Athena: Goddess of Wisdom & Strategic Warfare - (Greek Mythology Explained)

Today we take a look at another set of stories from Greek mythology that center around Athena, the goddess of wisdom, strength, strategic warfare and artistic craft.
#Athena #GreekMythology #Mythology
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[@MythologyFictionExplained]

I recorded this video 4 times and lost the audio 3 times so thankfully the Athena curse has been lifted!

[@jeanerick8583]

Cool intro. Hope you keep it.

[@HxH2011DRA]

Athena the GOAT

[@Estarfigam]

Well unlike Ted-Ed you used Heracles' Greek name more than his Roman name when talking primarily about the Greek Athena.

[@ladydais]

Guess she wanted it to be just right.

[@justzephan2267]

Can you make it a video about Indra he is a Hindu god affect the king of the Hindu gods he’s also a thunder God and a lot like Zeus

[@roryallan9711]

Don't you just hate it when you have a headache, so you tell your friends and they think the most logical thing to do is to split your head open with an axe, and so they do, and a fully grown woman wearing armour head to toe emerges from your head. ugh it happens all the time to me 😫.

[@zaindaud2484]

Hahahaha lol 😂😂

Lol.. nice😆

[@magicalwizard9539]

😂😂😂

[@maryamelb4918]

I dont get it. Can you explain the meaning of this?

[@jiminiepabo6982]

😂😂

[@moondoor9031]

I think people misunderstand Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom, not kindness.

[@MythologyFictionExplained]

Some people can't distinguish between the two.

[@IsaiahWong8]

When a maiden comes to seek forgiveness from a goddess and said goddess looks upon her with nothing but disgust and curses her for a rape that wasn’t her doing that is not wisdom that’s not justice and that is not truth. Wisdom is truth it is honesty it isn’t betrayal nor is it malicious. If she was wise she would see the truth and not curse her. When it comes to wisdom it isn’t fair in the senses of what we expect it to be but it doesn’t mean cursing one who had broken a vow unwillingly.

[@veronicageorge3825]

Sometimes, I don't think she was wise in certain situations.

[@josephepps7805]

Moother of minetar!🤔

[@raven3moon]

Rav Wenn Remember though, the Arachne and priestess Medusa stories weren't Greek in origin, they were Roman. They're not stories of Athena, but her Roman counterpart, Minerva. Arachne as a character, especially, didn't exist in Greece, she's a 1st Century Roman invention (as is the story of the rape of Medusa). Even so, how many of the other gods and goddesses of the pantheon were written as being exceedingly kind or tolerant, especially of mortals? Ovid wrote The Metamorphosis for a very specific reason, which was to highlight abuse of power, especially as related to Emperor Augustus. Augustus commissioned Ovid to write a book that glorified him and his lineage, and Ovid, disgusted with Augustus' hypocrisy, excesses, and restrictive laws, subverted his own writing by including as many stories of hypocrisy and abuse as possible. Apparently, though, Augustus never caught on to this, because Ovid wasn't executed for treason, though he and his daughter were exiled separately for something else, a few years after he'd finished the Metamorphosis.

[@ophelias4172]

Athena was and still is my absolute favourite of the Greek gods.

[@unregisteredassaultbutterk1185]

Friend has headache, of course the most logical treatment is cleaving his head open with an axe to take a looksee

[@Jimalcoatl]

Well yeah, gotta check under the hood when something is broken.

[@fruitygarlic3601]

That's the way we did it back in my day. Now all of the young folk are using this thing called "medication and avoiding stress," but it sounds like space age nonsense.

[@vaggos013]

He is immortal, he cannot die, he cannot have a disease, so for a god it is logical. Metis lived forever inside him giving him her power of wisdom and you find weird the opening of his head? :-P

[@casimiriii5941]

And history repeated itself.

[@freyjaesir]

If your friend is a god, why not? 🤔

[@lillianheath9666]

"no i still don't read Percy Jackson" me: *deletes comment asking*

[@decoral]

Thank you for defending Athena against those stories of Ovid. The thing is that the transformation of Medusa is exclusively found in Ovid's version and onward. In the original Greek version Medusa was born a monster!

[@DeadlyAlienInvader]

So, Ovid was the first one to come up with the cruel version?

[@dreademperor2094]

I always saw Athena as a complicated goddess, unlike her father Zeus though he does have his moments but they're few and far between, she's not a good goddess but she isn't a bad one either she can be petty don't get me wrong but gods and goddesses like Zeus and Hera for example have done far worse

[@HitmanHimself]

​@@dreademperor2094 won't really call her petty either, None of greek sources showed her being petty, whenever i find one such story it turns out to be a roman writer. Only in the judgement of paris and the trojan war (written by greeks) she was petty. But interestingly that judgement involved the apple of discord, which was ment to create discord. She does help so many heroes, and has protected mortals.

[@dreademperor2094]

@@HitmanHimself that's why I said that I see her as a complicated goddess

[@LadyHawke78]

Athena has been a mythological figure who appealed to me since I was 12-13yrs old. She’s still my favorite of the main Greek Pantheon, and I’m now 42...😳 For some reason, I’ve had an affinity for owls since I was maybe 4yrs old, and still collect them. I was also SUPER close to my Dad (Rest in Peace, Dad - gone seven years...) and have always been an analytical/strategic person - working in that type of career for 17 years. Homer’s “Odyssey” is still my favorite book. And, oddly enough, I’ve also inherited my Dad’s CRIPPLING migraine headaches... starting in my early 20’s. 😂😂

[@sparkslegends7482]

Athena is my favorite Greek goddess

[@cedricgist7614]

She's my favorite too, but she has issues.

