“Of Pallas Athena, guardian of the city, I begin to sing.
Dread is she, and with Ares she loves deeds of war, the sack of cities and the shouting and the battle. It is she who saves the people as they go out to war and come back.
Hail, goddess, and give us good fortune with happiness!”
-Homeric Hymn to Athena
Athena is a goddess of wisdom, the arts, and triumph in battle. She is the patron saint of of the city of Athens, Greece, and is one of the most important gods in the Greek pantheon. Athena is a magnificent example of the divine feminine, and her image has endured throughout time as a symbol of strength, intelligence, and freedom.
Birth
Athena was born fully grown and in warrior attire, sprouting directly from the head of Jupiter-Zeus. This signifies her qualities wisdom and intelligence in being engendered from the head of the greatest god.
Epithets
Athena has many attributes and different names related to these various qualities.
Athena Parthenos: Virgin
Athena is a virgin goddess, symbolized in her birth from her father’s head, without a mother. Athena distinguished herself from the other gods by not engaging in affairs with gods or mortals. from an esoteric perspective virginity does not simply mean abstention from sex, but a deep level of purity in heart, mind, and soul. Athena as a virgin means that she draws her strength from an elevated sexuality.
Athena Promachos: War Strategist and Patron of Heroes
Athena is a warrior goddess, almost always depicted in armor and helmet, and she made appearances in many famous Greek battles including the Trojan War. Her divine intelligence makes her role more of a strategist rather than a soldier, although one of her epithets identities her as one at the “front of battle”. She is the patron saint of heroes such as Argos, Jason, Perseus, and Hercules.
Athena Nike: Victory
The goddess Nike is strongly associated with Athena with many statues of Athena show her holding Nike in her hand signifying victory in battle.
Athena Ergane: Artisans
Athena is associated with artisans, arts, and crafts, especially weaving.
Athena Polias: Guardian of Athens
Athena won over the city of Athens by presenting the people with the first olive tree, symbol of peace, and thereby providing food, oil, and wood for their civilization. She is the guardian and patron saint of that city.
Athena also has names that associate her with horses and equestrian science, with hygiene and healing, with shipbuilding and navigation, and with the owl, symbol of wisdom.
Example of the Vast Qualities of the Divine Feminine
With so many varied attributes, Athena is a goddess of great depth and complexity. She is the divine feminine and divine mother present throughout all of Greek and Roman mythology, guiding heroes, divining political strategy, guarding cities, and cultivating civilization through art and culture.
The divine feminine is not limited to Venustic or maternal qualities. Love, beauty, and sexuality are all present in the goddess Athena as she champions heroes, cultivates civilizations, and elevates culture.