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What special qualities did Athena possess?
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Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, was born fully grown from Zeus's head, epitomizing wisdom and craftsmanship. Known for her strategic military prowess, she provided guidance and support in battles, as seen in the Iliad and Odyssey. Athena also excelled in diplomacy and manual arts, symbolized by her creation of the olive tree. Her shape-shifting ability allowed her to disguise herself, enhancing her influence among mortals and gods. Despite her wisdom, her pride was evident in the contest with Arachne.
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, was born already an adult and was dressed in armor. Her special powers are evident in Homer's Odyssey and Iliad, for example. In both works of literature, she is renowned for her skill in battle and her wise counsel.
In the Iliad, Athena supports the cause of the Greeks and provides them with encouragement and motivation, as well as special assistance that enables them to win battles. She is able to don a convincing disguise as a man, so this shape-shifting side to her abilities enables her to do as she likes, whenever she likes. In addition, Athena is able to advocate for the Greeks to her father, Zeus, who is even more powerful than his daughter.
In the Odyssey , Athena appears to Telemachus when he is a young man missing his father and lacking a role model. She provides him with...
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advice and support when he most needs it. When she needs to, Athena takes on the appearance of a man, much like she did in theIliad, and she again advocates for the mortals for whom she cares the most with the higher powers on Mount Olympus.
Not of woman born but rather having sprung from the head of Zeus (what a headache!), Athena was attributed the title of "goddess of wisdom and craftsmanship." Prankish and tomboyish by nature, she grew up excelling in 1)military arts, including warfare strategy. Ironically, she was also known for her skills as 2)a negotiator and was often called upon for help in diplomacy. She also was 3)gifted in diverse manual arts. 4) Having brought forth an olive branch from a rock, Athena is also considered the "goddess of 4) cultivation."
It was not until Arachne challenged her skills in weaving that Athena lost her even temper and let her pride get the best of her. This led to the contest between Arachne and Athena in which each was to outdo the other by depicting a scene of the gods. Although Athena's tapestry was sublime, Arachne portrayed the gods in a comical way and her work was evidently superior. Arachne paid dearly for her audacious parody; Athena was declared the winner instead.