[@TheAlmightyE_7]

are you sure about that??

[@Foxsxxy]

@@cedricgist7614 she sure has

[@kitanaedenian2575]

@@Foxsxxy she doesn't

[@Foxsxxy]

@@kitanaedenian2575 stfu, what do u know

[@maki0794]

I think the Romans interchanged the personality of Athena and Ares. They portrayed Mars as a noble god, while Minerva as a corruptible goddess

[@richardrussel4567]

Based

[@GaaraFan01]

This this this !!!

[@Jumpoable]

Plus, Ovid (a Roman) didn't give a flying fork about Athen's patron goddess.

[@talimbeingaverythriftyghor5967]

Imagine that they're having dual personalities

[@rithikremendra9857]

Cuz ares was beloved in Sparta while Athens obviously loved Athena . Ares is depicted as brutal and bloody while Athena more like a strategic genius which implies the fact that most Greeks didn't like war. But it all changed under Roman pantheon. Minerva was shown as corruptible and Mars noble.

[@kallistiX1]

I think Arachne was perfectly in line with Athena's character. During the contest, she fully admitted that Arachne's work was superior but it was her choice of subject that condemned her. Athena would tolerate a great deal from humans but never outright disrespect of the Olypmians,let alone Zeus.

[@Jumpoable]

Aaah true. It was Arachne's prideful show-iffiness that pissed the goddess off.

[@prizmarvalschi1319]

@@user-dg2ub7rn8i well played

[@aubreyackermann8432]

Arachne made the most unwise move one could possibly make in Greek mythology, so I could see her punishing the disrespectful girl who had no thought for consequences.

[@sebastien4908]

She only got upset because she loves her father Zeus and will always defend him

[@thebluedragon07]

@@sebastien4908 although what Arachne displayed was very much true about Zeus being a womanizer on mortal women.

[@polyprinz]

Athena, is the most powerful of all of Zeus children. Her brothers and sisters could not match her in wit, and her brother Ares, the God of War has been bested by Athena many times in battle. She is the mistress of strategic warfare and wisdom, not to mention the arts. The owl is her symbol, for wisdom.

[@crystallight2]

Athena one of my favorite greek goddesses. She plays a part in so many greek myths. The creation of spiders, the creation of olives, the Trojan War, as she was one of the three goddess who Paris need to judge as the most fair. The role she played in getting Odious home and reclaimed his kingdom. One of her stories I remember being told as a child but have never been able to find was her aid of the god Pan. A shepherd boy wonders into the wilds of Arcadia, looking for his lost sheep. He becomes hopelessly lost and stumbles across the goddess Artemis who is hunting. He spooks her prey and she is about to shot the boy, but Pan and Dionysus intercede on the boys be half. Pan shows the boy that his lost sheep has been returned safety home as a reward for the shepherd looking so hard for his charge even though the boy is scared of the wild. Artemis agrees to spare the boy for spoiling her hunt, but only is he can bring her the ice from the heart of a mountain. Dionysus makes Artemis agree to give him one week to do so, instead of the three days she first demanded. Pan carries the boy to the mountains and drops him off. He then watches over the boy as he looks all over the mountains trying to find the ice form the mountains heart. Pan is tuched by the boys determination. And as the week is almost up he seeks out Athena to ask for her aid on the boys be half. Athena hearing the story and judging the boy not to be harmed by Artemis tells Pan that the ice from the heart of a mountain is a diamond. Pan turns to Hephaestus for a diamond for the boy. Hephaestus after hearing the boys story agrees to give boy a diamond, for a later favor from Pan. As night falls on the seventh day Pan returns to the boy. The boy empty handed ask Pan to take him back to face Artemis and her punishment. Pan to judge the boy further tryed to trick the boy into running instead but the boy true to his word demands to be returned to face judgment. Moved by the boys determination and sense of duty gives the boy the diamond and returns him to Artemis. After the boy gives the jewel to the goddess he is returned home and Pan blessed him with a large flock of sheep who would never wonder. Okay I know this story is more about Pan then Athena but she does play a role in it. As it is only through her wisdom that Artemis riddle is solved. I remember this story being told to me as a child but I have never been able to find this myth anywhere as an adult. If anyone knows where to find it please let me know.

[@29gopikrishnap2]

Doesn’t matter if it’s off topic , thanks to u i got to know about a another interesting story

[@29gopikrishnap2]

Is it weird that I find most of the rarely mentioned Greek goes tend to be much more fair and just than others who are much well known ?

[@crystallight2]

@@29gopikrishnap2 not weird at all. Greek mythology showed their deities as very humanistic. The Greek deities were far from perfect, but full of the virtues and sins of man. For me at least that's why I love Greek mythology, the gods despite all their power still faced challenges and could fail.

[@cedricgist7614]

I also thank you for sharing this myth. Did you ever read "Bulfinch's Mythology?" It's the first place I'd check - although I barely got started reading it when I borrowed it decades ago. Pretty thick book.

