Goddess of Wisdom. Greek goddess of wisdom

The population of Ancient Greece believed that the gods ruled the whole world and the lives of people. They were called Olympic, because they considered the Gods to be their place of residence, there were many, and the Greeks imagined their life similar to their worldly existence. They believed that the Olympians live in one huge family, the role of the head of which is assigned to the king of the gods. - Zeus.

Who was Pallas Athena for the ancient Greeks?

The daughter of Zeus, Pallas, won great respect and love from the ancient people. Athena in Greek mythology is the goddess of wisdom and just war, patronizing knowledge, arts and crafts. She was considered the founder of military strategy and effective tactics, and numerous victories in battles were attributed to her merits. She was part of a family of twelve major Olympians. She was a revered goddess in ancient Greece, competing in importance and popularity with her father, Zeus. She was recognized as his equal in wisdom and strength. She differed from other deities in her independent disposition. She was proud of the fact that she managed to remain a virgin. The goddess of wisdom among the Greeks was reflected in the Roman Minerva.

The warrior maiden became the patroness of cities and states for the ancient inhabitants. The development of science and crafts is associated with it. Athena is the personification of the mind, ingenuity, resourcefulness and skill. The ancient Greek spelling of the name of the goddess is Ἀθηνᾶ, more rare is Athenaia. The majestic city of Athens is named after this mythical person.

The image of the goddess of wisdom in the view of the ancients

The Greeks endowed Athena with an unusual and impressive appearance, thanks to which she can be easily distinguished from other Olympian goddesses. highlights the use of attributes characteristic of the strong half of humanity. The goddess of wisdom was depicted as a tall beautiful woman dressed in the armor of warriors. Her head is adorned and protected by a protective exquisite helmet with a high crest. In the hands of Athena - a spear and a shield, covered with a snake skin with an ornament in the form of a head of wisdom, marches accompanied by sacred animals. She was often depicted with the winged Nika. The symbols of her wisdom were an owl and a snake.

The ancient Greeks described her like this: gray-eyed and fair-haired. Homer called her facial features "owl-eyed", emphasizing the beauty of her huge eyes. In the sources from Virgil there is a noteworthy fragment where the Cyclopes in the forge of Vulcan polish military armor and aegis for Pallas, covering them with snake scales.

Birth

Typical for Greek myths was the unusual story of the birth of the goddess. There are many versions, the most common is set out in Hesiod's Theogony.

Athena owes her birth to the king of the gods. The almighty Zeus the Thunderer became aware that in the womb of Metis, his first wife, there is a child of a brilliant mind and perfect strength. The child was prophesied to surpass in wisdom his parent. This secret was told to Zeus Moira - the goddess of fate. The Thunderer was afraid that, having been born, the child would overthrow him from the Olympic throne. In order to avoid a formidable fate, he lulled his pregnant wife and swallowed her. And immediately Zeus was overcome by an unbearable headache. Calling his son Hephaestus to him, he gave the order to cut his head with an ax, hoping to get rid of the excruciating pain and wondrous sounds in his head. Hephaestus could not disobey his father. He split the skull in one swing. And a beautiful warrior appeared in the world of the gods from the head of the supreme ruler of the Olympians - Athena, the goddess of wisdom. She appeared to the astonished Olympians in full military ammunition: in a brilliant helmet, with a spear and a shield. Her blue eyes radiated wisdom and justice, the whole appearance of the maiden was filled with amazing divine beauty. The Olympians accepted and glorified the born favorite child of Zeus - the invincible Pallas. And her swallowed mother - Metis, endowed with immortality, remained to live forever in the body of her husband, gave him good advice and helped rule the world.

In his poems, Homer did not pay attention to the myth of the birth of Athena. The authors of subsequent generations supplemented the story with peculiar details and greatly embellished it. So, according to Pindar, at the time of the birth of the warrior on Rhodes, it began to rain from golden drops.

Where and when was the goddess of wisdom born? Alternative versions

There are other legends about her birth. The ancient Greek author Aristocles describes the birth of Athena from a cloud as a result of a lightning strike sent by a thunderer. And this event takes place in Crete. This myth is a reflection of the idea of ​​the ancients about how lightning and thunder appear from a massive thundercloud. Several other versions exist with different parent names.

The ancient chroniclers and historians also disagree on the question of where the maiden was born. In the stories of Aeschylus, her place of birth is Libya, the area near Lake Tritonidae. Herodotus records the beliefs of the Libyans that Athena is a descendant of Poseidon. In the stories of Apollonius of Rhodes, the goddess of wisdom was born near Lake Triton.

