Goddess of wisdom, strategy and the arts, born fully armed from the head of Zeus – Athena was the protector of Athens and the patron of heroes. Here is her story and the meaning behind her owl, spear and shield.
Who is Athena?
Athena (Pallas Athena) is the Greek goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, crafts and civilisation, one of the twelve Olympians and the favourite daughter of Zeus. The Romans identified her with Minerva. Unlike Ares, who loved the chaos of battle, Athena stood for intelligence, justice and the courage that protects the city. She was also the patron of weaving, pottery and the useful arts – the goddess of clever hands as well as clever minds.
She is easy to recognise in art: a tall, calm woman in a long robe wearing a crested helmet, holding a spear and a shield, with the aegis – a goatskin cloak bearing the head of Medusa – across her breast. Her sacred animal is the owl, still a symbol of wisdom today, and her tree is the olive.
A remarkable birth
Zeus had been warned that a child of the wise Titaness Metis would become more powerful than him. To prevent it, he swallowed Metis while she was pregnant. Soon after, he was struck by a terrible headache. The smith-god Hephaestus split open his head with an axe – and out sprang Athena, fully grown, armed and giving a mighty war cry. From that moment she held a special place at her father's side, the only god he trusted with his thunderbolt and aegis.
The gift of the olive tree
Athena competed with Poseidon to become patron of the greatest city of Attica. Poseidon offered a spring of salt water; Athena planted the first olive tree on the Acropolis. The citizens judged her gift more useful – olives gave food, oil, light and trade – and named their city Athens in her honour. The Parthenon, the most famous temple of the ancient world, was built for her, and her colossal gold-and-ivory statue by Phidias once stood inside it.
Protector of heroes
Athena guided many heroes. She gave Perseus a polished shield to defeat Medusa, helped Heracles through his labours, inspired the building of the ship Argo for Jason, and stood beside Odysseus throughout his long journey home, admiring his cunning above all. In the Iliad she fights for the Greeks at Troy, and the idea of the wooden horse was said to come from her.
Arachne and the art of weaving
The mortal weaver Arachne boasted that her skill surpassed Athena's and challenged the goddess to a contest. Arachne's tapestry was flawless but mocked the gods; in anger Athena turned her into a spider, condemned to weave forever. The story warns against pride – and explains why spiders spin so beautifully.
Athena in art and in your home
Athena is one of the most popular subjects of classical sculpture, from the Athena Parthenos to the Athena Giustiniani. A statue of Athena symbolises wisdom, learning and protection, which makes it a perfect piece for a study, library, law office or classroom, and a thoughtful gift for graduates and teachers. Choose a standing warrior Athena with spear and shield for presence, or a bust with her crested helmet for a desk or bookshelf; an owl beside her adds a lovely detail.
Related gods
Read the story of her father Zeus and of her rival Poseidon. Browse all the Olympians in our Greek Mythology collection.
