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Athena


            Pallas Athena is a strong mythical character. Her name has been used to express wisdom, purity, strength, leadership, and war in literature and modern culture. Her character has been used to help people express themselves thoroughly through her reputation and popularity.
             The myth of the goddess Pallas Athena came about around 700 BC. In Greece her name arose from the city that she protected, Athens. [Allardice 25] Later in Roman mythology she became known as the goddess Minerva or Athene. [Evans 31] .
             Athena had a rather strange birth. Her father, Zeus king of the gods, was warned by "Mother Earth" and "Father Sky" that the baby that impregnated his wife Metis would grow to become a son who would betray him. After hearing this, Zeus swallowed Metis to prevent his baby from being born. [George] Eventually Zeus developed a horrible headache. Hephaestus, son of Zeus and Hera, split is father's skull with a bronze axe near Cnossus beside the river Triton (which is how she obtained the name Tritogeneia). Athena burst forth from his head dressed in armor and equipped for battle. [Evans 32] .
             Pallas Athena originated as a storm and lightning goddess. She was called "bright eyes" as a tribute to aegis her shield (given to her from her father) which signified a stormy night. [George] Her birth represented wisdom springing from power (Zeus) and deep experience produced in love, fear, and pain. [Evans 32] Athena was the goddess of war. She carried aegis, which showed the head of Medusa (which means ruler)[Allardice 26] and an invisible spear also given to her by Zeus called "The Ray". [Evans 33] It was predicted that her mother Metis would have the most brilliant children of all; this is possibly what gave Athena her wisdom in war tactics. Pronoia named her the counselor goddess (Boulaia) and the goddess of the assembly (Agoraia). She was always on the side of the victor, which gave Athenians reason to be confident in their fighting.


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