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ATHENA FESTIVAL
MAY 7-9, 2010
Goddess of ART, Wisdom and Virtue
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. She was the favorite child of Zeus. She had sprung fully grown out of her father's head. Her mother was Metis, goddess of wisdom and Zeus' first wife. In fear that Metis would bear a son mightier than himself. Zeus swallowed her and she began to make a robe and helmet for her daughter. The hammering of the helmet caused Zeus great pain in the form of headaches and he cried out in agony. Skilled Hephaestus ran to his father and split his skull open and from it emerged Athena, fully grown and wearing her mother's robe and helmet. She is the virgin mother of Erichthnonius. Athena and her uncle Poseidon, the God of the Sea, were both very fond of a certain city in Greece. Both of them claimed the city and it was decided that the one that could give the finest gift should have it. Leading a procession of citizens, the two gods mounted the Acropolis.
Poseidon struck the side of the cliff with his trident and a spring welled up. The people marveled, but the water was as salty as Poseidon's sea and it was not very useful. Athena's gift was an olive tree, which was better because it gave the people food, oil and wood. Athena named her city Athens.
Virtue
To the ancient Greeks excellence is a goal to be pursued in all aspects of life. The attainment of perfection, of the complete realization of one's potential, is called arete (virtue).
The Goddess Virtue was called Virtus (Courage) by the Romans. Sometimes she used to appear on the field of battle escorting Mars to instill courage in the Romans. excellence," and "virtue." The goodness or virtue of a thing is that by which it performs its function well.
Greek theories of virtue are based on the term arete, which means "goodness."
Plato argues in The Republic that when reason rules the soul, as is its function, the soul is virtuous; as such, it possesses wisdom, bravery, temperance, and justice.
For Aristotle, the ethically virtuous soul habitually chooses its path of action according to a rational mean between two vices. Thus, when faced with a fearful situation, it chooses the mean, which is courage, rather than wallow in an excess of fear, which is a vice called cowardice, or proceed heedlessly and fearlessly, which is rashness.
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