Reaction Paper On Athena And Hera

In Homer’s epic poem the Iliad, gods and goddesses play an important role in influencing the lives of humans, and Athena is an important part of the war. The goddess Athena is written mostly as a mortal, where she signifies the personification of war. Both sides of the war know that with Athena, they will not lose. This is probably why she is the most significant minor character. Athena is the most significant minor character because she is brave, wise, and she is a warrior. Athena plays a significant role in the unfolding drama, because both the Greeks and the Trojans know that her favor, they cannot be defeated.

Throughout ancient Greco-Roman history, the Olympian Gods had very different roles in mythology. Athena and Artemis were two of the twelve gods who ruled Olympus. The goddesses portrayed many different religious aspects of this culture and played a large role in mythology. Both goddesses were believed to be virgin goddesses but still represent the ideas of growing into a woman, childbearing, and matronly duties. Throughout this paper the reader will find examples of similarities and differences between two virgin goddesses and how they represented the cultures of women, purity, and womanly duties.

Hera and Aphrodite. Two goddesses on two sides of the Trojan War. Both of them have their own personalities, and their own agendas. The two of them do have certain similarities. Both Hera and Aphrodite seem to believe in the cause they are fighting for. They do, however have very different ways about getting what they want. In The Illiad, both of these goddesses are on the opposing sides (as I stated before). Hera fights on the side of the Acheans, where Aphrodite has taken sides with the Trojans.

Athena was the Greek Goddess of many ideas, but she was famous mostly for her superior wisdom, her cunning skills in times of war, and her implausible talent for household tasks, such as weaving and pottery. She was celebrated more than any other God in ancient mythology, was the supposed inventor of countless innovations, and her figure gave reason for Greek woman to gain rights long before others of their time. The goddess of war, the guardian of Athens, and the defender of Heroes; Athena’s impact on the lives of Ancient Greeks is outstanding.

The city of Athens viewed the goddess Athena as their patron and protector. There were multiple instances in the city’s mythology where they believed that due to their dedication she successfully protected their territory and helped them to remain successful and prosperous. The entire city of Athens is dedicated to Athena. One of the main ways that they honored her was through elaborate temples or other forms of architecture. Athena was the goddess of several different things but architecture and mathematics were some aspects of her that could explain the way that they chose to honor her and why Athens was a center for progress in technology.

In ancient Greece, around 500 B.C.E, the culture was revolving around gods and goddesses. The lifestyles and actions of the people of Greece had an interdependence with the common belief of Hellenism. By understanding that many Greeks looked to their gods and goddesses in most aspects of their life, we can better understand how Greek culture worked as a whole. This can be seen specifically in Athens Greece. In Athens they looked to the Goddess Athena in particular because she was their patron Goddess. During this time a sculptor, named Phidias, sculpted a grand statue called the Athena Parthenos. The Athena Parthenos was viewed as an actual incarnation of the Goddess Athena, and symbolize victory in wars that ultimately create peace and harmony.

In Greco-Roman Culture, humans imagine the deities of mythology to be and act certain ways, due to the needs they must fill. People invented certain deities for reasons that align with what they needed from them. To examine how a deity has a certain purpose, one must first examine what they are like. Athena and Ares are examples of deities invented for very specific purposes. One must first look at Athena and Ares’ similarities and differences in relation to their characteristics, their sexuality and physical appearances, as well as their different powers and how they are worshipped, to discover why they were created.

Because the Greek culture and places a large emphasis on heritage and history, including women with essential positions in creation myths, allowed them to prove their free and powerful status in Greek mythology. One essential character

The role of the goddess is one of a supernatural being, but more importantly one in a position to pity and help mortals. Athena, the goddess of wisdom, is the most prominent example of the role; in the very beginning of the story she is seen making a plea for Odysseus' return home, and throughout the first half of the book she assists him in his journey. She is the driving force behind arranging

The goddess also kept those people strong and faithful to the success of our hero even if they had heavy doubts. In the very beginning, Athena disguised herself as a prince in order to gather crewmen for his ship. She also provided hope when it was needed for characters around Odysseus and Telemachus. For instance, when Penelope learned of her son’s absence she cried at the thought of losing yet another loved one. Athena helps Penelope by presenting herself as the phantom of Iphtime, Penelope’s sister and tells her, “Courage! Don’t be overwhelmed by all your direst fears. He travels with such an escort, one that others would pray to stand beside them.”

Even Athens, one of the most notable city-states, was named for Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy. The city state built several buildings and statues in offer to her, like the Parthenon. Also, the worship of Athena, rather than Ares, the god of war, shows the values of Ancient Greece. They valued intelligence and knowledge over brutality, battle strategy over blindly running into fight. This may have been the cause of winning the war against Persia, and the explanation of the philosophical insights and scientific advancements Athens had. Greek mythology greatly influenced Roman myths; the Roman more or less stole the stories, changed the names, then made the gods more violent. But the mythology of Greece was influenced by that of the Egyptians. Mythology was a greatly significant part of Athenian culture. Even the myths derived from Greece had lessons that were continuously used. The story of the Minotaur relays the power of the Gods, and how important it is to worship them correctly. It is a story that begins with humility, suggesting humans are not the superior race; Gods and Goddesses are. The story of Persephone is a prime example of their opinion of women. She ate a pomegranate she wasn't supposed to, and as a result was condemned to stay in hell with Hades. She was at fault, a weak and easily-persuaded girl. Much like Eve from the Bible, the woman was at fault, and

offerings in front of the goddess. Many Greeks thought of Athena as most important of

Athena and Aphrodite have similar myths about their births. According to GreekMythology.com “Athena is the daughter of Zues; her birth is unique in that she did not have a mother. Instead, she sprang full grown and clad in armour from Zeus ' forehead.” Aphrodite’s birth was similar, according to Micha Lindemans of Pantheon.org “She was born when Uranus was castrated by his son Cronus. Cronus threw them into the ocean. From the sea foam arose Aphrodite, and the sea carried her to Cyprus.” Athena and Aphrodite both have strange and similar beginnings to their lives. Neither myth mentions them having a mother, Athena arose from Zeus’ split skull after he complained of headache and Aphrodite arose from the sea foam on a sea shell. Another

Athena, to the Greeks, was the goddess of wisdom, war, and the crafts. She was the wisest, most courageous, and certainly the most resourceful of the Olympian gods. Athena was also known for her association

In various encounters throughout the book, Athena, the goddess of wisdom influences the lives of Odysseus’s family in order to improve their fate due to her favoritism for the persistent mariner attempting to return home and respect of his cleverness. Her preference to Odysseus is seen in the beginning of Book 1 stating to her father, Zeus that she is concerned of the whereabouts of Odysseus and pleads for support to deliver him