Wrote in September 22nd, 2016

Quote from Galyshenka's postThe many faces of ATHENA

The goddess Pallas Athena was born by Zeus himself. Zeus the Thunderer knew that his wife, the goddess of reason, Metis, would have two children: a daughter Athena and a son of extraordinary intelligence and strength.
Moira, the goddess of fate, revealed to Zeus the secret that the son of the goddess Metis would overthrow him from the throne and take away his power over the world. The great Zeus was frightened. To avoid the terrible fate that the Moiraes promised him, he, having put the goddess Metis to sleep with gentle speeches, swallowed her before her daughter, the goddess Athena, was born.
After a while Zeus felt a terrible headache. Then he summoned his son Hephaestus and ordered him to chop his head in order to get rid of the unbearable pain and noise in his head. Hephaestus swung with an ax, with a powerful blow split the skull of Zeus without damaging it, and a mighty warrior, the goddess Pallas Athena, emerged from the head of the thunderer.

Gustav Klimt, "Pallas Athena", 1898, Vienna

In full armor, in a shiny helmet, with a spear and a shield, she appeared before the astonished eyes of the Olympian gods. She shook her gleaming spear menacingly. Her war cry rolled far across the sky, and the bright Olympus shook to the very foundation. Beautiful, majestic, she stood before the gods. Athena's blue eyes burned with divine wisdom, all of her shone with a wondrous, heavenly, powerful beauty. The gods glorified his beloved daughter, born from the head of his father Zeus, the protector of cities, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, the invincible warrior Athena-Pallas.

The birth of Athena from the head of Zeus. Drawing with black-figure ancient greek vase

Athena (Άθηνά) (Minerva among the Romans) is one of the most revered goddesses in Greece. In strength and wisdom, she is equal to Zeus. She is honored after Zeus and her place is the closest to Zeus.
She is called "gray-haired and fair-haired", descriptions emphasize her large eyes, Homer has the epithet "glavkopis" (owl-eyed) ..
Unlike other female deities, she uses masculine attributes - she is dressed in armor, holds a spear in her hands; she is accompanied by sacred animals:

Helmet (usually Corinthian - with a high crest)

Virgil mentions how the Cyclops in the Vulcan forge polished the armor and aegis of Pallas, on them the scales of snakes and the head of the serpentine Gorgon Medusa

- appears accompanied by the winged goddess Nika

The attributes of an owl and a snake (also a symbol of wisdom), in the temple of A. in Athens, according to Herodotus, lived a huge snake - the guardian of the acropolis, dedicated to the goddess.

There is abundant information about the cosmic features of the image of Athena. Her birth is accompanied by a golden rain, she keeps the lightning of Zeus

Pallas Athena. Preparatory cardboard by I. Vedder for mosaic at the Library of Congress, Washington, 1896

Athena. The statue. Hermitage Museum. Hall of Athens.

Statue of Athena Justinian

Athena Algardi, it was found in 1627 in fragments at the Campus Martius, restored by Alessandro Algardi.
Palazzo Altemps, Rome, Italy.

The dispute between Athena and Poseidon for power over Attica. Italian cameo, XIII century

The scene of the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for power over Attica was depicted on the pediment of the Parthenon temple in Athens by the famous Greek sculptor Phidias (5th century BC); in a badly damaged form, the pediment has survived to our time.

Myron (copy). Athena and Marsyas. The original statue was made in the 5th century. BC NS. The goddess was depicted dropping a flute, and Marsyas - finding
Athena is credited with inventing the flute and learning to play Apollo on it.

Battle of Athens with the giant Alcyoneus. Pergamon altar
Athena directs her power to fight titans and giants. Together with Hercules, Athena kills one of the giants, on the other she pushes the island of Sicily, on the third she rips off her skin and covers her body with it during the battle.

Clay figurine of Athena 7th century BC NS.

"Athena Varvakion" (copy of the famous "Athena Parthenos")

Statue of Athena (type "Pallas Giustiniani") in the Pushkin Museum

"Battle of Athens with Enceladus". Fragment of painting of a red-figured kilik. 6 c. BC BC, Louvre

"Pallas and the Centaur" painting by Sandro Botticelli, 1482, Uffizi

In Homeric Three was a statue of Athena that allegedly fell from the sky, the so-called palladium

I. G. Trautmann. "Fire of Troy"

Athenian Parthenon

Athenian Parthenon reconstruction 3D

Descriptions of the Parthenon have always abounded only in superlatives. This Athenian temple, with its 2500-year history dedicated to the patroness of the city - the goddess Athena Parthenos, is rightfully considered one of the greatest examples of ancient architecture, a masterpiece of world art and plastic. It was built in the middle of the 5th century BC. NS.

