Greek Mythology

Athena and Zues

Athena: 

A little about Athena: 

Athena was the Greek virgin goddess of reason, intelligent activity, arts and literature. She was the daughter of Zeus; her birth is unique in that she did not have a mother. Instead, she sprang full grown and clad in armor from Zeus' forehead.

That must of really hurt. 

She was fierce and brave in battle; however, she only took part in wars that defended the state and home from outside enemies. She was the patron of the city, handcraft, and agriculture. She invented the bridle, which permitted man to tame horses, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot. She was the embodiment of wisdom, reason, and purity. She was Zeus' favorite child and was allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. Her holy tree was the olive tree and she was often symbolized as an owl.

Parents claim that they don't have a favorite child but we all know that they do. 

She became the patron goddess of Athens after winning a contest against Poseidon by offering the olive tree to the Athenians. It is evident that Athena and Athens derive from the same root; Athens (or Athenae) is in plural form, because it represents the sisterhood of the goddess that existed there. Similarly, Athena was called Mykene in the city of Mycenae (also a plural after the respective sisterhood), and Thebe in the city of Thebes (or Thebae, both plural forms).

Athena Is also called Minerva, Athina, Athene.

A little bit about Athens and it's history: 

Athens is one of the oldest named cities in the world, having been continuously inhabited for at least 5000 years. Situated in southern , became the leading city of in the first millennium BC, and its cultural achievements during the 5th century BC laid the foundations of .

Wow it's really really old. 

During the early , the city experienced a decline, then recovered under the later and was relatively prosperous during the period of the (12th and 13th centuries), benefiting from trade. Following a period of sharp decline under the rule of the , Athens re-emerged in the 19th century as the capital of the independent state.

The name of , connected to the name of its patron goddess , originates from an earlier language.The explaining how Athens acquired this name through the legendary contest between Poseidon and Athena was described by , and others. It even became the theme of the sculpture on the West pediment of the . Both and requested to be patrons of the city and to give their name to it, so they competed with one another for the honor, offering the city one gift each. Poseidon produced a spring by striking the ground with his trident, symbolizing naval power.

Poseidon you have to do better than that buddy. 

Athena created the , symbolizing and prosperity. The Athenians, under their ruler , accepted the olive tree and named the city after Athena. (Later the Southern Italian city of was founded under the name of Poseidon at about 600 BC.) A sacred olive tree said to be the one created by the goddess was still kept on the Acropolis at the time of (2nd century AD). It was located by the temple of , next to the Parthenon. According to , the tree had been burnt down during the , but a shoot sprung from the stump. The Greeks saw this as a symbol that Athena still had her mark there on the city.

Tsk Tsk Tsk Poseidon buddy you lose to an Olive Tree now that's just sad. 

Zues:

Zeus came to lust after Metis, and chased her in his direct way.Metis tried to escape, going so far as to change her form many times; she changed into various creatures such as hawks, fish, and serpents. However, Zeus was both determined and equally proficient at changing form. He continued his pursuit until she relented.

Hmmmm. 

An oracle of Gaea then prophesied that Metis' first child would be a girl and that her second child would be a boy that would overthrow Zeus, similarly to what had happened to his father and grandfather. Zeus took this warning to heart. When he next saw Metis, he initially flattered her and put her at her ease. Then, with Metis' guards down,Zeus opened his mouth and swallowed her and her unborn child. This was the end of Metis, but also the beginning of Zeus' wisdom.

Yikes. Jesus Zeus that is just cold 

After a time, Zeus developed an unbearable headache, which made him scream out of pain so loudly it could be heard throughout the earth. The other gods came to see what the problem was. Hermes realized what needed to be done and directed Hephaestus to take a wedge and split open Zeus's skull. Out of the skull sprang Athena, fully grown and in a full set of armor. Due to the way of her birth, she became the goddess of intelligence and wisdom.

How the hell does a kid come out born with a full set of armor on? What the heck is that rubish?

Birth of Athena Is also called The Birth of Athena, Athena's Birth.