#athena goddess

[0wl3tt3]

Khaire Lady Athena, Wises of all, master of many Grant me, Great owl eyed Goddess, to be accepted to my college

[ditoob]

“Showing Athena around the Greek Camp”

Recorded by Odysseus Laertides (1700 b.C.)

[sarafangirlart]

It’s odd how Athena is Zeus’s favorite but she doesn’t seem to like him back, not only did she participate in Hera’s coup against him but even in the Iliad she was upset with him.

[sarnai4]

Post "My Goodbye"

(Athena is going through her 12th box of tissues. Ares is patting her back.)

Ares: Got you some more books.

Athena (sadly looks at them): I used to read those with Odysseus.

Ares (slides them away): How about sparring? That always makes you feel better.

Athena (sinks into pillow): Odysseus was good at sparring.

Ares (to himself): So help me, Odysseus, if my uncle doesn't kill you, I will.

Athena: Ares?

Ares: Yeah?

Athena: There IS something that might make me feel better.

Ares: What?

Athena (meekly): Well, I read that petting puppies can help.

Ares:...

Athena: It can lower stress and elevate mood.

Ares:...

Athena (baby owl eyes)

Ares (sighing): (turns into a puppy)

Athena (smiling as she gets to pet the pup)

Ares: If you tell anyone about this, I will test your immortality.

[chicken-blitz13]

Shout out to Athena

[just-helpol-things]

Little thing I made for Lady Athena 🩶

[greeknerdsstuff]

Odysseus to Athena

[bambiilooza]

Hi Bambii!!!

Can you draw Athena holding an owl like this i would find that rather amusing/nf ofc :3

But like instead of a barn owl it’s a Little Owl since that’s the owl that represents her i think idk i might be wrong

OMG YES!!

love that little owl i drew

[hunterofartemis7]

AU where Athena adopts both Odysseus and Diomedes.

Athena: *flies back to Olympus after snatching up Diomedes after his father died (or whatever happened to him. Something with cannibalism)*

Diomedes: *6 years old clinging to Athena for dear life*

Athena; *lands in her room* Odysseus! I’m back!

Odysseus: *6-7 years old popping out from under the bed* mama! *runs over and hugs her leg*

Athena: *sets Diomedes and ruffles Odys hair* Odysseus this is Diomedes, he’s going to be your new brother

Diomedes: *hiding behind Athena, small wave*

Odysseus: hi! Wanna see where my uncle hides all the good snacks?

Diomedes:….*nods*

Odysseus: *grabs his hand and drags him to Hermes place*

Athena:….well that went better than expected

[abyss-king444]

One thing I've noticed in researching Athena and her epithets is that so much of it has to do with her eyes.

She has a whole epithet about her eyes. In almost every line of the Odyssey she is mentioned it, her eyes are brought up.

It's Always, Owl-eyed or Bright-eyed or Clear-eyed. One of her defining traits are her eyes.

I bring this up because even as a kid, I was obsessed with eyes. I always drew eyes on my desk or on my school work. I even have an eye as a profile picture on a few social media accounts. To the point where, to this day the only thing I can draw are eyes.

Just something I thought about at 3 am my time.

[bat-tism]

Finished my devotional piece to Athena, and of course, it had to be the most challenging one so far. I had to redo the outline three times, and completely scrap it twice.

[legendaryfugitives]

I’ve been looking for pose ideas for Athena. I took these cute screenshots from one episode of Disney’s Hercules the Animated Series.

[ditoob]

Post-Odyssey selfie

[sarafangirlart]

In art and literature, Pegasus (and by extension Chrysaor) was born from Medusa’s head fully formed, but wouldn’t it be funny if Pegasus and Chrysaor were born as babies so Perseus and Athena had to take some accountability for orphaning their monstrous cousins? Idk I just thought this would be amusing.

Also in my retelling, Perseus sneaks up on Medusa while she’s asleep and her sisters aren’t home, but he slips up and Medusa wakes up and they fought.

[sarnai4]

Telemachus: Mom, can I ask you two questions?

Penelope: Of course, Sweetie.

Telemachus: Great! Okay, the first one is this: what's something that moves around really quietly, can turn its head surprisingly far, is super smart, and slashes mean people with claws?