A huge statue of Athena Promachos ("vanguard") with a spear shining in the sun adorned the Acropolis in Athens, where the Erechtheion and Parthenon temples were dedicated to the goddess.

The tragedy of Aeschylus "Eumenides" is also a monument to the glorification of the wise ruler of the Athenian state, the founder of the Areopagus.

Athens enjoyed a special patronage bearing her name. The Athenians believed that they owed their wealth to Athena.

There is a legend saying that the cult of Athena in her city was strengthened by the son of the Earth, Erechtheus. The goddess of wisdom Athena raised him in her sacred grove, and when the boy grew up, she rewarded him with royal power.

Jacob Jordaens. Kekrop's daughters find the baby Erichtonius
Athena was identified with the daughters of Kekrop - Pandrosa ("all-moist") and Aglavra ("light-airy"), or Agravla ("field-furrowed")

The image of an owl, an attribute of Athena, was minted on Athenian silver coins, and everyone who accepted an "owl" in exchange for goods seemed to be giving honor to Athena herself.

Silver Athenian tetradrachm depicting an owl, the symbol of the goddess Athena. 5 or 4 c. BC

"Athena". Relief image on a silver platter, 1st century. n. e., Berlin, State Museums

Not a single more or less important event was complete without the intervention of Athena.
Athena helped Prometheus steal fire from Hephaestus's forge.
One touch of her was enough to make a person beautiful (she raised the Odyssey with a camp, endowed with curly hair, clothed her with strength and attractiveness;). She endowed Penelope with amazing beauty on the eve of the meeting of the spouses

Gustav klimt
Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria, 1890-91

Athena patronized heroes - warriors and artisans - potters, weavers, needlewomen, and she herself was called Ergana ("worker") - her own products are genuine works of art, such as the cloak woven for the hero Jason.

Pallas Athena. 1898, Franz von Stuck.

Agricultural holidays were dedicated to her: procharisteries (in connection with the sprouting of bread), plinteria (the beginning of the harvest), arrephoria (the gift of dew for crops), callinteria (ripening of fruits), skyrophoria (aversion to drought).

If we start with Athens's "official duties", then their list is truly amazing. She patronizes not only wisdom and war. Athena was considered the goddess of a large list of crafts: shipbuilding, weaving, spinning, making horse harness and metal products, pottery and plowing. She patronized the art of medicine and taught him the god of medicine Asclepius. She invented statehood and laws, taught people to cook food in the hearth.

In fact, the description of what Athena gave to people and what she patronized is very similar to the gifts and areas of influence of the supreme deities or demigods - the founders of civilization among many other peoples. Why then is Zeus considered the supreme god?

I must say that in the Greek lands a large number of large and small deities were worshiped and for a very long time none of them was considered the main one over all other gods. The harmonious system, in which each god is assigned his place in the huge Olympic family, was the result of bringing all local beliefs to a certain general form by the priests and thinkers. This happened already at the time of the formation of a clear power hierarchy of society, the strengthening of statehood, and the new system of the hierarchy of the gods responded to new ideas about how any community in the world should be organized in general.

So the gods got their king. They became the god of thunder, lightning and, possibly, just revenge - Zeus. Together with the new role, he probably acquired new functions - exactly those that should have been in the divine reflection of the earthly king and patriarch of the family.

Zeus is considered the father of Athena. According to one version of events, he swallowed the goddess of thought Metis, after which Zeus had a terrible headache. Hephaestus, the blacksmith god, split his head, and from there flew Athena and the goddess of victory Nike. In another version, Metis is absent, and Athena turns out to be the embodied thought of Zeus. Some researchers believe that such a terrifying way of birth speaks of the antiquity of the myth; others consider the version with Metis and the head of Zeus to be an attempt to reconcile and connect the lines of the official supreme god and a much more popular and significant goddess for the common people.

