Athena: Goddess of Wisdom

On the topic of inventions, it would make sense to talk about her many inventions. To list all of her inventions would be a long, troublesome event, as she invented numerous things. However, to list a few she invented the flute, the trumpet, the earth ware pot, the plough, the rake, the ox-yoke, the horse bridle, the chariot, and finally the ship (Graves, Myths 96). Along with her many innovations, she also served as a very influential guide in many myths. The most important of her many myths was the contest of Athens. The city of Athens, which was in the beginning owned by Poseidon, was later taken by Athena in a contest between the two. The both created a wonder that would assist the city. While Poseidon created a wondrous spring, it sadly was salt water and of no use to the people. Athena made the Olive tree, which provided food, oil, and a burnable resource. This useful creation proved to gain her the city, which she renamed Athens (“Athena”).

The next three myths she served in were closely related. The first of the three is the Trojan War, where she aided the heroes of Greece to win over the Trojan people and their city of Troy. The next myth she had a part in was the Odyssey, in which she aided Telamachus in his search for Odysseus, along with helping Odysseus himself to return to Ithaca. The final of the trilogy is the arguments of Agamemnon’s family. She helps to get Orestes a fair trial after slaying his step-father, Aegisthus, who had slain Agamemnon in the beginning to take his throne. Another one of her key myths is that of Arachne.

A young village girl who was unwise enough to challenge the goddess by having people state that she surpassed the skill of the weaving goddess. After they held a competition, they both had extraordinary weavings. However, Arachne’s weaving was disrespectful to the gods. Ultimately the girl was turned into a spider and her weaving shredded by the goddess. This is where the word arachnid purposively came from. Along with these many myths she aided such heroes as Ajax, Diomedes, Heracles, Bellerophon, Jason, Perseus, and many others (Nardo 79).

Finally we reach a conclusion to this explanation of the Greek goddess Athena, or Minerva to the Romans. Though we no longer have reason to believe in many of the gods, it is interested to look at the style of Athena. Unlike the many gods who did things that could be understood through scientific means now, she performed many things that were reasonably human like in quality. It is not hard to see why she was most honored, outside of Zeus, due to her innovations.