Читать книгу The Mythology of Ancient Greece and Rome - Ultimate Collection - Homer - Страница 18

Of all the children of Zeus the one who most resembled her father in nature and power and who most enjoyed his respect and confidence was the maiden goddess, Pallas Athena. The story of her birth is consistent with this special relation, since she sprang, fully grown and fully armed, from the head of Zeus.

Fig. 10. Athena (known as "Lemnian Athena").

Her did Zeus the counselor beget from his holy head all armed for war in shining golden mail, while in awe did the other gods behold it. Quickly did the goddess leap from the immortal head, and stood before Zeus, shaking her sharp spear, and high Olympus trembled in dread beneath the strength of the gray-eyed maiden, while earth rang terribly around, and the sea was boiling with dark waves, and suddenly brake forth the . foam. Yea, and the glorious son of Hyperion checked for long his swift steeds, till the maiden took from her immortal shoulders her divine armor, even Pallas Athena; and Zeus the counselor rejoiced. Hail to thee, child of ægis-bearing Zeus. (Homeric Hymn to Athena.)

Fig. 11. Birth of Athena from the head of Zeus.

The birth of Athena is a favorite subject with Greek artists. Zeus is represented seated upon his throne, while about him are others of the Olympian divinities. Before him stands the god of the forge, Hephæstus, still grasping in his hand the ax with which, to assist the miraculous birth, he has cleft the skull of Zeus. Athena stands beside her father, triumphant, brandishing her spear, her breast protected by the ægis, or sacred breast-plate, adorned with the head of the Gorgon Medusa. (See p. 209.) Originally, in the ancient nature myth, Athena seems to have represented the waters of heaven let loose from the clouds (represented by the head of Zeus) when the thunderbolt (the ax of Hephæstus) cleaves them. The dreadful Gorgon's head with its snaky locks, on the breast-plate, suggests the thunder-cloud and the forked lightning. At an [early time, however, Athena ceased to be regarded as a nature goddess and was worshiped as goddess of reason and practical wisdom, and as patroness of arts and crafts. On the other hand, she was the goddess of war-strategy, the defender of cities, especially her own city of Athens. As champion of civilization and justice, the almighty father granted it to her to wear his ægis. Thus she represents, as has been well said, "the warlike courage that gives peace, and the intellectual activity that makes it fruitful."

To Athena, as guardian of the city of Athens, was dedicated the Parthenon, the temple that crowns the height of the Acropolis. Here was the great gold and ivory statue by the sculptor Phidias, and hither each year the Athenians came in procession to offer to the goddess the new peplos or robe, woven by the women of Athens as an offering to the goddess of handicrafts.

Athena is represented as of strong and noble form, dressed in a long flowing garment. Her finely molded features express courage and high intellectuality. In addition to the ægis she usually wears a helmet, surmounted by a sphinx and griffins, and she holds in her hand a spear, or, frequently, a small winged figure of Victory. Other emblems are the snake and the owl. The emblem of the olive is given her as guardian of the city of Athens.

Fig. 12. Athena (known as "Minerva of Velletri").

When the great city of Athens was founded all the gods desired to have it as their own. Athena and Poseidon (Neptune) were recognized as having the best claim to it, and it was determined that of the two that one should be chosen who should give the best gift to the city. The twelve gods assembled to act as judges, and Cecrops, the king of Athens, served as a witness. The scene of the contest was the height of the Acropolis. Poseidon struck the rock with his trident and a salt spring gushed forth. Then Athena advanced and struck the rock with her spear; an olive tree sprang up. To Athena was adjudged the victory, for the olive was always a great source of wealth to the Athenian state. The sacred olive tree was preserved in the temple precinct, and the story of its miraculous sprouting in a night, when the Athenians returned to rebuild their citadel' after its burning in the Persian Wars, is told by Greek historians. To this day one may see, also, the mark of Poseidon's trident in the rock below the ancient temple. Some say that Poseidon's gift was not a spring, but a horse.

In the story of A rach’ne, Athena appears as goddess of handicrafts.

Arachne was a mortal who excelled all other maidens in weaving. Her work became so famous that the very nymphs deserted their woods and streams to see it. Nor was it more the finished work that excited this admiration than the grace and skill of the maiden while she wove. One would think that she had been taught by Pallas. Yet she herself denied this and challenged the goddess to compete with her. Angry at this presumption, the goddess determined to humble her. She put on the form of a white-haired old woman, her feeble limbs supported by a stick. "Take the advice of an old woman," she said to Arachne, "you wish to be called more skilful than all mortal women; yield at least to the goddess, rash girl, and ask forgiveness for your boastful words." The maiden angrily eyed her visitor and answered rudely: "You have grown weak-minded with old age. If you have any daughters, bestow your advice upon them! I can attend to my own affairs. Why does not the goddess come herself? Why does she avoid a trial of skill?" "She has come," said the goddess, and threw aside her disguise. The nymphs and all the bystanders worshiped, only the maiden was unterrified, and obstinately insisted on the contest. The daughter of Zeus did not refuse. Arachne began to weave; she wove a web as fine as a spider's. A thousand colors were there, so finely shaded that each faded into the other until the whole was like the rainbow. Pallas wove the scene of her contest with Poseidon. There sat the twelve gods in august assembly, kingly Zeus in their midst. There was Poseidon with his trident, and Athena herself, her breast protected by the ægis, and beside her the newly-sprung olive tree. Then, that the presumptuous girl might learn by example, Athena wove the stories of mortals who had dared to compete with gods and had suffered punishment. But Arachne was not daunted. She wove into her web stories of the weaknesses and strifes of the gods, Zeus and his loves, and jealous Hera — many were the foibles there held up to derision. Then about it she wove a lovely border. Athena herself could not but wonder at the maiden's skill, but her arrogance aroused her resentment. She struck the delicate web with her shuttle, and it crumbled into bits; then she touched Arachne's forehead. A sense of her impiety rushed over the girl; she could not endure it, and hanged herself with a skein of her own silk. But Athena did not wish that so skilful a worker should die; she cut the skein and, sprinkling upon her the juice of aconite, transformed the maiden into a spider, that- through all ages she might continue to spin her matchless webs.

Minerva was an old Etruscan goddess whom the Romans worshiped as patroness of handicrafts and goddess of practical wisdom. Her festival was celebrated by guilds of artisans and physicians, and on it school-children were given a holiday. By her later identification with the Greek Pallas Athena she became known as goddess of military strategy and as protectress of cities. Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva formed a divine triad worshiped on the Capitoline Hill.