The Gifts of Athena
Athena is as benevolent in peace as she is redoubtable in war, and rends valuable service to mankind, She taught the people of Cyrene the art of taming horses. She showed Erichthonius how to harness the first war chariots, She was present while Jason's companions were building the ship Argo. Her skill was revealed in the humblest handicrafts: she invented the potter's wheel and made the first vases. But above all she excelled in woman's work. The art of weaving cloth and embellishing it with wonderful embroidery has no secrets from her. The Immortals rely on her skill and it was she who embroidered Hera's veil. She is jealous of her accomplishments and allows no one to surpass her.
In Lydia there lived a girl named Arachne who was renowned for her skill in handling needle and spindle. One day she dared to challenge the Goddess to compete with her. Athena arrived in the guise of an old woman and asked Arachne to withdraw her impious challenge. Arachne refused. Athena reassumed her divine form and accepted the challenge. Arachne at once drew threads across her loom and with cunning hand guided the shuttle through the taut netting. As a subject, she had chosen to weave the loves of the Gods. When she had finished she submitted her work to Athena for examination. Furious with her arrogance, Athena changed Arachne into a spider and condemned her eternally to spin, and to draw from her own body the thread with which to weave her web.
Although Athena's activities are chiefly concerned with useful work she is not averse to artistic creation. Certain traditions originating in Boeotia attributed to her the invention of the flute. They said that the Goddess had thought of blowing into a stag's horn, pierced with holes, in order to imitate the plaintive whistling sound made by the Gorgon when Perseus cut its throat. But in Athens it was said that Athena had not persevered with her musical efforts because the Olympians had laughed at her when she blew out her cheeks and pursed her lips. So she had contemptuously tossed the flute aside and pronounced a curse against any person who picked it up. The satyr Marsyas, who dared to take possession of the instrument was cruelly punished for his imprudence.
Athena also at times fills the role of Goddess of health: everyone knew how the architect Mnesicles who, while working on the construction of the Propylaea, had fallen and was in danger of death, had been miraculously healed by Athena who was called for this reason Hygieia.
Athena extends her protection not only to individuals but also to entire cities. She was symbolized by the Palladia or statues of herself which had, it was claimed, fallen from heaven. The possession of a palladium was a pledge of security. Athens guarded one jealously in the Erechtheum. When Danaus fled from Egypt he was careful not to forget his palladium which he carried to Lindus in the isle of Rhodes. The most celebrated palladium was that of Troy which Zeus had presented to King Dardanus. According to others it had been made by Athena herself: heartbroken at having accidentally killed young Pallas, her playmate and the the daughter of Tritonis, her foster-father, Athena carved from a tree trunk a statue reproducing the features of Pallas which she left with Zeus. Later Electra, whom Zeus seduced, took refuge behind this palladium. Zeus tossed it away and it fell on the land of Ilium, where Ilus had a Temple built for it. When the Greeks laid siege to Troy they realized that they would never be victorious so long as the city retained its palladium. Diomedes and Ulysses therefore decided to steal the precious statue, and its theft spread discouragement among the Trojans. It was said, to be sure, that Dardanus had taken the precaution of exposing to the faithful only a copy of the palladium, and had carefully concealed the original in the adytum - or innermost sanctuary - of the Temple. Thus it was the replica that the Greeks had stolen. As for the genuine palladium, it was taken after the fall of Troy to Italy by Aeneas. But it did not remain there. After many vicissitudes it was brought back to Amphissa in Locris, where it could be seen and venerated by all.
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