[@crystallight2]

@@cedricgist7614 I did check there. And a few other places. I've never been able to find it. I really need to go to Greece and ask people if they know it.

[@taucetii3412]

The Parthenon. is the temple of Athena, as the name Parthenon translates into " House of the Maiden " Athena was also worshipped as a Virgin Goddess. Actually Athena was born out of the head of Zeus because she represented the use of wisdom and the intellect, rather than the sheer power of Zeus' lightening. Athena is the youngest and most evovled of the greek goddesses as she was the last of the great gods

[@ChasingGods]

Thank you for explaining the duality of Athena. She is one of my favourite deities due to her noble traits of wisdom and justice. I've always been confused myself, when hearing stories depicting her as an evil one. It didn't make sense to me. But it does now... It's simply someone else's rendition of her (Ovid). People, figures and heroes often have different stories. It's so important to understand their sources, in order to make your own fair judgment. Great video thanks !

[@RiBear2009]

Athena and Hestia are two of my favorites

[@athenstar10]

Athena is my favorite. Initially I was fascinated with Greek Myhtology and unknowingly then discovered that my name was derived from Athens which, is the city named after her but as I read more about her I've realized we share the same passion for knowledge and wisdom.

[@jonnysith]

She was always to the true God of War to me. Won in the most strategic way possible where Ares just loved the mindless bloodshed and butchery. And she always came out on top.

[@beckakellaway3360]

It’s good to hear the other version of the Arachne myth. I was going to write it out in length on your Arachne video thing. But that’s the one that I always tell. That Arachne looking up and seeing Athena’s tapestry woven from clouds and dyed by the sunset depicting the glory of the gods she felt certain she’d lost and ran to hang herself, but Athena knowing she’d actually won took pity on her, changed her to a spider saying “now you will forever weave beautiful tapestries only to have them destroyed.”

[@kryoruleroftheninthcircleo4151]

Having Greek friends helps me try to understand Greek mythology a lot more than on my own. And yeah it’s about as contradictory as the timeline of the Terminator franchise.

[@rohampasha9667]

I Learned everything from Age of Mythology

[@jakubgrzybek6181]

@@rohampasha9667 that game started my interest in mythology.

[@FuneralBitch]

Regarding Medusa, I wonder if she represents Athena's shadow, in part (feminine, devouring, sexual; I don't believe Athena has been described as having any of those qualities). Medusa petrified anyone who looked at her - perhaps because she showed the truth, maybe the person's true nature or their shadow aspect, which was too much for anyone to bear (frightening off of the uninitiated?). Medusa was also said to be incredibly beautiful which makes "turned to stone" an entirely different metaphor...! But I don't truly know. Just some food for thought!

[@WesternXC]

Skogsnymfen Athena used Medusa head on her shield.

[@CeddGodsWisdom]

A lot of people only read surface material and don’t really do deep research. Athena was the Medusa goddess! Kundalini Goddess. So she gave her some power to defend herself.

[@taucetii3412]

@@CeddGodsWisdom I think Athena, the goddess of wisdom, used the shield of Medusa to protect her followers from the negative effects of a Kundalini awakening. As the serpents coming out of the head of Medusa is a clear metaphor that refers to raising Kundalini in the wrong way.

[@KG-ds2fj]

yea but Arachne deserved

[@scarletfluerr]

Athena was asexual she didn't care that's Medusa was raped , because she didn't care about sex. So she had no problem punishing Medusa for being the victim of a rape.

[@andyquinn3996]

I'D SAY THAT SOUNDS PRETTY WEIRD BUT IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE AN EVERYDAY IN MITHOLOGY, couldnt have said it better XD

[@DimitrisGenn]

I always had this headcanon/fanfiction (don't know what else to call it) that Athena was destined to overthrown or replace Zeus as ruler of the gods, thus fulfilling the prophecy. Why has no one thought of making a story (book, movie) out of this?

[@Shiobana753]

Saint Seiya has Zeus leaving Olympus and giving the throne to Athena.

[@Werezilla]

Technically such a story already exists. God of War 3. Think about it, she was manipulating Kratos all along to destroy Olympus so she could be the sole god of the world. Which almost worked until Kratos gave hope back to humanity. From what we can tell Kratos succeeded since Athena doesn't appear to have influence on the Norse Lands.

[@DimitrisGenn]

@@Werezilla hmmm, never actually thought of that.

[@angelacooper8973]

If she were male it would work. My headcanon is she eventually marries Pallas the god of warfare and creates a child that usurps Zeus

[@cedricgist7614]

You're suggesting messing with the "canon" - which is OK, since the canon is so contradictory. What about Zeus' unborn son?

[@Jobe-13]

In one of the original stories of Arachne, Athena complimented and admired Arachne’s work and only turned her into a spider as a form of mercy because Arachne tried committing suicide after Athena ridiculed her work because it was literally showing porn of Athena’s dad and uncle. The newer version depicting Athena as a villain was a later ret-con of the story by Ovid.

[@thebluedragon07]

Well in the Greek version she did tear the tapestry and strike Arachne with her staff four times which would then lead Arachne into despair to cause her to hang herself. Pretty much Athena was in a way a sore loser given the fact that Arachne was indeed correct in calling out the bs that her father pulls by forcing/tricking women to have sex with him and they would suffer for it at times.

