ATHENA, goddess of ATHENS Oh proud goddess of the Aegean Bright-eyed, shrewd and fearless, Of immortal Athens protectress! Tritogene, forever newly sprung From the mighty head of Zeus, You were born not from Woman But from the Olympian fountain That of old and even now hellene Strength and power and defiance Imparts to youth's intrepid stance! Oh you who on the tasselled aegis Of dread and terror bear Gorgon's Ghastly grievous gaze that bliss To hapless flesh denies, into stone's Hardness turned, who only hearken To brave warriors on Attic plains Whose blood the scorched earth stains, You alone of all the gods batten With unabashed glee on great heroes As they fall under your lethal blows! Apollo's light is not as bright next to you For you are indeed your father's favourite Near whom dare tarry of men but a few. O you who know the sacrosanct site Where Zeus hides from men and gods The death-dealing lightning-bolts, Look upon valiant fighters whose deeds Heroic resound on the bleak heights Where despair unto certain death leads Smiling as they await their funeral rites! And yet underneath your martial mien Flows a gentler strain, wisdom's golden Voice that saves, soothes reckless men From deeds that oft lead to the molten Gates of Hades, Acheron's port of call. You make them grow and spread Like the olive tree whose fruits fall But seldom until ready to be plucked, Overflowing with life's sustaining mead, Divinely drawn from your own blood! Once when the fume and fire of war Made a sad sight of Priam's race And Hector's soul from Troy afar Crying still , bereft of sun and solace Fled from Achilles' unyielding ire Unseen by all but some, in secret awe Of what Helen's eyes and hidden fire Could do to men and whose ills they bore, Wearied of Achaean tears and gore You turned your eyes to gentler lore! Thus did you delight in weaving Hera's robe that lured straying Zeus Back to Hymen's call and bliss unending. The gods too welcome Ares' truce That brings forth fruitful love and lust. In the scheme of things for life to flow, And for mortals between thrust and thrust To sigh and pant Eros therein needs to glow, Or else no life would there be and cosmos Would itself stop and fall back into chaos! Oh, wise Athena, fearsome yet enticing, Phidias once arrayed you in ivory and gold High within Parthenon's glorious shining Walls built for immortals strong and bold. You were meant to gaze forever on cities Like Athens, cradle of enduring civilization, Birthplace of what is best for man's destinies. Gem of the Mediterranean, pride of Poseidon, Your reign like your city will never end! Athena for Athens greatness does portend! Dedicated to Athena's favourite child Whose roots lie deep in southern Laconia. Claudio Wye February 2000