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Athena Research EssayAthena is the goddess of wisdom and war far-offgon. She is the favorite daughter of Zeus. There are many different versions of how Athena came to be. The most accepted version is that Athena was born a kidskin of Zeus by his premier married cleaning woman, Metis, a goddess of wisdom. Zeus feared that Metis might bear him a son who was mightier than himself, so he swallowed her.According to some stories, Zeus had every right to fear this because Mother Earth had prophesied that Metis first child would be a girl, but her second child would be a boy that would end Zeus as had happened to is father and his grandfather. Zeus took this warning to heart. This is why he swallowed Metis. It is believed that this is where Zeus gained his wisdom. Before swallowing his wife he was said to have had no brains. Little did Zeus know that Metis was already with child. While detain inside Zeus, Metis began to make a helmet and robe for her unborn daughter.All that clangi ng and pounding caused Zeus to fit terrible headaches, so he called for his son Hephaestus. Hephaestus split his fathers skull open to relieve the pain, and out popped Athena, fully cock-a-hoop and dressed in her new robe and helmet. The great Athena was the first to teach the science of come and all ancient womens arts, such as cooking, weaving and spinning. She was the goddess of wisdom and war, but, unlike the god of war Ares, she took no pleasure from engagement, preferring instead to settle conflict through mediation.When Athena was moved to engage in battle she never lost, even against Ares himself, for she was a far superior negotiator than he was. She bears no arms in times of peace and will usually borrow weapons from Zeus when needed. Since she was his favorite daughter and such a mighty warrior, he allowed her to borrow is fearsome Aegis, and his devastating thunderbolts. Indeed Athena was a brave warrior and she was the solitary deity to stand her ground when Typhon attacked Olympus. Typhon was the largest, most dangerous, and most grotesque of all creatures.He was so scare and that when he attacked Mount Olympus all of the gods ran off to Egypt and hid themselves by taking the forms of various animals. Only Athena stood firm, and she discredited and motivated Zeus into action. Zeus struck Typhon with a thunderbolt and used Uranus castrating sickle to wound the massive creature. Typhon retreated to Mount Casius, where he and Zeus resumed heir struggle, hurling mountains at one another, which resulted in Typhon organism crushed beneath what is now known as Mount Aetna. Mount Olympus and the reign of Zeus were salvage thanks to Athena.Even though she was as modest as Artemis and Hestia, the other virgin goddesses, Athena was far more generous. A man called Tiresias chanced upon Athena while she was taking a bath and she was startled to relieve oneself that he had entered the room and seen her. Not wanting to kill Tiresias for his foolishnes s, she laid her hands over his eyes and blind him, but gave him inward sight so that Tiresias became one of the most well-known oracles in Greece. One of the some times that Athena showed irritability was in her weaving contest against the mortal named Arachne.Arachne thought she was the best weaver there Athena felt very disrespected and took on the appearance of an old woman and showed up at Arachnes house to give her some friendly advice to respect the gods. Arachne was too vain to listen and told the old woman to be gone. Let the great Athena try her skill against mine, and if I lose she can do whatever she pleases with me, she boasted. Thats when Athena dropped her disguise and revealed her true identity. All the bystanders fell to their knees in reverence except for Arachne, who was unmoved.The cardinal began their weaving contest, and for a while Arachne held her own against Athena, even poking fun at the gods through the tapis she crafted, but finally Athena had enough an d touched the presumptuous mortal on the forehead, making her sense her shame. Horrified at the realization of her vanity, Arachne ran off and hung herself from a tree. Feeling sorry for the hanging of Arachne, Athena brought her backwards to life, but so that mortals learn that it doesnt pay to compare themselves to the gods, she changed Arachne into a spider. There she its, her and her descendents, forever weaving their web, testament to the folly of vanity.Athens was named after Athena and she became its protector after a dispute with her uncle, Poseideon, the god of the sea. twain Athena and Poseidon unfeignedly liked a certain city on the coast of Greece, and both of them claimed ownership. Finally, to brighten the dispute, it was agreed that whoever could present the city with the best gift would forever be patron. Athena and Poseidon went to the Acropolis, where Poseidon struck the falling off side with his mighty trident. A spring welled up, which amazed and impressed the citizens. However, the spring was salt ater, so it wasnt really of much use to anyone.Athena then presented the tidy sum with a simple olive tree. Although it wasnt as fulgurous as a spring, it was far more useful, because it presented the people with oil, food, and even wood. In thanks, they named the city Athens. Some people in Greece still worship Athena and pay homage to her at the Acropolis. Athena was the virgin goddess. She was likewise called Athena Parthenos. Parthenos meant virgin. This is where the Parthenon came from. The Parthenon temple was built to honor the virgin goddess. Although she was a virgin there are stories almost her son, Erichthonius. Erichthonius was born of the sperm of Hephaestus, Athenas brother.