Athena is one of the twelve gods of Olympus. She is Zeus’ daughter by the nymph Metis. Athena was actually born fully formed, and fully armed, from Zeus’ forehead, as He had swallowed Metis whole when He learned that any son she bore Him would overthrow his father.

Athena is protective of the image of the gods. She supports mortals who are pious, and punishes those who She feels are not. In one myth, She is said to have challenged the mortal woman Arachne to a weaving contest after Arachne bragged of her skill. Both Athena and Arachne produced flawless tapestries, but Athena was enraged when She saw that Arachne’s depicted the amorous adventures of the gods. In retaliation, Athena turned Arachne into a spider.

Athena is also one of the goddess who was angered by the Judgement of Paris, the Trojan prince. She had promised him that he would always be victorious in battle if he awarded Her the apple inscribed “For the Fairest”. Paris, instead, gave the apple to Aphrodite, and ultimately began the Trojan War. Athena, as a staunch traditionalist, sided with Menelaus and the Greeks.