At Ancient Gold Coins, we feature a variety of ancient Greek coins dating back many years ago. A truly fascinating period in time, many scholars continue to study ancient Greek culture today. Spanning several different eras, Ancient Greece is renowned for the gods and goddesses it worshipped as well as its art, theatrical productions, literature, mathematics, and philosophies. In recent years, many famous Hollywood movies and TV shows have depicted the different myths involving the gods and goddesses. The Goddess Athena is a particular deity from ancient Greece that we’d like to discuss today.
Athena’s Birth
The mythology surrounding the goddess Athena is unique in the fact that she did not have a mother. Athena’s father, the great god Zeus, was afraid of conceiving a child with the goddess of thought and wisdom, Metis. Zeus took measures to prevent the fulfillment of a prophecy that Metis would give birth to a child who would be stronger than he was, according to legend. He decided to devour Metis whole to solve the problem, but she had already given birth to his kid. Some time later, Zeus experienced a headache that was so intense that he ordered the smith god Hephaestus to split his forehead with an axe. After receiving a blow to the forehead, Athena sprang from his forehead fully clothed in armor, ready to fight.
The Goddess Of War And Wisdom
Upon her arrival, Athena was hailed as the goddess of war and wisdom. Some of the other names for Athena were Minerva, Athina, and Athene. Athena was believed to be Zeus’ favorite child, despite the prophecy. Unlike the Ares, the god of war, Athena took no pleasure in engaging in battle. She prefered mediation and negotiation to battle, but would stand her ground and fight when needed.
Literary representation
Two epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey, were written by the famous ancient Greek poet Homer. Studied throughout colleges and high schools nationwide, these tales depict stories of great adventure in ancient Greek times. In both tales, Athena’s role as a warrior is highlighted, and she is often clothed in armor or in disguise.
Contributions To Society
In ancient Greek mythology, Athena is responsible for inventing the bridle so that people could tame horses. Chief of the three virgin goddesses, Athena was referred to as Parthenos, or the maiden.
The Athenian Owl
According to some myths, Athena could take the form of an owl, so owls became associated with the goddess. The owl came to represent Athena’s wisdom and honesty, and some of the most famous ancient Greek coins are the Attica Athenian Owl coins. These coins were used in trade, and the Greek city of Athens was named for the goddess. During the Classical period in Greek history, the city of Athens dominated Greek society. The enormous Parthenon temple, which was erected in Athens as a tribute to the goddess.
The mythology surrounding The Goddess Athena offers us great insight into ancient Greek society. Greek gold coins depict not only the gods and goddesses of the time, but the rulers as well. Are you interested in ancient gold coins? Shop our collectible gold coins today.