Athena

Athena The sagely and powerful Greek goddess of war, daughter of Zeus and Metis.

Uranus and Gaia warned Zeus that if Metis had a daughter, she would bear a son who would rob Zeus of his heavenly kingdom.

Zeus responded by swallowing the pregnant Metis so as to be Athena’s sole progenitor.

Athena sprang fully armed from Zeus’ head at birth and became the goddess of War, known more for her strategizing and encouragement of heroes than mere blood lust.

As the protectress of Athens, she was venerated in three temples at the Acropolis and celebrated during numerous festivals, the main festival being Panathenaea.

In Homer’s Illiad Athena often intercedes, bestowing advice and strength to Greek mortals during the Trojan war.

Athena’s warrior shield was called an aegis, which she shared with her father, Zeus.

The phrase, “under the aegis of…” derives from the legends of Zeus and Athena.

Athena’s Roman parallel is the goddess Minerva.

In 1982 the British rock group The Who wrote a song called “Athena” on the album It’s Hard.

Image Source:

• Resized from original by ‘Great Beyond’ http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonyjcase/2140366190/sizes/o/, Creative Commons License

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Cancer (astrology)

Athena, Heracles attacked by the crab and the Lenaean Hydra. White-ground Attic lekythos, ca. 500–475 BC. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In astrological belief Cancer (June 22-July 23) is the fourth sign of the zodiac. A summer sign, it’s symbolized by the crab and associated with the planetary ruler of the moon. Its element is water.

Among believers, Cancer personalities are said to be materialistic and spiritual, gentle yet moody. Like the crab, these folks apparently can have a tough exterior but are inwardly sensitive.

From the moon, Cancer obtains all the traditional values associated with Luna-changeability, dependence on natural forces, openness, and a certain luminosity of mind and spirit.

Astrologers often link cancer with the Egyptian scarab beetle, which in antiquity symbolized immortality because it survived the flooding of the Nile river. The scarab also protects its eggs by rolling them on the ground in a ball of dung until they hatch, symbolizing the fresh start that inevitably emerges from decay and corruption.

Wikipedia lists other mythological associations:

In mythology Cancer is often associated with the Greek myth of the Lernaean Hydra, one of The Twelve Labours of Herakles and the mythical figure of Perseus, from the Greek myth of Medusa. Cancer is also associated with the Greco-Roman goddess Selene/Luna and sometimes the goddesses Artemis/Diana and Hecate/Trivia.¹

Crab Nebula (Courtesy NASA).

Prominent Cancers are the late Lady Diana, Harrison Ford, and Linda Ronstadt.

In astronomy the Crab is a dim constellation located between Gemini and Leo. At its center the cluster, Praesepe, is visible to the naked eye.

The image (at right) is the Crab Nebula. It is not the constellation called Cancer or The Crab (Courtesy NASA).

Related Posts » Astrology

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¹ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cancer_%28astrology%29

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Homer

Homer was also called Melesigenes (son of Meles) by the name of the brook which flowed by Smyrna. This photo is of a marble terminal bust of Homer. Roman copy of a lost Hellenistic original of the 2nd c. BC. From Baiae, Italy via Wikipedia

Homer is an Ancient Greek poet (Homeros) of uncertain identity.

He or she was believed by the ancient Greeks and Romans to have authored the classic epics of the Odyssey and Illiad around the 8th-7th centuries BCE, the former epic likely predating the latter. Today, most people will tell you that Homer is the outstanding author of the Odyssey and Illiad but, in reality, this authorship isn’t solidly established.

Not unlike the uncertainty concerning the originality and authorship of some of the works of Shakespeare, Homer probably borrowed from existing mythological tales which were transmitted through oral tradition.  And with a particular poetic genius, he or she depicted the enduring characters of the Olympic pantheon.

Contemporary scholars say that the two Homeric classics may have been authored by several persons.

The ancient Greeks saw Homer as an impoverished, blind minstrel. And a contemporary minority view suggests that Homer was a woman. Regardless of the poet’s gender, his or her lasting impact on Western culture is undeniable.

Medieval bards wrote of Troy and neo-classical painters depicted the pursuits of the Homeric gods in all their outrageous splendor and folly.

The 33 Homeric Hymns, likely written after the two epics, are no longer attributed to Homer.

