Swing Painter, 'Birth of Athena', (c. 540-530 BCE)
Painter C, 'Birth of Athena', (c. 570 BCE)
Phrynos, 'Birth of Athena', (c. 560-550 BCE)
Painter of the Birth of Athena, 'Birth of Athena', (c. 470-460 BCE)
Painter of Berlin, 'Birth of Athena', (c. 550-540 BCE)
Group E painter, 'Athena Springing from Head of Zeus', (c. 540 BCE)
Rudolph Tegner, 'Zeus Giving Birth to Athena', (1873-1950)
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Why is Athena allotted the sphere of War when wars were the business of men? Think about this question as your read about the Birth of Athena! Just remember, Metis is the Greek word for wisdom or thought, and divine children are not subject to the same gestation period/growing period that mortal children are. Hephaestus is full grown only a short time after he is born.
Zeus needed a wife. Correction: He needed another wife.
He had had many lovers; Demeter,
Mnemosyne, and Leto as well as a couple wives; Metis and Themis.
But, he needed to settle down now. Well, settle might be a strong
word, and he really wasn’t
ready for that. What he was ready
for was another wife. Besides, it was always wonderful to attend
functions on Mt. Olympus with a beautiful woman on your arm that
no one else could have!
His eyes settled on cow-eyed Hera as he pondered his dire situation. Her ample curves showed she would bear many healthy children, and Zeus had often entertained himself with thoughts of her as a bedfellow.
But what would she be like as a wife?
Zeus knew that she was a bit overbearing, but he assured himself that this character flaw could be overcome with time. And, how can she refuse such an offer? Yes, his sister will be his next wife.
He proposed to Hera, and she of course accepted. They were married for only a few months when he began sleeping around again. Hera, apparently thinking that this marriage would be different from any of his others, became enraged at her husband’s lust and went out to do a bit of lusting herself! And, as these things happen, she came up to term with a child not born of Zeus. She named him Hephaestus. He was skilled in the craft of metallurgy and excelled beyond that of any other god.
While he was musing over what to do with this new child, he couldn’t help but think back on his first wife, Metis. She had been a wonder to behold. They had been happily married until one day when a prophecy was passed down that he simply could not ignore. She was destined to bear very powerful children to him. The first would be a woman equal to him in strength and wisdom, and the second child would be a man capable of overthrowing him! When he found out she was with child he immediately swallowed her. Yes, this might seem like a rash decision, but it was a just decision. He couldn’t have a son of his grow up and usurp his power, now could he?
Every time Zeus thought about Metis his head hurt a little more. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he didn’t have a headache! It had gotten worse in the past couple of weeks since Hephaestus’ birth. Then again, he had been thinking of Metis and the child she was pregnant with these past couple of weeks too. Perhaps he should just stop thinking of anything at all and go find someone to help occupy his time?
Just at that moment a sharp arch of pain slashed its way across his forehead, and he leaned back and howled in pain. His voice brought his wife and Hephaestus running in from the other room. Hephaestus, desperate to relieve Zeus of his pain, grabbed up his axe and brought it down with all of his might on Zeus’ head. As his head cracked open two small fingers stuck out over the bone. They began to peel away Zeus’ skull in a manner that must have hurt more than the headache ever did. First an arm appeared, and then a head. But, this was not the head of any normal child. This head wore a golden war helmet heavily decorated with inscriptions. The rest of the woman that popped out was arrayed in full battle gear, as though she had just suited up for combat. She sprang from her father’s head and landed heavily on the ground.
Her name was Athena, child of Zeus and Metis, and she was borne not of a woman, but of a man. Her unusual birth gave her unusual gifts. She was wiser than her mother, and as strong as her father. The spheres of wisdom and war were hers to command as no other woman before her had been able or allowed to.
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