[@HitmanHimself]

​ @thebluedragon07 well what you're saying has no greek source. Even the version that the video talks about Zeus punishing Arachne doesn't have any greek source. If it has then i would like you name the writer. There are only two arachne myths having actual ancient source are 1. by Ovid and 2. Virgil. And both of them are roman writers. what you mentioned is nothing but the Ovid's version. The Virgil one was where arachne and her twin brother were taught weaving and fighting by Minerva (Athena), later they injuldge in a incest relationship, Minerva disgusted curses arachne and her brother to become a spider.

[@cameronclemente7773]

"Athena get out of my head" Kratos telling Athena to leave him alone

[@talimbeingaverythriftyghor5967]

Bruh moments

[@themcorndogs22]

Rip kratos

[@gabbpolicarpio1236]

I bet Athena was insulted (since she knew that reference hihi)

[@vaggos013]

There is another version of the myth about the city of Athens. Cecrops called the citizens of the city to vote who from the two gods would be the patron god. Men voted in favor of Poseidon and all women voted Athena, but women were by 1 woman more than men and Athena became the patron goddess of the city. Poseidon was angry and he sent huge waves and flooded Attica (the region where Athens is) and the only way for them to placate his wrath was that women of Athens had to resign from the right to vote. This was a myth of why women in Ancient Athens had no right to vote, and a myth of the passing from matriarchy to patriarchy.

[@canalmoins6237]

Very interesting and helpful initiative indeed . Thank you a great deal !

[@joelawson396]

I don't remember when or where, but I first learned of Athena being born from Zeus' thoughts and having no "biological" mother, but because she was so intelligent and respectful to Hera, Hera treated her like a daughter. Athena was also said to be one of the very few goddesses to be chast and pure, which was a reason she was close with Artemis and disliked by Aphrodite. Athena also clashed with Ares constantly due to his jealousy and admiration toward her. There were also some cases where Ares was the closest Athena had to a lover. Just goes to show how many iterations there are for Athena

[@dreademperor2094]

What's funny is that a few years back I thought of a story about Ares and Athena actually getting together and have a son who possessed traits from both of them and becomes the god of destruction, but I abandoned the idea for some reason

[@kellswitch]

Thank you for making the point about Ovid, it was not one I had considered before but it helps make a little bit of sense of it all.

[@sarahgirlisit]

You defiantly gave a better version of Athena. Great video!

[@superlord1428]

I'm glad you take into account the many different versions of the different versions of the stories. I think Athena gets a bad rap.

[@cedricgist7614]

I like her but she still has issues.

[@typhon8]

Love Athena she is my favorite goddess ever she’s so beautiful and so smart really love her 😄

[@sarahtobore2832]

Do a heroes series next; Theseus, Perseus, Odysseus, Achilles! Thanks! Always looking forward to your videos!

[@nicesed]

Read Percy Jackson Greek gods and Greek Heroes you will find it true to greek mythos as well as funny.

[@randomthoughts635]

I'm so glad I was able to watch this video.☺ I always see her as a great goddess. Her stories were the ones that made me want to know all about the greek mythology. Thank you for the video.💖

[@Trisherboops]

Makes more sense to turn Medusa into a Gorgon to protect herself because she was raped and never willingly had consensual sex in her temple . Thanks for clearing that up

[@DeadlyAlienInvader]

And yet, cursed her into a monster that turns others into stone? Couldn’t Athena have the power to come up different solutions?

[@thebluedragon07]

@@DeadlyAlienInvader if she were actually thinking straight and not let her pride as a Pantheon god get in the way for her to listen to Medusa's story. Given the fact that Medusa was a loyal priestess of Athena's temple and that she was so beautiful that people were going to her temple just to only see her instead of worshiping Athena, that frustration would cloud her sense of judgement.

[@HitmanHimself]

​ @thebluedragon07 well Ovid who wrote the version never even said that Medusa was 'Loyal Priestess' of Minerva, it was only mentioned that Neptune assaulted her in Minerva's temple.

[@HitmanHimself]

It was never mentioned in the ovid's writing that she did that to protect herself, its a modern interpretation.

[@HitmanHimself]

​ @DeadlyAlienInvader well in the paintings it was only shown that Perseus looks away when he was decapitating medusa's head. Maybe because of that modern interpretations have taken that as made up the whole 'turning into stone'. because in the writngs it was never mentioned that medusa could actually turn people into stone. Neither any paintings having depictions of it.

[@SiobhanOConnell519]

A lot of people assume that the Greek deities automatically equate to the Roman deities and is not the case for quite a few of the "connections". Aries and Mars for instance but also like here, Athena and Minera

[@SiobhanOConnell519]

*Ares

[@SiobhanOConnell519]

*Minerva

[@nicolasmouzakis650]

Makes sense minerva was more cruel than athena, ancient rome was an empire centered on conquest so their gods should be a bit less friendly

[@DeadlyAlienInvader]

Then again, weren’t the ancient greeks also cruel?

[@nicolasmouzakis650]

@@DeadlyAlienInvader oh yeah, they never were nice peopke to begin with

[@ericaphillips2149]

Athena is my spirit guide :) thank you for the information on her!

