As the Goddess of War and Wisdom, Athena was one of the most powerful gods on Olympus; with a large variety of abilities, she was just as powerful (if not more powerful) as Ares, her rival. Athena appears in Homer’s Odyssey as the tutelary deity of Odysseus, and myths from later sources portray her similarly as helper of Perseus and Heracles (Hercules). Also in the Iliad, Zeus, the chief god, specifically assigns the sphere of war to Ares, the god of war, and Athena. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Athena, also spelled Athene, in Greek religion, the city protectress, goddess of war, handicraft, and practical reason, identified by the Romans with Minerva. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Who led the Argonauts in search of the Golden Fleece? Ella también tenía el poder de c… Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. She was widely worshipped, but in modern times she is associated primarily with Athens, to which she gave her name. Athena was the Goddess of War, the female counterpart of Ares. In the Odyssey, she was angry and unforgiving. In Athens, the Plynteria, or "Feast of the Bath", was observed every year at the end of the month of Thargelion. Immortality: Like all Olympians, Athena was immortal, unable to age or die from natur… Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom and war who is a character from the God of War game series, and she secretly plays a villainous role in the game God of War III. Being the favourite child of Zeus, she had great power. Lleva dos espadas cortas en la espalda, que utiliza para detener a Kratos de matar a Zeus con la Espada del Olimpo. Como una diosa, Atenea poseía numerosos poderes y fue capaz de aparecer en muchas formas y era invencible a ciertas formas de ataque. Athena was probably a pre-Hellenic goddess and was later taken over by the Greeks. Fuentes: As a war goddess Athena could not be dominated by other goddesses, such as Aphrodite, and as a palace goddess she could not be violated. Her emergence there as city goddess, Athena Polias (“Athena, Guardian of the City”), accompanied the ancient city-state’s transition from monarchy to democracy. Su participación es la de consejera de Kratos al toparse con los numerosos acertijos que se le presentan al jugador. God of War … She was the daughter of Zeus; no mother bore her. She was also worshipped in many other cities, notably in Sparta. She was voiced by Carole Ruggier in God of War, God of War II, and 2018s' God of War. Athena was wor… Athena was customarily portrayed wearing body armour and a helmet and carrying a shield and a lance. Two Athenians, the sculptor Phidias and the playwright Aeschylus, contributed significantly to the cultural dissemination of Athena’s image. Save 50% off a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Athena’s moral and military superiority to Ares derives in part from the fact that she represents the intellectual and civilized side of war and the virtues of justice and skill, whereas Ares represents mere blood lust. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Athena-Greek-mythology, Roman and Greek Gods - Facts about Athena, National and Kapodestrian University of Athens - Faculty of History and Archaeology - Athena’s Peplos: Weaving as a Core Female Activity in Ancient and Modern Greece, Athena - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Athena - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). 1. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Black Friday Sale! Atenea le dio a Kratos el trono de Ares y el título de God of War. Premium Membership is now 50% off! The festival lasted for five days. As the guardian of the welfare of kings, Athena became the goddess of good counsel, of prudent restraint and practical insight, as well as of war. She was thought to have had neither consort nor offspring. To her account, it also gave her a different outlook on the world and caused her to "finally have seen the truth". Moral and physical interpretation is often intermingled.…. From fruits to winged sandals, test your knowledge in this study of Greek and Roman mythology. 2. She was essentially urban and civilized, the antithesis in many respects of Artemis, goddess of the outdoors. Her birth and her contest with Poseidon, the sea god, for the suzerainty of the city were depicted on the pediments of the Parthenon, and the great festival of the Panathenaea, in July, was a celebration of her birthday. Athena’s association with the acropolises of various Greek cities probably stemmed from the location of the kings’ palaces there. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. She inspired three of Phidias’s sculptural masterpieces, including the massive chryselephantine (gold and ivory) statue of Athena Parthenos once housed in the Parthenon; and in Aeschylus’s dramatic tragedy Eumenides she founded the Areopagus (Athens’s aristocratic council), and, by breaking a deadlock of the judges in favour of Orestes, the defendant, she set the precedent that a tied vote signified acquittal. En God of War le concedió a Kratos la ira de los diosespara utilizarla en destruir a sus enemigos. …was moralized; the goddess Pallas Athene, for example, who in physical allegory stood for the ether, in moral allegory was taken to represent reflective wisdom because she was born out of the forehead of her father, Zeus. During this period, the priestesses of Athena, or plyntrídes, performed a cleansing ritual within the Erechtheion, a sanctuary devoted to Athena and Poseidon. Updates? She may not have been described as a virgin originally, but virginity was attributed to her very early and was the basis for the interpretation of her epithets Pallas and Parthenos.