Pausanias conveys to his descendants a story that describes the birth of Pallas where the altar to Zeus was located in Alither (Arcadia).

Also, the Boeotian city of Alalcomenes was considered the birthplace of Athens, where, according to local residents, she was fed by people.

The day of the birth of the deity in the time of the Panatheneas was considered the day of the 28th hecatombeon, which corresponds to the date of August 18th. And on that day, the work of the courts was suspended. In the "Chronicles of Eusebius" the year of the birth of the virgin is called the 237th from Abraham, according to our calendar - 1780 BC.

Athena in mythology: the capture of Troy

One of the common plots of Greek mythology was the war of the ancient Greeks with the Trojan king Paris, which ended with the capture of Troy and the victory of the legendary Odysseus. The ancient Greeks attribute to Athena the whole plan for the construction of the Goddess of Wisdom assists the Greeks. Euripides noted that the destruction of Ilion is a consequence of the anger and malice of Pallas.

What prompted Athena to destroy Troy? It is not completely clear, but the Achaeans built the horse according to her plan and under her leadership. The presentation of Quintus of Smyrna describes in detail the moment when Pallas, appearing in a dream to the Achaeans, teaches them crafts. Thanks to the knowledge received from the goddess, the construction was completed in three days. Allegedly, the Achaean leaders turned to Athena with a request to bless their creation. In addition, Pallas, incarnated as a messenger, advised Odysseus to place Achaean warriors on a horse. Later, she brought the food of the gods to the heroes who were going to battle, which could relieve the feeling of hunger.

Under her patronage, the Greeks capture Troy and get a lot of treasure. On the night of the ruin of the city, Pallas sits on the acropolis in the dazzling brilliance of his ammunition and calls the Greeks to victory.

Athena - inventor and patroness

The goddess of wisdom for the ancient Greeks is the founder of the state, the initiator of wars, the legislator and founder of the highest Athenian court - the Areopagus. In the arsenal of her inventions are a chariot and a ship, a flute and a pipe, ceramic dishes, a rake, a plow, an ox yoke and

Greek girls sacrificed their hair to the goddess before marriage. There are references to virgin priestesses. Pallas patronizes women in marriage. In some sources, Pallas is mentioned as the protector of shipbuilders and navigators. She is a mentor of metalworkers who taught Daedalus. Athena gave people knowledge about weaving and cooking. In ancient Greek myths, the theme of the help of the goddess in performing amazing feats of various heroes is covered in detail.

Cult of Athena

The goddess of wisdom was revered in all regions of Ancient Greece. Many acropolises are dedicated to her, including those in Athens, Argos, Sparta, Megara, Troy and Troezen. Pallas is the mistress of the city Kremlins and the Greek people. In Attica, she was the main deity of the state and city of Athens.

The names of most of the gods are arranged as hyperlinks, where you can go to a detailed article about each of them.

The main deities of Ancient Greece: 12 Olympic gods, their helpers and companions

The main gods in Ancient Hellas were those that belonged to the younger generation of celestials. Once upon a time, it took power over the world from the older generation, which personified the main universal forces and elements (see about this in the article The Origin of the Gods of Ancient Greece). The gods of the older generation are usually called titans. Having defeated the titans, the younger gods, led by Zeus, settled on Mount Olympus. The ancient Greeks honored 12 Olympian gods. Their list usually included Zeus, Hera, Athena, Hephaestus, Apollo, Artemis, Poseidon, Ares, Aphrodite, Demeter, Hermes, Hestia. Hades is also close to the Olympian gods, but he does not live on Olympus, but in his underworld.

Legends and myths of Ancient Greece. Cartoon

Goddess Artemis. Statue in the Louvre

Statue of Athena the Virgin in the Parthenon. Ancient Greek sculptor Phidias

Hermes with caduceus. Statue from the Vatican Museum

Venus (Aphrodite) de Milo. Statue ca. 130-100 BC

God Eros. Red-figure dish, ca. 340-320 BC e.

Hymen Companion of Aphrodite, god of marriage. According to his name, wedding hymns were also called hymens in ancient Greece.

Daughter of Demeter, kidnapped by the god Hades. The inconsolable mother, after a long search, found Persephone in the underworld. Hades, who made her his wife, agreed that she would spend part of the year on earth with her mother, and the other with him in the bowels of the earth. Persephone was the personification of the grain, which, being "dead" sown in the ground, then "comes to life" and comes out of it into the light.