Closer to the original story of birth can be considered, probably, the plot with the giant Pallas. At least the story of the goddess killing her father - a cruel old god trying to rape his daughter, logically parallels the story of Zeus, who rebelled against his father Kronos, who devoured his own children. When people change their ideas about what is good and bad, stories also appear about how new deities kill the old, too wild and ferocious.

By the way, in another story with Pallas, his daughter turns out to be Athena's friend from Nick's games. Perhaps, Nika and Athena were originally sisters and killed their rapist father together. In any case, they are portrayed as inseparable.

Protector of women

Athena's complicated relationship isn't just with Zeus. First, it partially duplicates both his functions and the functions of some other gods, for example, Ares, the god of war, and Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and crafts. Secondly, she constantly competes with Ares and Poseidon, the god of the oceans, and invariably comes out of confrontation with them victorious. But Poseidon is the brother of Zeus, the king of the gods. Athena is shown to be virtually equal to him in strength.

The most famous myth about their confrontation is the dispute over who will become the patron saint of the city of Athens. Usually it is known in this version: the gods decide to see who can give people a more valuable gift. Poseidon sticks a trident into the ground, and a spring springs from the rock. Athena jabs her spear and it turns into an olive tree. Only in the spring - salty sea water instead of fresh. Poseidon's gift is declared useless, and Athena wins. The city is named after her.

There is another version of this myth. When it comes to the turn of the Athenians to vote for the gods, all men choose Poseidon and all women choose Athena. There are one more women than men. The goddess wins. In a rage, Poseidon arranges a flood that nearly swept the city off the face of the earth. As punishment, the Athenians are forever deprived of the right to vote, citizenship and the right to transmit their name (like a patronymic) to children.

This myth shows, first of all, how popular Athena was among women. And not without reason. She patronized not only weaving and spinning. She was asked to help her get pregnant or save her from rape (who else?). For the latter, for example, the Trojan princess Cassandra prayed to Athena. Athena could not help her, but took revenge by depriving the rapist of her mind. Athena herself in myths cleverly avoids rape. Father Zeus gives her as a wife to Hephaestus in payment for weapons for the gods. Hephaestus tries to take Athena by force, but she fights back and runs away.

Goddess of beauty and fertility

Another feature of Athens that is often overlooked is beauty and power over beauty. She participates in stories that challenge her beauty. For example, during the famous trial of Paris, she competes on a par with the main female goddess Hero and the goddess of beauty and love Aphrodite (by the way, the wife of Hephaestus). During the celebrations, they chose to portray Athena as a tall and at the same time very beautiful hetera. Athena herself also gives beauty and youth to Odysseus and Penelope when Odysseus returns home. She patronizes them as a couple in love. So the researchers have every reason to believe that the image of Aphrodite could separate from the image of Athena. Hence the “common” husband.

Is the image of the goddess of love and war at the same time surprising? No. He's not even unique. Combines these qualities, for example, the ancient Akkadian goddess Ishtar. Only, unlike Ishtar, the goddess of war Athena and her favorites Odysseus and Achilles avoid war in every possible way. Odysseus finds a way to prevent a war over the wedding of Elena the Beautiful, for example. True, in the war because of her next marriage, he still has to participate.

We can judge the antiquity of Athena as a deity by the fact that it has animal attributes: it is associated with owls and snakes. She has "owl eyes" (that is, sparkling), she is portrayed with an owl. She conceives a serpent son from Hephaestus (although she bears the conceived Gaia), on her shield is the head of a Gorgon with serpent hair, Virgil describes her armor as covered with snake scales.

Snakes are a very archaic symbol of both fertility and connection with the afterlife. In addition, the goddesses with snakes or serpentine attributes in the mainstream of psychoanalysts are interpreted as female matriarchs who have tamed or appropriated an aggressive masculine principle. In Crete, the island where Athena was especially revered, many very ancient statues of a female deity with snakes in their hands are found. Perhaps the Cretan serpent goddess is related to Owl-Eye! It is significant that women in Crete led an active social life.

And maybe the Athenians once too. And the myth of the dispute between Athena and Poseidon was needed to assert for granted the removal of their civil rights from the inhabitants of Athens. In any case, one day the Greek gods lost to Christianity, and the temples of Athena, including the famous Parthenon, were destroyed by people and time.

The goddess Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ) occupied a special place in Greek mythology; she was ranked among the 12 main Olympic gods.

The Greeks respected and loved the goddess, believed that Athena was always with them, wanting to help. Athena was the goddess of wisdom, strategy, war, knowledge, was the patroness of Athens, art, culture, philosophical thought and martial arts.

