Athena, Goddess of Wisdom and Warcraft. Brilliant, strong and pure. Well… two out of three isn’t bad.
Born the daughter of Zeus, Athena springs out of her father’s head, clad as a warrior and brandishing her weapons with skill. Smart, gutsy and rebellious, she is a misfit in an age that demands that females be gentle and submissive. Undaunted, Athena fights to prove herself and assert her independence, but her autonomy comes at an unexpected price.
When she wins patronage of the city of Athens in a battle of wits, Athena comes into her own and matures into the goddess that we know from legend: a brilliant and principled immortal with dominion over wisdom, warfare, strategy and creative inspiration.
However, Greek mythology itself has been deliberately sanitized. It hides a darker story in which Athena must make difficult choices and outwit the other gods to protect herself and those she loves.
The golden age of ancient Greece is eventually threatened by a new military power growing in the west. When the Roman legions arrive, greedy for Greece’s wealth and offering to adopt the Greek gods as their own, Athena and her fellow gods have a diabolical choice to make: Do they stand by the Greek people, or betray them to safeguard their own interests?
In defiance of her father’s wishes, Athena rebels one last time and sets forth to change the course of human history itself.
Author Daphne Ignatius takes us inside the mythology and reveals a personal side of Athena that can’t be found in textbooks. For the first time, we delve into her world and see civilization unfold through her eyes.
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Who is Athena?
Athena is the favorite daughter of Zeus, king of the Greek gods. She is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. On the side, she also served as a champion for the famous heroes of old. As you see, she had a finger in practically everything! Minerva is the Roman goddess identified with Athena and in this book, they are one and the same.
Why is Athena important?
In ancient Greece there were few divine beings more important, and more generous, to humanity than the virgin goddess Athena. She was the protector of the city of Athens, once considered the center of civilization, learning and philosophy. The name Athens is derived from her name, confirming how much she was respected. Ancient Greek coins featured her profile on one side and her symbols (the owl and an olive branch) on the other, so it is clear that the Athenians valued her protection highly.
The Parthenon, now a major tourist attraction in Athens, was originally a temple dedicated to Athena. A large ivory and gold statue of her (lost in ancient times) was housed within the Parthenon and was dressed in fine garments woven by the women of Athens. Once a year, there would be a major festival in which the statue would be dressed in new finery. It is revealed in My Life as Athena that this statue was the cause of much consternation on Athena’s part!