In more recent times, a Homeric strain is arguably discernible in the works of the Canadian poet and musician Leonard Cohen, who took up residence in Greece during his formative years.

Related Posts » Achilles, Aeneas, Aesculapius, Aphrodite, Athena, Blessed Isles, Cyclops, Demeter, Eleusinian Mysteries, Hermes, Hesiod, Myth, Odysseus, Orpheus, Sirens, Troy

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Illiad

Scene from Book XXIV of the Iliad: Hector's corpse brought back to Troy (detail). Roman artwork (ca. 180–200 CE), relief from a sarcophagus, marble via Wikipedia

The Illiad is a Greek epic by by Homer about the siege of Troy.

Not unlike the much larger Indian epic, the Mahabharata, this Greek tale involves a grand-scale war between two opposing factions. Divine gods and goddesses often appear and, like the Indian story, offer their assistance to favored mortals.

Together with the Odyssey, the Illiad is one of the pillars of existing Greek myth.

Rather than my trying to summarize the story, it’s better to leave that to an expert. For an excellent outline with commentary and original Greek terms, see Sir Paul Harvey’s work, freely available at http://www.archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont006050mbp (PDF, page 220).

Related Posts » Aeneas, Aesculapius, Athena, Hesiod

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Medusa

So-called “Rondanini Medusa” via Wikipedia

Medusa originates from ancient Greek and Roman literature. She’s one of three hideous Gorgons (Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale) who have snakes for hair.

Gorgons have the unpleasant feature of turning anyone to stone who happens to look into their eyes.

Medusa’s distinction is her mortality. In rescuing Andromeda from an underwater beast, Perseus decapitated Medusa and then used her head to turn the beast to stone.

Medusa’s head was later placed on Athena‘s shield.

In modern times Medusa is featured in feature films like Clash of the Titans (1981; remade 2010) and several video games. Also, the British pop star Annie Lennox (formerly of the Eurythmics) released a successful solo lp called “Medusa” in 1995, consisting entirely of cover songs.

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The Odyssey

Ulisses i les sirenes, British Museum: Originally uploaded by Sebastià Giralt

The Odyssey is an epic poem traditionally ascribed to the Greek poet Homer. As a sequel to The Illiad, also ascribed to Homer, The Odyssey is an account of the archetypal hero‘s adventure.

The protagonist Odysseus must face terrible perils on his return home from the Trojan wars. Gods and goddesses, especially Athena, frequently provide otherworldly assistance. The Greek pantheon is depicted as residing at Mount Olympus, a godly abode.

On his return, and after numerous near-death adventures with frightening and bewitching creatures such as the Cyclops and the sirens,¹ Odysseus outwits a slothful pack of suitors who had considered him dead while pestering Penelope, his ever-faithful wife.

Odysseus ends up killing them all with the help of his son Telemachus.

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¹ The illustration (right) shows Odysseus strapped to the mast of his ship, as he sails past the dangerous bird-women called the sirens. He’d instructed his crew to bind him tight so that he would not be enticed by the sirens’ irresistible song. For once a sailor gets too close to the sirens, there’s no return and death is assured.

Search Think Free » Hermes, Hesiod

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Parthenon

Athens - Acropolis: Parthenon (West Side): wallyg / Wally Gobetz (see photo at flickr for excellent notes)

The Parthenon is a Greek temple designed by the architect Iktinos and built in 477-433 BCE that sits on top of the acropolis at Athens.

A stunning example of Doric architecture, the pure marble sanctuary was dedicated to Athena, originally containing a massive gold and ivory statue of the goddess in its center.

Later transformed into a church, then a mosque, it was damaged in 1687 from an explosion while the Turks were at war with the Venetians.

Today the Parthenon is recognized as a world heritage site.

Despite the best efforts of local and national Greek officials to preserve for posterity this magnificent portal to the past, its very survival is threatened by acid rain and automobile pollution.

» Acropolis, Pericles

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Tiresias

Odysseus and Tiresias by litmuse

Tiresias

In Greek myth Tiresias is a Theban who inadvertently sees the chaste Athena bathing. She immediately punishes him with blindness, although he is compensated to some extent with the gifts of wisdom and prophecy and an exceedingly long life of seven generations.

