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The story explains itself, so enjoy!
Chariclo was a goddess nymph, which came
with all of its benefits. And, on top of that, she was also deeply
loved by the Goddess Athena. The two were inseparable. Wherever
one would go, the other would follow. When Athena needed to make
a quick chariot journey to Coroneia or Haliartus, one could easily
spot Chariclo standing beside her beloved Goddess. In fact, Chariclo
always lead any of the festivals held in Athena’s honor with
singing and dancing befit for one so mighty. There were no two
people on earth who loved each other more than these two women.
One day after a particularly
hot romp through the forest they fell down laughing and panting by
the side of a spring. It was noontime and the sun’s harsh rays
drove them to disrobe and cool off in the waters. Each woman tried
to dunk or splash the other one when the chance arose. But, even
such fun can wear one out. They relaxed and began bathing and enjoying
the feel of the still water on their backs.
Chariclo’s young son was also feeling the heady excitement of
running through the forest. He and his dogs frisked about and played
back and forth until his thirst slowed their gate. His thirst began
to grow and seem to consume him, and so he sought out the nearest
reservoir of water to quench it with. He stumbled upon the same spring
that Athena and his mother, Chariclo, were bathing in, and he paid
dearly for it.
Athena jumped up when the intruder
entered the area and screamed at him. “You have seen what is against the law, and so you must be punished!” She
stared at him and then flicked her wrist. His mother watched in horror
as his eyes began to slowly take on a cloudy appearance. Soon they
were almost white, and then they turned completely the color of alabaster.
Chariclo ran to her son, sobbing as she left the spring, to try and
hide him from the threatening Goddess.
Her son reached out awkwardly
with both his hands, blindly searching for his mother’s comforting grasp. Once Chariclo realized what had happened to her boy, she began to beg and plead with Athena to release her child’s
vision. She supplicated herself before Pallas Athena and reminded
her that he was no mere child, he was her child!
Athena glared at the pathetic
pair and announced that Chariclo should be happy her son only lost
his sight. Others who have seen her thus disrobed have lost much
more. Actaeon, who happened across the angry goddess bathing in another
spring, lost his life. She reminded Chariclo that Actaeon’s mother would have celebrated Athena’s
mercy had she only taken his sight. And, so she should be grateful
for her mercy and kindness.
Athena, seeing that these words
of consolation were not having their desired effect, bowed her head
and acquiesced. She walked up to the little child, and knelt down
in front of him so she could speak to him better. “Teiresias,
from now on you will not be able to see things in this world, but
I will give you sight to see other and greater things. You will be
able to see birds and know their meaning, and to take auguries of
all kinds. People will look to you for help, and you will be able
to give it freely. You will become the most important seer in all
of Greece.”
She patted the child on his head, nodded to his mother, and walked off back into the forest. Chariclo lead Teiresias off in the opposite direction slowly so he would not trip over the brambles and roots. And so they parted, and so a great seer was born.
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This is a wonderful tale I just happened across as I was desperately searching for which story to use this week. I actually had no idea that Athena blinded Teiresias! Teiresias was the most famous seer that has been recorded in Greek history. He appears in (or is mentioned in) most great works of literature from Greece. His gift was to be able to "read the birds." To the Greeks this was one of the best and surefire ways to divine if an action was right or not. Teiresias was almost as famous as the Goddess Athena!
This particular story showcases Athena's wrath, and that even her "soft" side aren’t that tender. She blinds her best friend's son, and cannot reverse it. To appease the sobbing of Chariclo she gives Teiresias the gift of prophecy. This was a powerful gift to give him, but not one that probably meant much to the frightened and crying young boy. Athena thought and acted like a god would. She is removed from the mortal coil and the pain it brings, and so when she is faced with suffering she seems to act indifferently towards it. However, she does take pity on him, and that is more than can be said of most of the gods once they've cursed someone. So, in this story Athena uses her cold reasoning and logic to try and fix an emotional mess of a situation. The Goddess just simply was not capable of emotion herself. And I think that this lack of emotion plays up the masculine part she plays in the Pantheon.
This story is just an excerpt of a larger hymn. If you want to reference the entire text online, it can be found at The Shrine to the Goddess Athena.
(The Bath of Athena, Callimachus )
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