[@ShadyStranger]

She has always been my inspiration for a girl's name, if I'll ever have one. But I am surely thinking more of the traditional greek version of Athena. She's strong enough to match Ares, and yet she does so with wisdom and she's capable of compassion. That sounds like the whole package to me in terms of gods :)

[@idraote]

Just for extreme precision's sake, the totem animal of Athena is the little owl, Athene noctua. In the Mediterranean the owl and the little owl are considered different animals with vastly different attributes. They also have different names: in my native Italian it is "civetta" versus "gufo" and in Greek as well they have different names and are considered different animals.

[@GaaraFan01]

idraote what is the difference supposed to be?

[@canalmoins6237]

The Italian word " civetta " is the same as the French word " chouette " In North Africa the owl is regarded as a bad omen ; a sign of death & ruin . Thanks for your precision sake !

[@calicat-mu6cw]

Thank you

[@KaiahAurora]

In uni, I wrote an (alarmingly long) paper on how Athena was basically playing the board until either she or her younger brother, still being incubated inside Metis inside Zeus, would kill Zeus and take over. She butts heads with Poseidon all the time, because he's a potential threat. Apollo would logically be Zeus' heir, but he has such an unsuccessful love life that you have to wonder if either Zeus or Athena is causing his potential partners to jump off cliffs or turn into plants (or just die). Throughout the Iliad, Athena and Hera both rebel against Zeus and seem to hold harsh feelings towards him. Medusa could be seen as a long-haul game to gain power, as she produced Pegasus and Chrysaor. The biggest indicator for me is that in the Appollodorus, it's Gaia who tells Zeus of the prophecy that his son (or child) will overthrow him, and as we all know, prophecies always come true...

[@omniavanitas7893]

Athene's younger brother was never conceived, so how could he be incubated inside Metis? Also, , prophecies don't always come true. Zeus was supposed to have a son by Thetis who would become the lord of heaven, but he managed to avert that. Likewise a mortal woman whose name I don't remember managed to avert a prophecy by simply killing her son the moment she learned of his potential.

[@lindseyshupee]

@@omniavanitas7893 What if Jesus is one of Zeus's children? He talks about his father in heaven. What if it's all real to varying degrees. idk... idk...

[@AmberW28]

This is such an FANTASTIC video!!! Thank you for explaining the difference in personalities between traditional Athena vs Ovid's Athena or Minerva. I've recently fallen into studying Greek Mythology under personal interest, and it was a bit distressing to me how her character was showing such stark contrast between versions of the stories. I love your explanation that if she was the goddess of knowledge and wisdom- she is likely to be calm and steady. Not rash and cruel. Those are traits of people who do not think of consequences. Keep making these videos! You're so awesome!

[@conannln7287]

It kind of makes sense that Ovid, a Roman, would portray Athena as petty and cruel. As you said in the video Athena was beloved by the Greeks and might been seen as a representation of the Greeks and Ovid, being a Roman, probably liked Ares/Mars a lot more and decided to do a little PR spin job and paint Athena, and all Greeks, as petty and selfish. Love your videos man and I'm going to go bing watch as many as I can now!

[@Ryan-fh9fh]

Praise Athena!

[@the_fusion7183]

5:51 Best line ever

[@nerdothn892]

After having seen many depictions of athana. She isn't just the goddess of wisdom but also of beauty

[@lindseyshupee]

She is beautiful

[@MichaelButchin]

I recently wrote a novel retelling the story of Medousa from her own point of view. I of course relied partly on Ovid's tale, and Athena becomes something of a villain. I have heard the idea that Athena transformed Medousa, giving her a weapon with which to protect herself from men in future. However, I find it difficult to accept that interpretation when it was Athena who assisted Perseus in finding and killing her former priestess.

[@daniellogan-scott5968]

As many know, our modern superheroes are derived from classical mythology. This is particularly true in DC comics. At the end of the animated Justice League War it becomes very explicit. The Flash as Hermes, Shazam (Capt. Marvel) as Zeus, Green Lantern as Apollo, Aquaman as Poseidon, and implied Wonder Woman as Athena. In this they equated Batman with Hades, but more often Batman is associated with Odysseus, the clever mortal surrounded by semi-divine heroes. With this in mind and considering that Odysseus was probably Athena's favourite, it seems that any modern follower of Athena who wanted to get her attention would need to strive to be like Odysseus. In other words -- be Batman.

[@Cell287]

Daniel Logan-Scott explain Superman

[@jofez27]

Thank you! Always love your channel! Greek mythology is my favorite and Athena is one of my all time favorite goddesses besides Artemis. Almost 20 years ago, in middle school, I read slightly different versions. Zeus swallowed Metis because an oracle foretold of Metis' children. 1st would be a daughter who is very skilled and another would be a son who would overthrow him like Zeus overthrew Cronos. Zeus didn't want to take a chance even for the 1st child, so he swallowed Metis, but then Athena was born from his head. For Arachne, Athena grew jealous over her tapestry and shredded it in front of her. Arachne was overwhelmed with grief that she hung herself. However, Athena, realizing what she did, had sympathy for Arachne and turned her into a spider so she can continue on weaving beautiful works of art.

[@cedricgist7614]

Thanks for sharing what you remember. You're the fourth person to mention Zeus' unborn son. I call him Agapistos, and when he emerges he will be stronger than his father, wiser than his sister, surpass all the gods in ability and virtue. He will be a serious threat to his father yet committed to peace and harmony. Thought I'd share that with you. If you publish the story before me, I won't be angry....