Birth of Athena

The appearance of Athena happened in an unusual way. The first wife of Zeus was Mitis (Μήτιδα), who was wiser than gods and people. After she became pregnant, Moira, the goddess of fate, predicted to her that Metis would give birth first to a daughter, and then to a son, who would overthrow Zeus from the throne. To avoid this, Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife. Then he summoned Hephaestus and ordered him to chop his head off. He fulfilled his will and hit the skull with an ax. From there jumped out the beautiful Athena, in full uniform and with sparkling weapons.

Athena became Zeus's favorite child. She fought alongside him in the fight against the giants, and after he drove away the giant Enceladus, Athena chased him in her chariot, who threw a stone with her killed the giant and became the island of Sicily.
The cult of Athena began in the time of Cecropus (Κέκροπα) in ancient Athens and from there spread throughout Greece. Endless celebrations and holidays in all cities were dedicated to the goddess Athena, but the brightest were in Athens. Pericles dedicated the entire Citadel to Athena.

The goddess Athena had many names, the ancient Greeks at various times added divine and sacred names to their beloved Goddess:

Pallas (Παλλάδα) was given to Athena at birth, when she was born from the head of Zeus with a new sparkling spear. According to another version, Athena killed the giant Pallant (Πάλλαντα).
Promachos (Πρόμαχος) warrior, refers to the fighting nature of the goddess and her status as brave in battle, her "strategic" plans are to support her heroes.
The Virgin (Παρθένα) is untouched, Athena was a virgin, the Parthenon Temple on the Acropolis is dedicated to Athena the Virgin.
Blue-eyed (Γλαυκώπις) light-eyed. The sacred bird of the goddess Athena, the owl (γλαυξ), comes from the same root, possibly due to its large and light eyes.

Athena and the owl

Since ancient times, the owl has been identical to wisdom. The ancient Greeks considered her a symbol of the goddess Athena.

The owl flies, does not walk, does not crawl. The gods of Olympus also flew, they took the form of birds when they appeared among people. Owls are special birds, predators, they see very well at night. The owl has a large round head, a round face like a disc, large eyes that provide stereoscopic vision. This ruthless predator captures prey with sharp claws and kills in motion, striking in the head with a hard and strong beak.

Such features of an owl seemed cult to the ancient Greeks.
The owl has the ability to see the “distant sides of things”, where others are unable to see because of the darkness, thus it symbolizes “wisdom”. Maybe for this reason, the owl became the companion of the wisest Greek goddess, Athena.

The goddess of wisdom and knowledge, invincible warrior, defender of cities and patroness of sciences, Athena Pallas enjoyed well-deserved respect among the ancient Greeks. She was the beloved daughter of Zeus, and it is in her honor that the modern one is named. Pallas Athena helped the heroes of Greece with wise advice and did not leave in moments of danger. The ancient Greek goddess taught the girls of Greece weaving, spinning and cooking. It is believed that it was Pallas Athena who invented the flute and established the Areopagus (supreme court).

Pallas Athena's appearance:

Majestic posture, large gray (and according to some sources, blue) eyes, light brown hair - her whole appearance suggests that there is a goddess in front of you. Pallas Athena, as a rule, was portrayed in armor and with a spear in hand.

Symbols and Attributes:

Pallas Athena is surrounded by masculine attributes. On the head is a helmet with a high crest. A shield (aegis) must be present - it is decorated with the head of Medusa the Gorgon. The ancient Greek goddess of wisdom Athena Pallas is accompanied by an owl and a snake - symbols of wisdom. It is noted that the goddess of victory Nika was her constant companion. The sacred olive tree can also be called the symbol of Pallas.

Pallas Athena is surrounded by male attributes: a helmet with a high crest on his head, in his hands a shield decorated with the head of Medusa the Gorgon

Strengths of Pallas Athena:

Although Athena was one of the most "sane" goddesses of the ancient Greek Pantheon, nevertheless, she was characterized by a certain favoritism. This, in particular, is hinted at in the myths of Odysseus and Perseus.

Parents:

Pallas Athena was born in an unusual and spectacular way. Once it was predicted to Zeus that his wife - the goddess Metis - would give birth to a son who would be smarter and stronger than his father and would overthrow him. But first a daughter was to be born. Zeus, not wanting to be overthrown, swallowed the pregnant Metis. Soon he felt a severe headache and ordered Hephaestus to chop his head with an ax. Athena was born from the head of Zeus. The goddess was already fully armed at birth.

