1. The Goddess of wisdom, weaving, crafting and military tactics
Athena (Minerva)
The Goddess of wisdom, weaving, crafting and military tactics

2. Strange Birth Athena was born fully armored from Zeus’ head.
She was the child of Zeus and Metis.
Prophecy foretold that her child would be more powerful than her father.
Fearing the prophecy, Zeus ate Metis .
He was too late, Metis was already pregnant.
What god does this remind you of?
Cronus
She became Zeus’ favorite daughter.

4. A Popular Goddess
Some gods were more widely worshiped than others and Athena was one of the more popular.
She was widely worshiped in Greece.
Her patron city was …
Athens
While the Greeks did not favor Mars, the god of warfare; they did favor Athena who because she represented warfare in a mindful prudent fashion.
In Britton she was worshiped along with the native god Sulis as Sulis-Minerva.

6. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Amphora_birth_Athena_Louvre_F32

7. Athena and Arachne
Arachne was Athena’s student and had become an expert weaver.
She boasted that she wove better than Athena.
Athena challenged her to a weaving contest.
Arachne wove a flawless tapestry mocking the gods.
Athena wove an equally flawless tapestry glorifying the gods.
Athena was enraged at the arrogance of this mortal woman so she changed her into a spider so that she could weave webs forever.

8. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Athena_Parthenos_Altemps_Inv8622

9. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/File:Amphora_birth_Athena_Louvre_F32