Athena is one of the twelve main Gods of the Greek pantheon. She is one of the daughters of Zeus, and sprang from his head fully grown and in full armour when his head was split from a fierce headache. According to myth, the Titans Gaia and Uranus warned Zeus that if the Titan Metis (a goddess Titan of wisdom) carried Zeus' child to term, the child would depose Zeus as the King of the Gods. To prevent this, he swallowed Metis and her unborn child. Several days later he had a truly horrible headache and had Hephaestus (the craftsman God) split Zeus' head with an axe. From this wound sprang Athena, the new Goddess of Wisdom and War. So according to myth, Athena techniclly has no mother, but there are some legends that Metis is still alive (although inside Zeus)and continued to give Zeus marvelous advise, which is why He became so wise.

Athena is also one of the Virgin Goddesses, and when in this aspect takes the name Athena Parthenos (which means virgin). The Parthenon in Athens is a magnificent marble temple dedicated to her virgin aspect, and contains many wonderful frescos and freizes about her major celebration, the Panathenaea. Unfortunatly, many of the ancient religious practices were lost due to the passage of time and the fact that complete silence was demanded of the participants, so not much of what transpired at her celebrations is known.

Athena is also known as the Patron Goddess of Crafts, and is credited with creating the horse bridle, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the plow, the ship, the chariot, and most importantly, the spinning wheel. Spinning and weaving are Hers, and skilled weavers are coveted. From this comes the story of the vain Arachne and how spiders came about. But the one thing she was most noted for was the creation of the Olive tree.

When Posiden and Athena were contesting to see who would become the patron god of what was to become Athens, Zeus decided that they should each create something of value to determine the winner. Posiden cast down His trident, and where it landed, a spring of water was created guaranteing fresh water for the Greeks and sea passage. Athena took a seed and planted it. It sprang to full life as the olive tree, creating wealth and food for the Greeks. It was determined that the olive was the winner, and the new city was named Athens, after the winner. Ever after, Posiden became the chief foe of the Athenians, and they were always careful to not upset the wrathfull God of the Sea further.

Athena is also the Goddess of War. Unlike Ares, She is revered for Her determination to end conflict with wisdom and peaceful means. She was never bloodthirsty like He was, but preached temperance and wisdom on the battlefield. She played a predominate part in the Trojan War, and protects the brave and honorable. Zeus trusts only Her to hold His formadable weapon, the thunderbolt.

Traditionally, Athena is portrayed with an owl, Her bird of wisdom, and with the golden aegis on her breast. (The aegis is the head of Medusa who Perseus killed with Athena and Hermes help). She is nearly always clothed with a helmet and spear, and occasionally with a golden shield. She protects heros, and craftsmen call Her their own. The olive branch is sacred to her, along with the owl and dove. All crafts proclaim Her praise.

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