Athenas Impact on the Lives of Ancient Greeks Essay

Athena was the Greek Goddess of many ideas, but she was famous mostly for her superior wisdom, her cunning skills in times of war, and her implausible talent for household tasks, such as weaving and pottery. She was celebrated more than any other God in ancient mythology, was the supposed inventor of countless innovations, and her figure gave reason for Greek woman to gain rights long before others of their time. The goddess of war, the guardian of Athens, and the defender of Heroes; Athena’s impact on the lives of Ancient Greeks is outstanding. As a resident on Mount Olympus, Athena rightfully represents both intelligence and strategy (Grant, Hazel 83). Symbols that identify with the goddess include the owl for wisdom and the olive†¦show more content†¦The girls would descend the steps of the Acropolis, a large fortress containing many important buildings. The Scirophonia was a festival in which priests would walk in a somber march under a vast sun umbrella and lastl y the Panathenea. The Panathenea festival was the largest festival in which hundreds of people walked in a massive procession to the Acropolis. The people were bringing Athena a peplos, or a robe, made by the most skilled workers in Athens. During this festival, people held races, sang songs, played music, competed in gymnastics and also music contests (The Cut of Athena 1). Along with the festivals, the Greek people built expansive temples to Athena. There is the sanctuary of Athena in Delphi, Greece, part of the great temple complex there. The sanctuary was set-aside for Athena for her role as guardian of wisdom and consciousness (Philip, Wilkinson 53). The Parthenon in Athens also has a portion dedicated to Athena, but aside from that, there are two other temples devoted to the goddess: the temple of Athena Nike and the Erectheum, both of which are also located on the Acropolis in Athens. Athena was respected throughout Greece but she had an almost cult following in Athens (The C ult of Athena 1). 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