The goddess was born from the head of Zeus and was already fully armed at birth

There are other, less common versions of who were the parents of the ancient Greek goddess Pallas Athena. According to some myths, her mother was a nymph of the Triton River, and her father was the god of the seas, Poseidon.

Place of Birth:

It is impossible to say unequivocally where exactly the goddess Pallas Athena was born: different myths point to different places. So, she could be born near Lake Tritonis or the river Triton, in Crete, in the west of Thessaly, in Arcadia, or even in the town of Alalcomenes in Boeotia. The most widespread version is that Crete is the birthplace of Athens.

Personal life of Pallas Athena:

The goddess Athena Pallas was a virgin and was proud of it. However, she raised an adopted son. This is what the myths tell. Once the god of fire Hephaestus turned to Zeus with a request to give him Athena as his wife. Since Zeus had previously promised Hephaestus to fulfill any of his wishes, he had no choice but to agree. Yes, the Thunderer had to agree to marry his beloved daughter, but he, nevertheless, advised her to defend herself.

Majestic posture, large gray eyes, light brown hair - her whole appearance suggests that in front of you is a goddess

According to one version, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom had to turn to the god of fire for weapons. Hephaestus, not at a loss, tried to take possession of the goddess. However, the virgin Athena was not going to enter into an intimate relationship - neither with Hephaestus, nor with anyone else. Pallas Athena rushed away from the overly excited god, and he chased after her. When Hephaestus caught up with the maiden, she began to defend herself and even wounded him. Hephaestus shed a seed on the ground, and soon the baby Erichthonius was born. He was born by Gaia - the earth from Hephaestus.

Pallas Athena took Erichthonius under her protection. She fed the baby with her milk and raised him. Erichthonius grew up in her temple and always honored the goddess. It was he who began to hold the Panathenaea - the festivities in honor of Pallas Athena.

Temple of the goddess

The main sanctuary of ancient Athens and the most beautiful work of ancient art - the temple of the goddess Athena (Parthenon) is still one of the main visiting cards of Greece. This light, as if pierced through by the rays of the sun, the building rises in the very heart of the ancient city.

The temple of the goddess (Parthenon) is decorated with cutters depicting scenes from her life - one of the main visiting cards of Greece

There - in the Parthenon - was the most famous statue of Pallas Athena by Phidias. About 11 meters high, the sculpture was made of gold and ivory on a wooden base. The original of the statue has not survived to this day, but it is known from surviving copies and images on coins.

The main myths about Pallas Athena:

The goddess Athena Pallas is the heroine of many mythological plots.

Among the most famous is the myth of how she gained dominion over Attica, winning the rivalry for the area of ​​Poseidon. Each of the gods made a gift to the city: Poseidon - a water source, Athena - an olive tree. The judges decided that the goddess's gift was more useful, and gave preference to her. So Pallas Athena won the dispute and became the mistress of Attica, and the city where all this happened was named in her honor.

Another myth tells how Pallas Athena participated in a gigantomachy (battle with giants). On one of the giants, the formidable warrior brought down the island of Sicily, from the other she tore off her skin and covered her own body with it. The details of this battle were depicted on the shield of the statue of Athena.

Frequent companions of the goddess - an owl and a snake - symbols of wisdom, and also Nika - the goddess of victory

Pallas Athena also took part in the Trojan War. She helped the Greeks in every possible way in the capture of Troy, and it is she who is credited with the emergence of the idea that put an end to the many years of siege - about deceiving the Trojans with the help of the Wooden Horse. She prompted Odysseus to place a detachment of Greek soldiers in a huge statue of a wooden horse and leave it at the gates of Troy, while the main forces of the Greeks withdrew from Troy, allegedly lifting the siege. After some hesitation, the Trojans dragged this wooden structure into the city. At night, the soldiers hiding inside the horse went out, opened the city gates and let their comrades in.

