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| Gods and heroes |
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| Athena |
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The virgin goddess Athena was the protector of Athens, where she was worshipped at the Parthenon. As goddess of wisdom, her advice helped Greek heroes Heracles, Odysseus and Perseus overcome their trials. She was also a goddess of war but, unlike the fearsome Ares, who represented the madness and destruction of war, Athena embodied its more intellectual aspects – strategy, discipline and defence. Rather than being born, she burst forth from her father Zeus’ aching head, fully grown and dressed for battle, after Zeus swallowed her pregnant mother, Metis. But she had a softer side too, as goddess of handicrafts and the inventor of spinning and weaving.
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Photos: Ancient Art and Architecture Library |
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