5/7/2023 0 Comments Zeus poseidon acropolisYet for these men Zeus brought the saffron cloud, and rained flood of gold, and the grey-eyed goddess herself endowed them the gift of skill, that of all men on earth, their hands in craft excelling have the mastery. For they mounted aloft, but carried in their hands no seed of burning flame, but on the city's height founded a precinct without holy fire. Now Reverence, the daughter of Forethought, gives to men virtue and valour's joy.Īnd yet comes too, on stealthy wing, that cloud of forgetfulness, drawing our baffled minds off from the straight road of their acts' intent. Then was it too the great god Hyperionides, giver of light to mortal men, this task to his beloved sons enjoined to ensure well hereafter: that they first to the goddess built a shining altar, and founding holy rites of sacrifice, make glad the heart of Zeus, and the maid of the sounding spear. And Ouranos (Heaven) trembled to hear, and Mother Gaia (Earth). "The land circled by the sea, where once the great king of the gods showered upon the city snowflakes of gold in the day when the skilled hand of Hephaistos wrought with his craft the axe, bronze-bladed, whence from the cleft summit of her father's brow Athene sprang aloft, and pealed the broad sky her clarion cry of war. "But Zeus himself gave birth from his own head to bright-eyed Tritogeneia (the thrice born), Deino (the awful), the strife-stirring, Agestratos (the host-leader), Atrytone (the unwearying), Potnia Egrekydoimos (the queen, who delights in tumults and wars and battles).īut Hera without union with Zeus-for she was very angry and quarrelled with her mate-bare famous Hephaistos, who is skilled in crafts more than all the Ouraniones (Heavenly Ones)." And with it [Zeus) gave her birth, arrayed in arms of war." There the goddess (Athena) received that whereby she excelled in strength all the deathless ones who dwell in Olympos, she who made the host-scaring weapon of Athena. And she remained hidden beneath the inward parts of Zeus, even Metis, Athena's mother, worker of righteousness, who was wiser than gods and mortal men. But she straightway conceived Pallas Athene: and the father of men and gods gave her birth by way of his head on the banks of the river Trito. But he seized her with his hands and put her in his belly, for fear that she might bring forth something stronger than his thunderbolt: therefore did Zeus, who sits on high and dwells in the aether, swallow her down suddenly. deceiving Metis (Thought) although she was full wise. "Zeus lay with the fair-cheeked daughter of Okeanos and Tethys apart from Hera ((lacuna)). But Zeus put her into his own belly first, that the goddess might devise for him both good and evil." For they advised him so, to the end that no other should hold royal sway over the eternal gods in place of Zeus for very wise children were destined to be born of her, first the maiden bright-eyed Tritogeneia, equal to her father in strength and in wise understanding but afterwards she was to bear a son of overbearing spirit, king of gods and men. But when she was about to bring forth the goddess bright-eyed Athene, Zeus craftily deceived her with cunning words and put her in his own belly, as Gaia (Earth) and starry Ouranos (Heaven) advised. "Now Zeus, king of the gods, made Metis (Wise Counsel) his wife first, and she was wisest among gods and mortal men. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C8th or 7th B.C.) : This page contains tales of the goddess from the sagas of the gods including her birth, death of Pallas, War of the Giants, creation of Pandora, contest with Poseidon for Athens, birth of Erikhthonios (Erichthonius), and flute of Marsyas.ĬLASSICAL LITERATURE QUOTES THE BIRTH OF ATHENA I. Minerva The birth of Athena, Athenian black-figure kylix C6th B.C., British MuseumĪTHENA was the Olympian goddess of wisdom, war, heroism and crafts.
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