Penelope: I think that would be an owl.

Telemachus: Ooh, cool. Okay, last question. What's something that gets really excitable, leaves you bones to say it's happy, is pretty fussy, and bites people it doesn't like?

Penelope: That sounds like a puppy.

Telemachus: Fun! Okay, then, Mom, I got followed home by an owl and a puppy today.

Penelope: Aw! Really? Where are they? I want to see too.

Telemachus (turning to the doorway): Come on in!

(Athena and Ares enter the room)

Penelope:...Tel, I feel like I neglected some part of your studies.

[citrineandrosmarin]

🦉Athena Masterpost🦉

This masterpost will cover very basic information with links to further posts or resources (otherwise it’s super long) and may be updated in future with extra sections. Basic bibliography at the end. I welcome you to share your UPG and resources in the comments - I won’t differentiate between mine and others’ UPG.

UPG = Unverified Personal Gnosis, SPG = Shared Personal Gnosis, H = Historically Inspired association

Last updated: Date of Publishing

Overview

Athena is the Hellenic goddess associated most commonly with wisdom, war, weaving, and in modern times, education and knowledge. She was a goddess who occupied both masculine and feminine roles in a highly patriarchal society, standing outside the societal binary. She is a fascinatingly variable and nuanced deity who has adapted and persisted in the mind of western society until this day. This masterpost is in dedication to her.

“Through our investigation of [Athena’s] role within the pantheon, she has emerged as a power of technology and creativity who promotes creativity and order, but with another side to her power, that of the storm bringer and warmonger.” -Susan Deacy

Athena, Goddess of…

Metis (Cunning)

Skill

Crafts

Invention

War

Civilization

Hero Mentorship

Education and Knowledge [SPG]

🐍Find out More!🐍

Symbols, Colors & Tarot Cards

Traditional: Owls (Specifically the Little Owl, Athene noctua), Snakes, Horses, Gulls, Crows (In Messenia and Boeotia, though elsewhere she was not fond of them), Olive trees, the Aegis, the Gorgoneion, Spindle, Spear, Helmet (Particularly with gryphons and/or sphinxes on it).

Other symbols: Spiders [Roman & SPG], Books and Scrolls [SPG], Pens or Quills [UPG]

Colors: Saffron/Yellow/Orange/Gold [H], Murex Purple [H], Hyacinth Blue [H], Red [H?], Bronze [H], Green [UPG]

🐍Find out More!🐍

Tarot Cards (All UPG/SPG of course): The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Chariot, Strength, Justice, The World, Knight of Pentacles, Queen & King of Swords, Queen & King of Wands

Name & Epithets:

Athena has some variations in name. The Attic form was “Athenaia”, which was contracted to “Athena,” the Ionian form was “Athenaie,” the Doric form “Athana,” in Aeolic, “Athanaa,” and in epic she was “Athenaie,” shortened to “Athene.”

A few common epithets:

Areia - Warlike

Ergane - The Worker

Glaukôpis - Bright/owl-eyed.

Pallas - Refers either to the myth of Athena’s childhood friend Pallas, or of the giant named Pallas whom she slayed.

Parthenos - Maiden

Polias - Of the City

Polymetis - Cunning in many ways

🐍Find out More!🐍

Offerings and Devotional Acts

This section was super long! Only including a few here but check out the link!

Gemstones & Metals - Gold, Lapis Lazuli, Onyx, Iolite

Plants - Olive, Ivy, Thyme, Rosemary, Cypress, Peppermint, Orange

Incense and Fragrances - Frankincense, Thyme, Bay Laurel, Amber, Myrrh, Dragon’s Blood, Orange, Citrus, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Cypress, Bergamot & Sage

Food & Drink - Olives and Olive Oil, Honey, Milk, Cheese, Cereal Grains, Diluted Wine, Bread, Baked Goods, Fish, Meat, Fruit/Fruit Juice, Water

🐍Find out More!🐍

Athenian Festivals

Athena’s main festivals were the Panathenaia, Khalkeia, Kallynteria and Plynteria. It is up to individuals to decide if and how to include these celebrations in their practice. 

Panathenaia: The biggest festival for Athena taking place annually, but with a bigger version every fourth year. Mainly a festival with athletic, poetry and musical competitions.

