The goddess Pallas Athena was born by Zeus himself. Zeus the Thunderer knew that the goddess of reason, Metis, would have two children: a daughter, Athena, and a son of extraordinary intelligence and strength. The Moiras, goddesses of fate, revealed to Zeus the secret that the son of the goddess Metis would overthrow him from the throne and take away his power over the world. The great Zeus was afraid. To avoid the terrible fate that the Moirai promised him, he, having lulled the goddess Metis with gentle speeches, swallowed her before her daughter, the goddess Athena, was born. After some time, Zeus felt a terrible headache. Then he called his son Hephaestus and ordered his head to be cut to get rid of the unbearable pain and noise in his head. Hephaestus swung his ax, with a powerful blow he split Zeus’s skull without damaging it, and a mighty warrior, the goddess Pallas Athena, emerged from the thunderer’s head. Fully armed, in a shiny helmet, with a spear and shield, she appeared before the amazed eyes of the Olympian gods. She shook her sparkling spear menacingly. Her war cry rolled far across the sky, and the bright Olympus shook to its very foundation. Beautiful, majestic, she stood before the gods. Athena's blue eyes burned with divine wisdom, and she all shone with wondrous, heavenly, powerful beauty. The gods praised his beloved daughter, born from the head of father Zeus, the defender of cities, the goddess of wisdom and knowledge, the invincible warrior Pallas Athena.
Athena patronizes the heroes of Greece, gives them her advice full of wisdom and helps them, invincible, in times of danger. She guards cities, fortresses and their walls. She gives wisdom and knowledge, teaches people arts and crafts. And the girls of Greece honor Athena because she teaches them needlework. None of the mortals and goddesses can surpass Athena in the art of weaving. Everyone knows how dangerous it is to compete with her in this, they know how Arachne, the daughter of Idmon, paid, because she wanted to be higher than Athena in this art.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru