Goddesses: Athena

Athena was one of the major deities of the Greek pantheon known as the Twelve Olympians. She is the goddess of wisdom, war, and craftwork. While she helped guide and provide counsel for many famous Greek heroes, she could also be wrathful and punishing. 

For Further Reading:

• Women of Myth by Jenny Williamson and Genn McMenemy

• Greek Goddess Athena
• The Status of Women in Ancient Athens 

This month, we're talking about Goddesses: mythical figures who have shaped culture, history, and imagination around the world.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more.  Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. 

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, and Abbey Delk. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. 

Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.

Follow Wonder Media Network:

• Website
• Instagram
• Twitter

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Hello from Wonder Media Network. I'm Jenny Kaplan and this
is Womanica. This month, we're doing something a little different.
We're talking about goddesses, mythical figures who've shaped culture, history
and imagination around the world. Today, we're talking about a
goddess of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. She emerged fully

(00:25):
grown from the head of Zeus and is known for
her wisdom, whether aiding heroes in battle, cursing disrespectful mortals,
or inspiring young women to be more independent. She was
the most actively involved in human life of any other
god or goddess of Mount Olympus. Please welcome Athena. Thousands

(00:45):
of years ago in ancient Greece, most people practiced Hellenism.
They worshiped the Twelve Olympians, a group of gods and
goddesses who ruled the cosmos from their thrones at the
top of the fantastical Mount Olympus. To curry favor, devotes
would visit the gods and goddess's statues and leave offerings
of handmade clothes, fruit, wine, milk, and honey at their feet.

(01:09):
Some gods also held status as the patron of certain
cities in Athens that patron was the goddess of wisdom
and war and daughter of Zeus, the king of all gods.
Her name was Athena. Athena watched over ancient Athens, which
was a highly patriarchal society. During early childhood, boys and

(01:30):
girls were raised the same, but once children reached age seven,
boys were taught their father's trade, while young girls formal
education essentially stopped. Girls learned how to spin wool, make crafts,
and maintain the household. Their worth was largely tied to
the fact that one day they would become mothers, and
they weren't often permitted to leave the house. That's where

(01:52):
the cult of Athena comes in. It was common for
Greek deities to have cults devoted to them, but Athenas
in particular provided an outlain for women to participate in society.
Athens held about thirty religious festivals a year, and women
were allowed to participate in about half of them. Women
and girls who were members of the cult of Athena
held key positions and the rituals, like carrying offerings for

(02:15):
the goddess. Some women left the cult once they got married.
Others became members of Athena's clergy. Athena wasn't always the
city's patron. It all started with the contest. According to
the myth, a beautiful region in Greece called Attica drew
the attention of many gods and goddesses, particularly Athena and Poseidon,

(02:38):
the god of the sea. Zeus suggested they compete to
become the patron god of the city. They'd each bring
a gift for the citizens of Attica, and whoever brought
the better gift would win. Posidon and Athena gathered the
residents of Attica to the center of town to present
their gifts. Poseidons struck the ground with his trident and

(03:09):
a glittering stream of water gushed out from the earth,
a water source for the city. Initially, the crowd was
thrilled until they realized the water was salt water and
not drinkable. For Athena's gift, she planted a seed in
the ground. It quickly shot up into a full grown

(03:36):
olive tree with ripe olives and silvery leaves. It would
provide food, shade, and lumber. The citizens of Attica preferred
Athena's gift. She won the contest, and so the story goes.
The city was named Athens in her honor. Today, scholars
debate whether the city was named after the goddess or
the other way around, Regardless of which came first. To

(04:03):
this day, Athens is filled with temples dedicated to Athena.
The Parthenon, with its towering white columns, is an enduring
testament to the people's love and admiration for the goddess.
Athena's influence expanded beyond Athens to the rest of the Mediterranean.
Her counterpart in Roman mythology was known as Minerva. Whenever

(04:23):
I Mortal was facing hardship, during wartime or while embarking
on a perilous journey, he would call to the Goddess
of war for her trademark wisdom intact. In one story,
Athena gifted the demi god Perseus a bronze shield on
his way to slay the vicious gorgon Medusa. Athena's favors
were also depicted in the epic poems the Iliad and
the Odyssey. Before the Trojan War broke out, Athena appeared

(04:47):
to Achilles, saying, I have come from heaven to stay
your anger if you will obey. After the war, Odysseus,
king of Ithaca, survived the long journey home to his
wife thanks to Athena's guidance. Sometimes Athena used her powers
to punish mortals rather than to help them. As one

(05:08):
story goes, a woman named Arakney was gaining notoriety for
her weaving skills. She was so confident she challenged Athena,
also known as the Goddess of Handicrafts, to a contest.
Aragney wove a tapestry depicting stories of gods and goddesses
being shamed and humiliated. When Aracmee showed off her finished product,

(05:29):
Athena became furious. She turned Aracne into a spider, doomed
to do nothing but spin silk for the rest of
her days. Athena's story and legacy are complicated. She was
a goddess among powerful gods. Though she had a considerable
amount of wisdom and strength, she often had to seek

(05:50):
permission from her father Zeus. That power conflict mirrored some
of the oppression mortal women experienced in ancient Greece. In
more modern times, Athena became a common figure in art, literature,
and pop culture. She was featured in the nineties television
series Xeno Warrior Princess and she has her own Barbie.

(06:11):
Athena proved a woman could make an impact outside the
domestic sphere. She was an empowering force not just for
the women of Athens, but also for young women today.
All month, We're talking about Goddesses. For more information, find
us on Facebook and Instagram at Wamanica podcast special thanks
to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co creator. Talk

(06:33):
to you tomorrow.