Athena is the great powerful goddess of wisdom, the different arts and crafts of women, which includes weaving, cooking or spinning, and the goddess of war or battle. One said that she was the first to teach numbers, but one might think this is a myth since she herself is a myth. Her goal throughout the story of the Odyssey is to reunite Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, with his home and family, which he hasn't seen or kept in touch with for twenty years. Throughout those twenty years he was battling Troy, which was a war between the Greeks and the Trojans. He was fighting for his country and traveling on an expedition to return home to Ithaca. .
Athena's mother's name is Hera, and her father's name is Zeus. Hera is the queen of all the gods. Zues the husband of Hera is the king of all the gods. When Hera was pregnant Zeus swallowed Hera and he said he had a very bad headache so he sent Hermes, the messenger god, and then all of a sudden Athena appeared out of his forehead, and she was dressed from head to toe with armor. She was not born an infant, but a grown wise woman. That is definitely the strangest way to give birth. .
Athena kind of has a nickname, which is gray-eyed. She is also the protector of the city Athens, and represents the olive tree. Athena is called the mind of gods because she is a very intelligent person. One might say that she is kind of like an owl because owls represent wisdom, and Athena is a really wise woman. Athena is also Zeus's favorite daughter. She was the only other god that was trusted enough to carry his thunderbolts. Athena is capable of using honeyed speech to get what she wants from Zeus. For example she had used honeyed speech for getting her way into helping Odysseus return home from his long dreadful journey.
Through out the story of the Odyssey, Athena can transform herself into anyone or anything to disguise herself so people don't know she is a goddess.