[@nora8176]

My favorite godess 🧡

[@TheEbonchi]

My first name is Athena and I hate people demonizing an otherwise wonderful goddess (one i'm proud to be named for) for later roman writings, i'm so glad you included the original versions of psyche and medusa.

[@decoral]

1000% agreed!

[@DeadlyAlienInvader]

Did the romans really created that version or was it a retelling of another older version? We must remember that even before the Romans, there are different versions of the greek myths.

[@TheRazorTongue]

Athena was always one of my favorites.

[@mechajay3358]

Greek Mythology always had more interesting stories to dive into.

[@awills900]

I waited so long for this video. My favorite of the Greek gods and goddesses.

[@maugustyniak]

Iformative and undramatic - Brilliant, in a single word.

[@HylianOni]

Good Athena: Canon Evil Athena: Noncanon Got it!!

[@gabbpolicarpio1236]

U find the latter in the GoW series

[@DeadlyAlienInvader]

And which one is the original?

[@dreademperor2094]

@@DeadlyAlienInvader depends on the story and which version of said story

[@DeadlyAlienInvader]

@@dreademperor2094 yes but which one is the original one?

[@dreademperor2094]

@@DeadlyAlienInvader I'll have to say the nice one

[@edsheart]

I think if you hear the Greek version of Athena you'll get the real story. Athena s my girl.

[@MrRushhour4]

Athena= Greek Mythologies best girl

[@elgranlugus7267]

Greek - Athena Norse - Skadi Irish - Morrigan

[@daniellogan-scott5968]

Britannia was modeled on Athena

[@nathanstultz3434]

Hestia is best girl

[@bookwormswiftie5308]

To me, psyche is the best. I Kno she's not like a main girl, but yeah. Athena is my second favourite. And afro is my least favorite. A huge fan of Percy Jackson.

[@knightarmor6981]

More like jealous cold hearted girl

[@rebxorn3547]

this is so fascinating. i’m here after reading madeline miller’s “circe” and i think i’m hooked on this greek mythology business :’)

[@dymonddavis7847]

I love Athena

[@jacopoarmini7889]

I think Athena is the goddess of civilization, born of Zeus the god of order and Metis the goddess of Crafts and arts. That's why she is rather ambiguous, as civilization tends to prioritize the needs of the collective rather than the individual (that's also why she helps heroes).

[@herowl1437]

+Jacopo Armini - I think you nailed it. The traditional gods tended to be personifications of forces or ideas. They had specialties that slowly got stretched and added to over the millennia. But, there original purpose was to teach about some aspect of reality through analogy or parable. They were also there to help people "channel" the characteristics of particular forces or ideas, such as the courage of Aries (god of war) or the wisdom of Athena. This may seem odd to people who are familiar with present day monotheistic gods that are depicted as all powerful, and often wrathful, beings who can do everything. That is not how traditional pagans generally thought about Divinity.

[@yamibliss]

Long ago I read the story of Athena and Pallas. But in the version I read Pallas was Poseidon daughter. So they where cousins. Yet just as you mention she died in a sparkling section with Athena.

[@momop1848]

Great video! The stories about Medusa and Arachne always bothered me. It's nice to have some clarity.

[@cedricgist7614]

Athena is my favorite goddess, but she has issues. She's nearly described as bipolar (if not schizophrenic) which is not surprising considering who her father is and the fact that she's identified with wisdom and war.

[@Cell287]

Spencer Grant the video says there is many interpretations of the myths. The most fair video to Athena

[@melodicmiserii]

@@cedricgist7614 yay armchair psychology on stories from hundreds of years ago

[@noahparker1431]

Athena is my second favorite goddess

[@brittdecker5137]

I really enjoy these videos but REALLLLY love the Skyrim music in the background. Makes them so much better. Relaxing :)

[@kryoruleroftheninthcircleo4151]

I thought Athens was named after Athena herself.

[@Boss_Isaac]

+Kryo, the Ruler of the Cold Circle of Hell, a Demon According to the myth, yes. In reality, we don't know; Athena could've been named after the city or vice versa.

[@Biestdrinker]

@@Boss_Isaac Nope the myths clearly say that Poseidon and Athena did a little competition about what the name of the city would be. Athena gave the people of Athens an olive tree which they were very happy about thus choosing Athena to name their city after.

[@Boss_Isaac]

+Seiðrsok That's what the *_myth_* says, after the city of Athens had been established for awhile. In reality, we don't actually know if the city was named in honor of the goddess or if it was the opposite.

[@runningwithscissors8679]

That's what a story say,when Poseidon lost the competition,which was about creating something for the city to love/use,Athena made an olive tree,while Poseidon made a lake or something,he lost and ofc Athena won,the city was named after her,'Athens'.

[@keeperofthewrittenempires1732]

I agree

[@Zamalshkay]

holy shti dude i remember when u started doing god of war videos u had as small as 20k subs congrats on 300k KEEP UP

[@annhitchcock3093]

Thank you. Athena’s da bomb.