The Abduction of Persephone. Antique jug, ca. 330-320 BC

Amphitrite Poseidon's wife, one of the Nereids

Proteus One of the Greek sea deities. The son of Poseidon, who had the gift to predict the future and change his appearance

Triton- the son of Poseidon and Amphitrite, the messenger of the deep sea, trumpeting the shell. In appearance - a mixture of man, horse and fish. Close to the eastern god Dagon.

Eirene- the goddess of the world, standing at the throne of Zeus on Olympus. In ancient Rome, the goddess Pax.

Nika- goddess of victory. Constant companion of Zeus. In Roman mythology - Victoria

Dike- in ancient Greece - the personification of divine truth, a goddess hostile to deceit

Tyukhe- Goddess of good luck and luck. The Romans - Fortuna

Morpheus- the ancient Greek god of dreams, the son of the god of sleep Hypnos

Plutus- god of wealth

Phobos("Fear") - the son and companion of Ares

Deimos("Horror") - the son and companion of Ares

Enyo- among the ancient Greeks - the goddess of violent war, which causes rage in the fighters and brings confusion to the battle. In Ancient Rome - Bellona

Titans

The Titans are the second generation of the gods of Ancient Greece, born of the elements of nature. The first titans were six sons and six daughters, descended from the connection of Gaia-Earth with Uranus-Sky. Six sons: Kron (Time. for the Romans - Saturn), Ocean (father of all rivers), Hyperion, Kay, Crius, Iapetus. Six daughters: Tethys(Water), Theia(Shine), Rhea(Mother Mountain?), Themis (Justice), Mnemosyne(Memory), Phoebe.

Uranus and Gaia. Ancient Roman mosaic 200-250 A.D.

In addition to the titans, Gaia gave birth to Cyclopes and Hecatoncheirs from marriage with Uranus.

cyclops- three giants with a large, round, fiery eye in the middle of the forehead. In ancient times - the personification of the clouds, from which lightning sparkles

Hecatoncheires- "hundred-armed" giants, against whose terrible power nothing can resist. Embodiments of terrible earthquakes and floods.

The Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires were so strong that Uranus himself was horrified by their power. He tied them up and threw them into the depths of the earth, where they still rage, causing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. The stay of these giants in the womb of the earth began to cause her terrible suffering. Gaia persuaded her youngest son, Kronos, to take revenge on her father, Uranus, by castrating him.

Kron made it with a sickle. From the drops of blood of Uranus shed at the same time, Gaia conceived and gave birth to three Erinyes - goddesses of vengeance with snakes on their heads instead of hair. Erinnia's names are Tisiphone (killing avenger), Alecto (tireless pursuer) and Megara (terrible). From that part of the seed and blood of castrated Uranus that fell not on the ground, but in the sea, the goddess of love Aphrodite was born.

Night-Nyukta, in anger at the lawlessness of Kron, gave birth to terrible creatures and deities of Tanata (Death), Eridu(Discord) Apatou(Deceit), goddesses of violent death Ker, Hypnos(Dream-Nightmare) Nemesis(Revenge), Gerasa(Old age), Charon(carrier of the dead to the underworld).

Power over the world has now passed from Uranus to the Titans. They divided the universe among themselves. Kron instead of the father became the supreme god. The ocean received power over a huge river, which, according to the ideas of the ancient Greeks, flows around the whole earth. Four other brothers Kronos reigned in the four cardinal directions: Hyperion - in the East, Crius - in the south, Iapetus - in the West, Kay - in the North.

Four of the six Elder Titans married their sisters. From them came the younger generation of titans and elemental deities. From the marriage of Oceanus with his sister Tethys (Water), all earthly rivers and water nymphs-Oceanids were born. The titan Hyperion - ("high-walking") took his sister Teia (Shine) as his wife. From them were born Helios (Sun), Selena(moon) and Eos(Dawn). From Eos were born the stars and the four gods of the winds: Boreas(North wind), Note(South wind), Zephyr(west wind) and Evre(Eastern wind). The titans Kay (Celestial Axis?) and Phoebe gave birth to Leto (Night Silence, mother of Apollo and Artemis) and Asteria (Starlight). Kron himself married Rhea (Mother Mountain, the personification of the productive forces of mountains and forests). Their children are the Olympic gods Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Zeus.

The titan Crius married the daughter of Pontus Eurybia, and the titan Iapetus married the oceanid Clymene, who gave birth to the titans Atlanta (he holds the sky on his shoulders), the arrogant Menetius, the cunning Prometheus (“thinking before, foreseeing”) and the feeble-minded Epimetheus (“thinking after").