One of the central places in ancient Greek mythology is assigned to Pallas Athena. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, the goddess of just war and victory, one of the most revered goddesses in Greece. Athena is the daughter of Zeus, the most powerful god on all Olympus, the god of the sky, thunder and lightning. Zeus obey the rest of the Greek gods, he has power over people, establishes public order, distributes good and evil on earth. But it will be fair to say that the beloved daughter is not inferior to him not in strength, not in wisdom. In many legends, it is described that Athena sits on the throne next to Zeus. Athena's mother is the wise oceanis Metis, the first wife of Zeus.
Athena is credited with the invention of the flute, chariot, ship. Among her merits is the development of laws and the establishment of the High Court in Athens. She is the personification of literacy and fairness. Athena gives wisdom and knowledge, teaches people arts and crafts, helps needlewomen, weavers, potters. With the growth of Greek culture, the wise warrior also became the patroness of science.
The daughter of Zeus, the goddess of wisdom, was an object of worship throughout Ancient Greece, she was sung by poets, she was admired by sculptors and artists. In numerous works of sculptors, artists and poets, the daughter of Zeus appears before us in full combat armor: she is wearing sparkling military armor, a shiny helmet, in her hands the goddess holds a spear and a shield. But with all its combat appearance, it is distinguished by its extraordinary beauty. She has gray-blue eyes, light brown hair, a divine figure and a stately posture.
Athena patronizes the heroes of Greece, gives them wise advice and helps them out in times of danger. So, the goddess of wisdom helps Perseus in the massacre of Medusa-Gorgon, who, with one glance, turned all living things into stone. Athena provided Perseus with a copper shield, shining like a mirror, into which he looked so as not to meet the eyes of Medusa the Gorgon. And thanks to this he was able to chop off her head. One of the favorites of Athena is Odysseus. His goddess accompanies him throughout his many years of wandering, and eventually facilitates his return to his native island of Ithaca. Upon returning to his homeland, the goddess turns Odysseus into a beggar old man, and thus saves him once again, giving him the opportunity to take revenge on his offenders.
Athena acts as an assistant to Hercules in the fight against the titans, with her help he brings the dog of the god Hades Kerberus out of Erebus. The daughter of Zeus supports Diomedes in military exploits. Helps Prometheus to take out the fire from the forge of Hephaestus, and Jason - to return the golden fleece.
Athena is the keeper of cities, their walls and fortresses. She is the protector of cities such as Troy, Athens, Sparta, Argos. The city - the capital of Greece - Athens is named in her honor. Every year in the city of Athens, panathenaeas were held - a celebration in honor of the goddess of wisdom, accompanied by musical and sports competitions, a festive procession with torches, offering of gifts and sacrifices. The following agricultural holidays were dedicated to Athena:
- holidays associated with the sprouting of bread - pro-charisma;
- holidays of fruit ripening - callinteria;
- drought prevention holidays - skiroforia;
- holidays of the beginning of the harvest - plinteria and others.
The sacred tree of the daughter of Zeus is the olive (olive), which the Greek people call "the tree of fate." Everywhere the satellites of Athena are the owl and the snake - symbols of wisdom.
There are many legends and myths about the goddess Athena. One of the most widespread in modern literature is the myth of Athena and Arachne. Arachne is a skilled embroiderer and weaver. Overly proud of her talent, she challenged Athena to a weaving competition and lost in disgrace. Unable to withstand this, Arachne tried to commit suicide, but Athena prevented this. As a punishment for her pride and contempt for the gods, the goddess turned her into a spider so that she would hang and weave forever. Translated from Greek, the word "arachne" is translated as "spider".
Repeatedly in Greek mythology, there is a description of the enmity between Athena and Ares - the god of cruel, bloody war. But, with Athena next to the goddess of victory, Nike, and in the end, Athena always turns out to be the winner.
Many temples and sanctuaries have been built in honor of the goddess of wisdom. These are temples in the city of Athens - the Erechtheion, the Parthenon, Hecatompendon, the temple of Zeus and Athena. There were sanctuaries of Athena in other places - in the cities of Argos and Delphi, on the islands of Delos and Rhodes, in Sparta. Phidias, the greatest ancient Greek sculptor and architect, erected the statues "Athena Parthenos", "Athena Lemnia", "Athena Promachos", "Athena Areas". Unfortunately, none of these works have survived to this day. Among the paintings of antique painting dedicated to Athena - paintings by Cleanthes "The Birth of Athena", Antiphilus "Alexander and Philip with Athena" and Famula "Athena".
Athena is the embodiment of wisdom and beauty - and today remains an object of admiration and muse for many sculptors, artists and poets.