Differences Between Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses
Athena
Athena is the goddess of wisdom. Athena was the daughter of Zeus and the Titaness Metis. when Zeus was looking at Metis,
he wanted to seduce her. Metis turned into a bird and flew away. Zeus turned into a faster bird and chased her. Metis became
a fish and tried to swim away. Zeus became a faster fish and and swam after her. Metis became a snake and wriggled away.
Zeus followed suit and seduced Metis. He heard a prophecy say that after Metis gave birth to a girl, her next child would be a
boy and despose Zeus like he desposed his father. Zeus swallowed Metis and later, he had a serious headache. He went to
Hephaestus' forge and asked for his head to be cut open. It was done and Athena jumped out to meet her father. Athena is
usually depicted in armor and carrying a spear and shield. Athena's special animal is the owl. She invented many tools for
mankind such as: the plow, axe, ox-yoke, wheel, and the sail. She also liked to weave. Judges prayed to her for wisdom in
court trials. Athena hated Ares, the god of war. She tried to best him in battle and usually won because she used her wits
rather than strength. Armies going off to battle prayed to her for wisdom in battles.
Minerva
Minerva is the goddess of wisdom. She was considered to be the daughter of Jupiter and Juno. Another story says that she
was the daughter of Pallas, a giant that she killed when he tried to rape her. She was the virgin goddess of war, literature,
health, business, crafts, and was an inventor of music. Minerva is the Roman counterpart of Athena. She was a
very good
weaver. A woman named Arachne boasted that she was a better weaver than Minerva. Minerva set up a weaving contest.
Some stories say that after the contest Arachne hanged herself and Minerva changed her into a spider, while others say that
Minerva ripped up Arachne's weaving. Minerva changed Arachne into a spider.
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