head. Hephaestus did as he was told and out popped Athena, full grown, ready for battle. Athena’s extravagant ability in battling was presumed came from her parent’s myth that ‘if Zeus had a son by Metis this child would be mightier than him’....
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...In the case of the man called Tiresias, Tiresias accidentally fell upon a lake where he saw a woman bathing. In most cases he would’ve been thanking the gods and goddesses for his bountiful luck, however in this case he found extremely bad luck, because the woman he found bathing was the Goddess Athena! Most goddesses would have instinctively cast death upon the individual, for such an offense the punishment was death. However Athena was compassionate and spared him from death. Rather she blinded him and simultaneously gave him the power of prophecy. Tiresias, because of Athena’s help, became one of the most renowned prophets in all of Greece. Being as she was calm cool and collected Athena almost never got furious, and was renowned for her...
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...John Hennes History 311 March 19, 2014 Oppression or Economic/Demographic Necessity? Ancient Greco-Roman societies are discussed to this day for their amazing accomplishments in the areas of philosophy, architecture and politics. Their imprint on history is something that will likely never be reproduced. Both of these societies are recognized as patriarchal in nature, which means that there were limited opportunities for women in comparison to the western societies of today which will be discussed in Return of the Patriarchy by Phillip Longman. The best way to determine the reasons for the limitations placed on Greek and Roman women is to refer to ancient writings which capture the realities of their lives and times. It can be surmised from these writings that the limitations placed on women was not the result of lack of respect or capability but driven by necessity. The necessity of a patriarchal society in Greece and Rome was the primary factor in the limitations set on women. Phillip Longman talks about patriarchy in his article Return of Patriarchy describing it as, “a value system that not only requires men to marry but to marry women of proper station…a cultural regime that serves to keep birthrates high among the affluent, while also maximizing parents’ investment in their children…no advanced civilization has yet learned how to endure without it” meaning that the only way that Greece and Rome could have existed for as long as it did was with this system of patriarchy...
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...solved. However, Zeus never knew that Metis was pregnant with Athena. She birthed Athena inside of Zeus and made her a helmet, shield, and spear. Soon, Zeus was afflicted with deadly headaches and he ran to Hephaestus, the Greek god of blacksmiths, sculptors, metallurgy, fire, and volcanoes, and begged him to open his head. Hephaestus did as he was told, and out came Athena, dressed in her armor and prepared to fight a battle. Like all the Olympians, Athena was an immortal goddess and could not die. She was the most intelligent, resourceful, and wise of all the Greek gods. She was also...
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...monsters were referred to as Gorgon. She was at time referred to as the “Serpent Goddess” (Martha Leonard, 2008). Another of the stories refer Medusa to have been born to humans Phorcys and Ceto. But all the stories agree to a fact that Medusa was a gorgon-a female monster. Medusa was not always ugly she was so once so beautiful that even gods got attracted towards her. The stories reveal that Medusa was one of the prettiest girl and was later made ugly and her hairs were turned into snakes. There are different stories depicting how she was made and her hairs turning into serpents. One of the stories goes like this, Medusa was considered the most beautiful girl in the whole of Athens and this fact made Medusa proud. She became proud of her beauty and spoke less just because of her pride and arrogance. Whenever she used to talk to someone it was just about her beauty. She talked about her beauty compared to the natural beauties around the earth and considered them even superior to these natural beauties. Another habit she acquired because of her pride in her sheer beauty was of seeing and admiring her own beauty in the walls, darkened window and in the mirror. Her praises of her own beauty went on and on. One day she the largest to the Goddess Athena there, everyone visiting the temple praised Goddess Athena for inspiring them but Medusa was in some else world. When she saw the sculptures of Goddess Athena she commented that the sculptures would have been much better if they were hers...
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...Athena was the virgin daughter of the great God Zeus, and she was also one of the great Olympian Idols. She was not only known only as the Goddess of wisdom, but she was also called the Goddess of war, and the personal guardian and protector of arts and crafts. This guided her and help her to become an intense and compassionate leader. Athena was born beside the river Triton where she was nurtured by three fairs. When she was a little girl one of the fairs loved and cared for her so much that the fairy was known as Pallas who became Athena playmate. As a brave and playful child Athena accidentally killed Pallas, as a symbol of Athena’s sadness she place the name of the fairy Palls before her own name. This causes others to know her as Pallas Athena which is not her name given at birth. She was a very gifted child from birth, her mother was Metis which means which means crafty of could be called evil, so of which Athena inherited. Athena enjoy having the power of her father and the craftiness and aggressiveness from her mother, she uses these tools as great weapon to help deliver her people. Athena was considered a real hero because she represented the true qualities of loyal a woman who had no fear of what her obstacle was. Her main concern was to take care of her people, and her country. She made up in her mind that no matter what the situation, she will find a way to delivery country and not bring them to shame, or defeat. During the Trojan War Athena inspired Odysseus...
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...built in stages because funding was limited due to war. The temple was dedicated to Athena, the bringer of victory. It is also related to the goddess of victory, Nike. There is a statue of Nike in the temple as well. The Athenians might have hoped that their show of dedication to their goddess would coax her to help them defeat the Spartans. 2. What materials were used to build it? The Temple of Nike is not intact. It was torn down and recycled by the Turkish government in 1687, but then was rebuilt in 1835.The temple of Nike was constructed from white pentelic marble. Today, the main structure, stylobate and columns are mostly intact, but the temple is missing its roof. It is currently undergoing a major restoration project, which includes a lot of dismantling and reassembly of the building materials for cleaning. There is a statue inside the temple of the goddess of victory, Nike. This statue is made out of wood and was made without wings. They did this so it could never leave the city. 3. Describe the layout/design of the building. 3. The temple is the earliest fully ionic temple on the Acropolis. The Temple of Athena Nike was built between 427 and 424 BC. It is a tetra style Ionic structure, which means there are 4 columns, with a colonnaded portico at both front and rear facades (amphiprostyle). This building was built on top of the remains of an earlier 6th century BC temple to Athena, demolished by the Persians in 480 BC. It lies at the top of the hill which makes it...
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...Abstract This paper will be using sculptural and ceramic illustrations provided by Soltes, explain the evolution from Geometric Greek art into Classical Greek art, culminating with the construction and decoration of the Parthenon (The Temple of Athena). It will discuss what social, cultural/historic events accompanied and promoted this evolution. Greek art and sculpture has had a profound effect throughout the ages. Many of the styles have been reproduced and copied by some of what the modern day audiences would class as some of the finest artists to have ever lived. The Greeks used many different types of materials in their sculptures including stone, marble and limestone as these were abundant in Greece. Other materials such as clay were also used but due to their brittle nature very few have survived. Greek sculptures are very important as the vast majority of them tell us a story about Gods, Heroes, Events, Mythical Creatures and Greek culture in general. Many of the statues that have survived are actually of Roman origin. Like many people today the Romans had a deep respect for Greek sculptures and many were copied. If the Romans had not made these copies, many of the Greek Legends and stories that we know today would have been lost to antiquity. Geometric Art was a dramatic transformation that led to the establishment of primary Greek institutions such as the Greek city and the Greek alphabet. Although primarily visual, transformation is a concept...
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