Kallynteria and Plynteria: Sacred days centered around cleaning.

Arrephoria: A mysterious festival that took place at night and is theorized to have been a fertility rite.

Khalkeia: The festival of artisans, which celebrated Athena and Hephaestus.

🐍Find out More!🐍

Family & Connections

Parents: Athena’s father was Zeus (Except in Libya, where she was known as Poseidon’s daughter) and her mother was the personification of wisdom, Metis. In some sources she was raised by Triton alongside his daughter, Pallas.

Children: Athena had no children as a virgin goddess but she did adopt and raise Erichthonius, who later became king of Athens.

Retinue: Athena was often associated closely with Nike (Victory), an example being the famed statue Athena Parthenos, which held Nike in its hand. The aegis which Athena wore also contained the personifications Phobos (Fear), Eris (Strife), Alke (Strength) and Ikoe (Panic) as noted in the Iliad.

Companions: Pallas is perhaps the most famous of Athene’s companions, as the two girls grew up together until Athena accidentally killed Pallas and afterwards took on her name as an epithet. However, in the Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter it is shown that Athena, Artemis and Persephone spent time together and were playing and collecting flowers before Persephone was abducted. The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus claims they were also raised together.

Heroes: Athena was a mentor of Heroes and had a hand in assisting heroes such as Herakles, Odysseus and Diomedes, but also Achilles, Bellerophon, Perseus, Theseus, Kadmos and Tydeus.

🐍More of my Info Posts!🐍

Athena and Childbirth

Athena Hippia / Khalinitis

On The Nature of Metis - Excerpts from “Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society”

On the comparison of Athena and Ares

Athena and Herakles: Excerpt from Susan Deacy’s book

Myth of Athena's Birth

🐍Extra Links🐍

Prayers, Hymns and Poems

Homeric Hymn to Athena 11 [Tumblr - Mine]

Homeric Hymn to Athena 28 [Tumblr - Mine]

Poem for Athena [Tumblr - Mine]

Adaptation of the Orphic Hymn [Tumblr - wisdomweaver]

Ode to Athena: A Birth of Wisdom [Tumblr - panjackdaw]

Prayer to Athena [Tumblr - rue-with-the-tarot]

Hymn to Athena [Tumblr - entricacies]

Praise to Athena [Tumblr - piristephes]

Prayer for Clarity and Sound Intuition [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

Prayer for Athena [Tumblr - hisfleur]

Prayer for Athena [Tumblr - evilios]

Prayer to Athena [Tumblr - ranger5000]

Chin Up - A Message From Athena [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

Assortment of Prayers [Website - greekpagan.com]

Battle Armor Poem [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

A Prayer to the Wise Short Poem [Tumblr - crimsonsongbird]

Learning Short Poem [Tumblr - Mine]

Additional Links

Theoi.com [Website]

Iliad - Athena dons the Aegis [Tumblr - Mine]

Reconstruction of Athena Parthenos statue’s colors [Youtube - Museum of Fine Arts, Boston]

Bathing of Athena in Argos [Tumblr - verdantlyviolet]

Subtle Athena Worship [Tumblr - khaire-traveler]

A response to the “Athena is a victim blamer and hates women” crowd [Tumblr - rightwheretheyleftme]

khaire-traveler on their snow leopard UPG [Tumblr]

Parthenon 3D Reconstruction [Youtube - Ancient Athens 3D]

Parthenon in AC: Odyssey [Youtube - Invicta]

Bibliography

Barber, E.J.W. - The peplos of Athena

Burkert, Walter - Greek Religion

Deacy, Susan - Athena

Deacy, Susan & Villing, Alexandra - Athena in the Classical World

Deacy, Susan & Villing, Alexandra - What was the colour of Athena's Aegis?

Detienne, Marcel & Vernant, Jean-Pierre - Cunning Intelligence in Greek Culture and Society

Drees, Ludwig - Olympia

Larson, Jennifer - Ancient Greek Cults

Mansfield, John Magruder - The Robe Of Athena And The Panathenaic "Peplos"

Maurizio, Lisa - Classical Mythology in Context

Mikalson, Jon D. - Ancient Greek Religion

Ogden, Daniel - A Companion to Greek Religion

Theoi.com