[@katelynxoxopineapple9079]

Yess finally my fav goddess

[@petra8770]

Am I actually early??also did I mention how much I love your channel💞:))

[@NapoleonCalland]

Thank you for a magnificent video on my favourite Graeco-Roman goddess (no disrespect to any other divinities is implied, and even Zeus is on record as being of the same opinion). I think your point about Ovid's portrayal of Minerva (as basically acting out of spite or jealousy) makes an important distinction. Ancient Romans could be extremely misogynistic, whereas ancient Greek theology was more respectful of noble female deities such as Athena, Demeter and Hestia. Even Hera's jealousy isn't without its reasons, even if the mortal women and other deities (eg. Leto) and their children aren't responsible for her divine and august spouse putting his mighty thunderbolt about. So it's not surprising to see poor Minerva slandered / libelled by Ovid (who didn't have much respect for authority of any kind), and as syncretism had it that Athena was the Greek name of Minerva, we do get a disconnect, as you said, if we read or listen to Ovid uncritically. Conversely, the Romans were more careful than the Greeks (with Aphrodite) about how they portrayed the ancestor of Aeneas and the Julii, representing her as Venus Victrix (Venus the Victorious). I've also heard that Athena allowed Prometheus, whom she's said to like and admire, to steal fire from Hephaestos's forge to give to mankind. As to why she didn't get horribly punished, unlike Prometheus, see my point further up about fathers and daughters. *Homeric Hymn to the Goddess Athena* -> kzbin.info/www/bejne/eILQg2N-n6drZpY 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@shadowlynx1958]

I'm so glad I discovered this channel! Your videos show that you do your research thoroughly. AND you're not afraid to say when sources are unclear on a point or that we just don't know for sure. You also make a distinction between what the ancient tales say and the modern mythos generated by the rebirth of paganism and wicca. No matter how much I already knew about a particular deity or creature, I always learn something new from watching. Thank you!

[@bananewane1402]

I strive to be like Athena

[@nisibonum7634]

As I heard the story, Poseidon gave a horse that the Athenians could use for war but Athena gave them olive that they could use for peace and trade.

[@carsonbode6640]

I've heard a slightly longer version of this story where Poseidon first gave the city Salt and Athena gave olives, since these are both lucrative trade goods it was considered a draw. Then Poseidon gave the city horses and in response Athena gave the bridle (and presumably the knowledge to train horses), after which Athena was declared the victor.

[@wcapewell3089]

Great video. Despite learning much of this through percy jackson (and i know your probably sick of hearing about that at the minute), it is always good to learn different versions of the same story. Since your doing videos on greek gods, may i recommend a video on artemis and apollo?

[@PragmaticEmpath]

The name Athena followed me all week. Now I’m here. Thanks for the wisdom 🙏💫✨

[@the7th425]

I LOVE that you include and compare all the different stories and aspects, thank you so much!!!!

[@TBorderFall]

With this, it's clear why Sony Santa Monica chose Krato's guide to be Athena, and why they wanted to repeate the patricyclical (patricide-cycle) nature of the Greek Pantheon with their games. That's excellent research and story telling in my opinion. There are a couple plot holes with the prequels to the first and second title, but if it was perfect continuity, it wouldn't be Greek mythology. X)

[@big-loss_9043]

What are you talking about

[@alexandrahulett5742]

Fun fact palutena from kid Icarus is based off of Athena.

[@Stefon02554]

this is a great Athena video love how medusa and Arachne are in it like variants of Ishtar thanks for all your work... often times bad luck gets in the way of progress, gods are watching.

[@jessicaeves6642]

I have been watching your videos on Greek mythology for about 2 months now and I want to say thank you, for years I have wanted to understand the Greek Deities and since I have found your channel my knowledge on them has expanded dramatically. I do love the new theme of your videos as well. I would love to see a video following the "family tree" of the Greek deities.

[@tychoinshadows]

In some versions at least. Metis, an immortal, survived being swallowed and then lived inside Zeus, speaking wise advice to him from within his own belly.

[@decoral]

She actually was located in Zeus's head, not his belly. That's why Athena came out of there😂!

[@omniavanitas7893]

@@decoral That's not what Hesiod says.

[@jakubgrzybek6181]

So Roman interpretation is like that to take away prestige from Athena and her city.

[@jwbarnette1990]

Love the videos man. Also props on the elder scrolls song playing in the background of this video.

[@dameranhel]

I truly enjoyed the idea that the different versions of the Athenas' is based on interpretation. 🤙🏼

[@zvonimirtomac7896]

The version where Athena transforms Medusa for protection makes no sense to me. Sure no-one could rape her but now people wanted her dead. How is that better? She even helped Perseus in killing Medusa which makes even less sense.

[@MrRushhour4]

Honestly what else could she do. She can't really kick Posidens ass, if he wanted to rape her again he could. At the end of the day by turning her into a gorgon she could at least keep most men at bay and Posiden wouldn't lay a finger on her again. As for Perseus I got nothing without being too convoluted.

[@Boss_Isaac]

+Max Von Britannia So she decided to transform a rape victim into a hideous monster?

[@MrRushhour4]

Boss Isaac Ok its not an ethical decision, but it gets the job done

[@Boss_Isaac]

+Max Von Britannia Not really. _Book IV_ of the __Metamorphoses_ explicitly states that Athena did that to punish Medusa.