From these titans came others:

Hesperus- god of the evening and the evening star. His daughters from the night, Nyukta, are the Hesperides nymphs, who guard a garden with golden apples on the western edge of the earth, once presented by Gaia-Earth to the goddess Hera during her marriage to Zeus

Ory- goddesses of parts of the day, seasons and periods of human life.

Charites- the goddess of grace, fun and joy of life. There are three of them - Aglaya ("Glee"), Euphrosyne ("Joy") and Thalia ("Abundance"). A number of Greek writers have charites with other names. In ancient Rome, they corresponded graces

Artemis- Goddess of the moon and hunting, forests, animals, fertility and childbearing. She had never been married, diligently guarded her chastity, and if she took revenge, she did not know pity. Her silver arrows spread plague and death, but she also had the ability to heal. Protected young girls and pregnant women. Her symbols are cypress, fallow deer and bears.

Atropos- one of the three moira, cutting the thread of fate and cutting off human life.

Athena(Pallas, Parthenos) - the daughter of Zeus, born from his head in full combat weapons. One of the most revered Greek goddesses, the goddess of just war and wisdom, the patroness of knowledge.

Athena. A statue. Hermitage. Hall of Athena.

Description:

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, just war and the patroness of crafts.

Statue of Athena by Roman craftsmen of the 2nd c. According to a Greek original from the end of the 5th c. BC e. Entered the Hermitage in 1862. Previously, it was in the collection of the Marquis Campana in Rome. It is one of the most interesting exhibits of the Hall of Athena.

Everything about Athena, from the moment she was born, was amazing. Other goddesses had divine mothers, Athena - one father, Zeus, who met with the daughter of the Ocean Metis. Zeus swallowed his pregnant wife, as she predicted that after her daughter she would give birth to a son who would become the ruler of heaven and deprive him of power. Soon Zeus had an unbearable headache. He grew gloomy, and seeing this, the gods hurried away, for they knew from experience what Zeus is like when he is in a bad mood. The pain didn't go away. The Lord of Olympus did not find a place for himself. Zeus asked Hephaestus to hit him on the head with a blacksmith's hammer. From the split head of Zeus, announcing Olympus with a war cry, an adult maiden jumped out in full warrior clothes and with a spear in her hand and stood next to her parent. The eyes of the young, beautiful and majestic goddess shone with wisdom.

Aphrodite(Kyferei, Urania) - the goddess of love and beauty. She was born from the marriage of Zeus and the goddess Dione (according to another legend, she came out of the sea foam)

Aphrodite (Venus Taurida)

Description:

According to Hesiod's Theogony, Aphrodite was born near the island of Cythera from the seed and blood of Uranus castrated by Kronos, which fell into the sea and formed snow-white foam (hence the nickname "foam-born"). The breeze brought her to the island of Cyprus (or she herself sailed there, because she did not like Kiefera), where she, who emerged from the waves of the sea, was met by Ores.

The statue of Aphrodite (Venus Tauride) dates back to the 3rd century BC. e., now it is in the Hermitage and is considered its most famous statue. The sculpture became the first antique statue of a naked woman in Russia. Life-size marble statue of Venus bathing (height 167 cm), modeled after Aphrodite of Cnidus or Venus Capitoline. The arms of the statue and a fragment of the nose are missing. Before entering the State Hermitage, she decorated the garden of the Tauride Palace, hence the name. In the past, "Venus Tauride" was intended to decorate the park. However, the statue was delivered to Russia much earlier, even under Peter I and thanks to his efforts. The inscription on the bronze ring of the pedestal recalls that Venus was donated by Clement XI to Peter I (as a result of an exchange for the relics of St. Brigid sent to Pope Peter I). The statue was discovered in 1718 during excavations in Rome. Unknown sculptor of the 3rd century. BC. portrayed the naked goddess of love and beauty Venus. A slender figure, rounded, smooth silhouette lines, softly modeled body shapes - everything speaks of a healthy and chaste perception of female beauty. Along with a calm restraint (posture, facial expression), a generalized manner, alien to fragmentation and fine detail, as well as a number of other features characteristic of the art of the classics (5th - 4th centuries BC), the creator of Venus embodied in her his idea of beauty, associated with the ideals of the III century BC. e. (graceful proportions - high waist, somewhat elongated legs, thin neck, small head, tilt of the figure, rotation of the body and head).