Athena-Goddess of War, Wisdom, and Crafts

No guys, Athena was not the goddess of DIY or avid worshiper of HGTV, instead Athena was the favored daughter of Zeus.  The Greek mythology involving her birth states that she was born from the head of Zeus.  He had swallowed his first wife, Metis, goddess of intelligence after he was told she would give birth to a child that would overthrow him. One day, Zeus had a horrible headache and asked the other Olympians to help get rid of it.  His head was split open and Athena came forth wearing battle armor, with a spear and shield in hand.

During peaceful times, Athena would wear the flowing dress that the other goddesses donned.  When a battle was to be fought she geared up in full armor.  She was also depicted wearing Zeus's aegis, a goatskin cloak or breastplate with gold tassels.  Because she was her father's favorite, Zeus allowed her to summon his thunderbolts against her enemies.  With that said, it's cool to note that being the fighter she was (another female badass) she usually relied on her own fighting abilities to win.  

Athena in Mythology

Athena played several important roles in the Greek legend of the Trojan War.  She stepped in on the behalf of the Greeks many times, even aiding in the fall of Troy by helping the Greek carpenter Epeios build the Trojan Horse.

Patron of Athens

Athens needed a deity and 2 Olympians stepped up for the job; Posiedon and Athena.  Posiedon pierced the earth with his trident and a horse sprang forth.  Athena touched the ground with her spear and an olive tree sprouted.  From that moment on, Athena had won Athens.  The gift of the olive tree gave way to olive oil which became one of the most valuable resources in the ancient world, helping Athens to become wealthy.

Worshiping Athena

Athena was worshiped in temples all throughout Greece.  The most famous sanctuary, pictured on the left, was the Parthenon, named after Athena's cult Parthenos, meaning "Athena the Virgin".  It was built atop of the Acropolis in Athens.  Below I have linked a neat short video going in to a little more detail on what an Acropolis was to the ancient world and about the Parthenon itself, including some neat construction facts.
Acropolis & Parthenon-Cool!

Athena in Art

Inside the Parthenon stood a giant statue of Athena covered in ivory and gold.  This is probably the most famous depiction of her, however there are many statues and paintings done of her.

The photo to the left is a reconstruction of the statue of Athena that was housed in the Parthenon. It is built to the exact size the original was. Is that not cool? I think it's beautiful and imagine what it must have been like to construct that then and the time it must have took.  Art is a beautiful thing people!