[@vaggos013]

It doesn't make sense because the original and most ancient myth is that Medusa is, like her sisters, daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. She had divine ancestry and she was already monstrous like her sisters but unlike with them she was mortal. Poseidon had sexual affairs with her (that is why Pegasus and Chrysaor were born after her beheading) but she was not the priestess who later became a gorgon. She was born gorgon. All the others are myths of the Roman times. Don't forget that what we know as Greek Mythology was the religion of Greeks and later Romans for centuries and some authors later created different versions of myths.

[@writer_thewitch]

Pallas was also the name of the Titan of Warcraft, Husband to Styx

[@El-sr1id]

She is also the Goddess of poetry, the hunt,the moon, the stars, Athens,skill,crafts, oh she is just so cool. I pray to her daily....nothing like listening to some good music under a full moon and keeping athena in your heart and head .. truly. A Goddess of supreme beauty and wisdom. They are all cool. All of them. But Athena is just soooooooo cool. Artemis and Hestia are too. So is Nyx. They are all so freaking cool. Oh I love greek mythology so much. I'ma learn about all of them so hard. You are a saint. I live how you explain things friend. I learned much. Gods and Goddesses are just amazing. Truly . Incredible. Or maybe Artemis rules over the stars? Idk I would be lying if I said I did. And Zues will never be overthrown. He will always be remembered and respected. Zues is the maker of great heroes after all. We need him. The lore here is just so rich. We could talk about this till the end of days. I feel the mythology is ever evolving.. always growing. It is not something with an end that died with the birth of christianity. Greek gods and goddesses are very real... And Mt.Olymous thunders with the roar of applause... Ahhahahha

[@erikahespinozah5160]

Lol! I love when you "sum it up" at minute 6. Mythology is wild and crazy and sooo interesting. Thanks again! Love listening to these.

[@dogium3332]

Athena, the smart god of war.

[@talimbeingaverythriftyghor5967]

Athena is lit Ares with brain cells

[@Eric_The_Cleric]

"Considering throughout Greek mythology there are many timelines that contradict each other" So what you're saying is that mythology were literally just the comic books of the time???

[@molliethomas2585]

They pretty much were

[@29gopikrishnap2]

Well Stan Lee wasn’t there to end their misery, so sometimes u gotta do what u Gotta do I guess

[@onvogmasaj]

and vise versa.

[@AssA9Ash]

THESE INTROS!!!! 😍😍😍 I JUST CANT GET OVER THEM!

[@radicalman135]

Your intro always gets me hyped. Also liked how u added a Skyrim soundtrack into the video. Gave it a nice vibe

[@kh91132]

Please make a video about Babylon mythology

[@aliglimmer6071]

Yes, please.

[@sayjay198080]

From the admittedly limited knowledge I have of the Etruscans I feel Athena held a different place closer to that of Zeus's role. Given the patriarchal nature of the Greeks and later the Romans I think she was demoted to that of a Daughter role than to that of a Goddess who held her own at the top. Some of the evidence I've seen suggests that the Etruscans held women in higher esteem and that woman played a more active role in society rather than being treated as Chattel. I also believe these factors are what give us the strange duality of Athena's nature. It seems we've lost part of Athena in translation.

[@Cell287]

sayjay198080 did you know spartan women can own land?

[@nalinive]

Hail to Goddess Athena 🙏 May i never live without de shield of ur protection!

[@marving.5436]

thank you you just don't know how I appreciate your work, I've been playing this on hours before bed, it seems like I'm a child listening to bedtime stories and I love it, I love your narration and you got a sweet voice

[@derekhogan9685]

Speaking of Minerva, I'd really like to see more on the Roman gods. Not just their greek counterparts but others as well. More titans too.

[@loboazule7297]

Isn't Roman mythology just Greek mythology with different names?

[@Boss_Isaac]

+panic attack No.

[@Shiobana753]

@@loboazule7297 a vast majority of it is. Off the top of my head the Aneid is the only original Roman Myth.

[@Boss_Isaac]

+Ky Kiske Original? That thing was pretty much a rip off of the _Odyssey!_

[@Shiobana753]

@@Boss_Isaac Oh yeah. I forgot all the stuff Virgil stole from Homer. Does the myth of Romulus and Remus count?

[@Voxdalian]

Athena and Artemis are my two favourite gods. Which is funny because their respective cities (Athene for Athena and Sparta for Artemis) have a very hard rivalry.

[@jascrandom9855]

Athena is like the Ms.Perfect Class Rep, while Artemis is the Female Soccer team Captain who everybody suspects is a Lesbian.

[@Voxdalian]

Artemis is sporty, but not a "soccer team captain"-type, I could imagine her sort in a track run or relay or things like long jumping, and not as a captain, she had hunting companions, and she also took part in hunting parties, that's not really captain-type. Though you could say she's the best of the bunch and has the ego that comes with it, like a star athlete in a team.

[@jascrandom9855]

" she had hunting companions, and she also took part in hunting parties" That's Very captain-like

[@Voxdalian]

If two people hunt together that doesn't mean one of them is the leader. And with "taking part in hunting parties" I mean she didn't lead them, otherwise I'd have said "she lead hunting parties", though she probably did that too a few times, just like everyone will lead something a few times.

[@palethiaminerva4704]

they're both the virgin feminist goddesses though.

[@btetschner]

Thank you for the video, it was very helpful especially in addressing the conflicting viewpoints of her. Very clear storytelling, which allowed me to understand more easily.

[@ceez3317]

Just got back from Greece and was blown away at how much everything revolves around Athena