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    The goddess Athena, a subject worthy of far more than a single paper, plays a significant role in both of our current texts, the Iliad and the Odyssey. But, to understand Athena, even superficially, one must look to her whole story.

    Thus, we begin at the beginning, where every good story begins. Briefly speaking, Athena was born, according to one account, from Zeus’ head after Zeus consumed a pregnant Metis, who bore the child Athena. (Interestingly, Zeus had to capture Metis while she changed shapes in much the same manner that Peleus had to capture Thetis as she changed shapes.) The most important thing to take away from her birth is that it was from the head of Zeus, the center of human wisdom, which Athena was known for. According to Graves, this also conveniently allows her matrilineage to be traced to Metis, which was already a part of Athenian myth in Athens.

    Athena’s spheres of influence are all centered around the most important parts of civilization. To a Greek, living closer to a state of uncivilization, it must have been obvious that battle is the most important safeguard for the civilized world. She didn’t seem to be merely the goddess of battle, but is instead characterized by some as goddess of battle in protection of the city. On the other hand, she seems to give people help in contravention to this. For example, when she stays the hand of Achilles, before he attacks Menelaus, this doesn’t aid in the protection of the city. In fact, the aid she gives to Achilles here is likely to have significantly hurt the cause of Troy, one of her favored cities (Graves, 9.7). On the other hand, it could be argued that violence against the leader is anathema to the tenets of civilization.

    Artisans are certainly a marker of civilization, in a Greek’s conception. Before the development of the city, it was impossible for humans to indulge in the traditional crafts, except on the smallest amateur-level scale. Ironically, even though it was probably one of her most important roles in day-to-day life for Greeks in cities, as artisans were constantly making things successfully thanks to her, this is one role that we rarely see in the Athena of stories. The same is true of her aspects as deity of agriculture and horse taming.

    In the end of the Oresteia, Athena developed the idea of trial by jury in Athens. This certainly jives with the theme of Athena as protectress of civilization. Trial by jury was one of the most civilized things going, back in those days. The Oresteia occurred much later than Homer’s plays, however.

    It is clear that Athena was one of the Greeks favorite goddesses, as she more rarely was seen in the same vengeful light that we see Poseidon in during the Odyssey, for example. Perhaps this is because of her status as protector of wisdom, and wisdom is one of the forces that strive against spite.

    Athena’s epithets were somewhat interesting. In the Parthenon she was known as “Athena Parthenos.” “Athena Promachos” led in battle, and “Athena Polias” was protector of Athens. Despite this status of “Athena Promachos” as her epithet for battle Athena, it seems she is much more often shown with the epithet “Pallas,” which is much more ambiguous. Indeed, the ambivalence of this tale itself offers quite a bit of room for speculation. One version has it that Pallas is a former friend of Athena’s whom she killed, thus taking over her name out of respect. Another version has it that Pallas was father to Athena. These two very different views are hard to reconcile with one another. The truth is lost to history.