In another mythic cycle Tiresias’ blindness comes about after he sees two snakes coupling. After killing one of the snakes he is transformed into a woman. Seven years later he once again sees two snakes coupling. In one variant of the myth he kills the snakes, in another he leaves them alone. But in both versions he’s changed back into a man.

At this point Zeus and Hera ask him whether men or women gain more sexual pleasure. Tiresias, having experienced both, replies that women receive nine time more pleasure than men. Hera doesn’t like this answer and strikes him blind. But Zeus gives him the gift of prophecy to compensate for his loss.

Two strange sounding stories, they perhaps point to the idea that losing things in life is often replaced or rewarded by something else.

In Homer‘s Odyssey, the seafaring hero Odysseus asks the departed Tiresias in the underworld about his return journey home. Tiresias warns Odysseus of many dangers, facilitating his safe return.

In pop culture the British progressive rock band Genesis speaks of “father Tiresias” in the song, The Cinema Show (1973):

Take a little trip back with father Tiresias,
Listen to the old one speak of all he has lived through.
I have crossed between the poles, for me there’s no mystery.
Once a man, like the sea I raged,
Once a woman, like the earth I gave.

On the Web:

• Wikipedia entry with more mythic variants and examples of representation in art » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiresias
  

» Hephaestus, Seer, Wisdom

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Uranus

You are Here by Chris Christner

Uranus (Gk: Ouranos)

In astronomy Uranus is the 7th planet orbiting our sun, lying between Saturn and Neptune.

In Greek myth Uranus personifies the sky or the Greek view of Heaven.

Although Uranus’ cultic worship is rare, Hesiod makes ample reference to him in the Theogony. With Gaia his offspring are the Titans, the Cyclops and the Hecatonchires.

Not exactly the best father, he generally despised his offspring and thrust them into Tartarus, a dark and gloomy underworld.

Uranus was later overpowered and castrated by his son Cronus, on the urging of Gaia. This act separated Heaven and Earth. Some variants of the myth say that Uranus’ castration by Cronus led to the birth of Aphrodite when his genitals fell to and churned up the sea.

The Castration of Uranus by ben capozzi

Pierre Grimal notes that another variant of the Uranus tradition is recorded by Diodorus Siculus. Here Uranus is portrayed as the first king of the Atlantes.

The Atlantes apparently were a fair, God-fearing race living on the shores by an ocean. This Uranus was also a skilled astronomer who devised the first calendar that predicted major events. After being given divine honors at his death and siring 45 children, he eventually came to be identified with the sky.†

» Aphrodite, Aquarius, Athena, Furies, Hesiod, Titans

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† Pierre Grimal, The Dictionary of Classical Mythology p. 463.

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Zeus

Athens, Greece Zeus Temple 2007

Originally uploaded by Titanas

Zeus The son of the Titan Cronus and Titaness Rhea, Zeus is the chief of the second generation Greek gods, usually arrayed with thunderbolts and an eagle.

By the time of Homer he came to be the most powerful deity in the Greek pantheon, his main role role being the overseer of cosmic justice. As such, he protects property, receives prayers and sacrifices, and punishes transgressors.

Because he was so big, he ironically had a relative few polis festivals (i.e. city festivals) in his honor. Polis festivals were generally reserved for lesser deities presiding over a particular city, such as Athena or Apollo.

Zeus had numerous offspring with several different goddesses, the most famous being Aphrodite.

He apparently had amorous relations with his young male cup-bearer, Ganymedes.

The mythologer Robert Graves says

The Zeus-Ganymedes myth gained immense popularity in Greece and Rome because it afforded religious justification for grown man’s passionate love for a boy.

The Greek Myths, Combined edition, London: Penguin, 1992, p. 117.

According to NeoPlatonist thought, Zeus isn’t at the top of the all-time divinity charts. Instead, the NeoPlatonists lowered his status from his previous rank of King.

Zeus’ Roman equivalent is Jupiter.

» Aesculapius, Aliens and Extraterrestrials (ETs), Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Castor and Pollux, Demeter, Dionysus, Dyaus, Fates, God, Hera, Hercules, Hermes, Hesiod, Jupiter, Muses, Odin, Olympians, Orphic Mysteries, Persephone, Poseidon, Romeo and Juliet, Shapeshifter, Titans, Tyche

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