Places of Worship
In ancient Greece, many Greek people believed that a god specifically looked after the well-being of their city-state. Athena was believed to be the patron goddess of Athens. Athena’s status as protector of Athens may have been the origin of her name. Athena’s name would sometimes vary between the different city-states where she was worshipped. For example, she was referred to as Mykene in the Greek city-state Mycaene and Thebe in the Greek city-state Thebes. The various names that Athena was called can indicate that the myths of Athena were meant to tell the story of how she became the protector of the particular city-state where she was worshipped. Athens, however, was the most notable.
Competing for Guardianship
According to Greek Mythology, Athena and Poseidon (shown right), the Greek god of the sea and brother of Zeus, fought over who would be the patron of Athens. A city-state could only have one god act as their guardian, so the people of Athens were forced to decide which of the two gods would be their main deity. The people of Athens feared that the god they did not pick would become angered and spite their city-state for revenge. Athena made the wise suggestion that she and Poseidon would each give the city-state a gift and the people of Athens would simply need to decide which gift was the most useful, and the winner of this competition would become the protector of Athens.
Victory
Poseidon was the first to offer his gift to Athens. Obviously, Poseidon granted the city-state a water related gift. He caused water to flow from a nearby mountainside down to the acropolis, creating a river of water through Athens. The Athenians were confident that Poseidon had already won, as freshwater was an important aspect of nearly all facets of daily life. However, when the Athenians drank from the stream, they discovered that the water was actually saltwater.
Athena then provided the Athenians with her own gift. With a simple wave of a hand, a beautiful olive tree grew on the acropolis. The olives were delicious and plentiful. The tree would make food and oil readily available for many years. Athena’s gift was by far the best, but would the Athenians side with Poseidon out of fear of the effect his powerful storms would have on the costal city-state? Luckily, Poseidon was mature enough to acknowledge the superiority of Athena’s gift. He congratulated his niece and, without protest, he let her become the guardian of Athens.
Athena then provided the Athenians with her own gift. With a simple wave of a hand, a beautiful olive tree grew on the acropolis. The olives were delicious and plentiful. The tree would make food and oil readily available for many years. Athena’s gift was by far the best, but would the Athenians side with Poseidon out of fear of the effect his powerful storms would have on the costal city-state? Luckily, Poseidon was mature enough to acknowledge the superiority of Athena’s gift. He congratulated his niece and, without protest, he let her become the guardian of Athens.
An Athenian Shrine
In the fifth century B.C, the Parthenon was built in Athens. The Parthenon was an impressive temple that honoured Athena. Within the temple, there was a large statue of Athena that was made partly of gold. The ancient cult of Athena would gather in the Parthenon to worship her. The cults that worshipped Athena were significantly more modest than cults celebrating other greek gods, as Athena was one of the few virgin goddesses which set her apart from the more promiscuous gods and goddesses.
A Generous Patron
It is not surprising that ancient Athenians would honour Athena to such an extent, since many ancient Athenians did believe that Athena was the creator of many inventions highly valuable to Athens. According to Greek mythology, Athena gave Athens the plow, the horse-drawn chariot, the bridle, and navigation. The plow (in some cases spelt plough) was an important farming innovation that made the cultivation of soil much more efficient. The horse-drawn chariot (shown left) was an extremely useful invention for war. The horse-drawn chariot allowed for the quick transportation of soldiers, and allowed for archers to easily shoot in motion. Bridles were used to direct horses, and allowed for horses to be used to increase the speed at which various tasks could be performed. Navigation is an important aspect of naval exploration and battle, as it was the process used to determine the position and direction of naval units. It makes sense that Athena was accredited with this invention, as Athens was known for its powerful naval armies. If Greek mythology was reality, a person could easily come to the conclusion that Athenians were lucky to have Athena as their guardian.