Latin via Ovid Chapter 3 Minerva et Arachne

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Latin via OvidChapter 3Minerva et
Arachne Mythological Background Birth and
Character of Athena (Minerva) Minerva and
Arachne Related Myths Medusa, satyrs and
Perseus Legends associated with the region of
Lydia
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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Birth of Athena (Greek Minerva Roman)
• Zeus (Jupiter) took as his wife Metis (an
  abstract name meaning wisdom)
• When Metis was about to give birth, Zeus
  swallowed her into his belly because it was told
  to Zeus that Metis would bear exceptional
  children Athena, the equal of her father in
  might and good counsel, and a son who would
  become king of the gods and men

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• When Athena was born, either Hephaestus or
  Prometheus or Hermes split Zeus head with an
  axe, and Athena (Minerva) sprung from Zeus head,
  fully-grown and in full armor, whooping a war cry
• The myths aetiology seems to be the physical
  manifestations of a thunderstorm

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• The birth of Athena (Minerva) was immortalized by
  the Greek sculptor Pheidias in the east pediment
  of the goddess great temple, the Parthenon
  (Parthenos, meaning virgin, was a standard
  epithet of Athena)

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• The theme of the west pediment of the Parthenon
  was the victory of Athena over Poseidon for
  control of Athens and Attica she gave the city
  the gift of the olive tree
• The city of Athens celebrated the day of Athenas
  birth every year with a festival the
  Panathenaea, in honor of their patron deity

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne
The Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens.
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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne
A reconstruction model showing the Parthenon on
the Acropolis in Athens.
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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• A cross-section of the front of the Parthenon
  illustrating the various decorative elements in
  the architecture of the building.
• NOTE the pediment where the sculpture would
  have appeared.

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Characteristics of the goddess Athena
• Athena (Minerva) is often represented in art with
  her attributes as a war goddess helmet, spear,
  and shield (the aegis, on which the head of the
  gorgon Medusa is depicted)

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne
Chryselephantine statue of Athena Athena stands
holding a Nike (Victory) on her right hand that
extends forward from the elbow, as if offering
Nike to the Athenian citizens. With her left hand
she supports her shield which shelters a snake as
it rests on the ground, and her lance that rests
on her left shoulder.She is dressed with an
Attica peplos, and on her head she wears a richly
decorated helmet with a sphinx at the apex and
two Pegasi on each side. Her breastplate is
adorned with snakes and the head of Medusa at the
center.
Minervas owl in a Greek tile
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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Athenas title as Tritogeneia is obscure and
  explanations are conjectural it seems to refer
  to her originally being a goddess of water or the
  sea
• Soon after her birth, Athena (Minerva) was raised
  by Triton, who had a daughter, Pallas
• Athena and Pallas used to practice the arts of
  war together
• One time they quarreled, and as Pallas was about
  to strike Athena, Zeus intervened Pallas was
  startled, and Athena took advantage of the
  surprise and wounded and killed Pallas Athena,
  in honor of her friend, took the name Pallas for
  herself

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Minerva and Arachne
• The story of Minerva and Arachne bears testimony
  to the importance of Athena as patroness of
  womens household arts, especially of spinning
  and weaving
• Ovid gives his account in Metamorphoses 6.5-145
• NOTE that Minerva disguises herself as an old
  woman one of the anthropomorphic gods abilities
  to alter their appearance
• It is an aetiological myth giving an explanation
  of the origin of the spiders skill in weaving
  its web

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Athena (Minerva) and Related Myths
• Athena is a goddess of many specific arts, crafts
  and skills (military, political, and domestic),
  as well as the deification of wisdom and good
  counsel
• She is skilled in the taming and training of
  horses and inventor of the flute
• Athena threw it away soon after she began to play
  it because it distorted her beautiful features
• Marsyas, the satyr, picked up the instrument

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Athena (Minerva) and Related Myths Satyrs
• Satyrs were attendants of the god
  Dionysus/Bacchus (Greek/Roman)
• Mainly human in form with bestial aspects
  horses tail, legs of a goat
• Lustful, fond of revelry
• Silenus was a wise old satyr and the tutor of
  Dionysus
• In Roman mythology satyrs fauni (pl. faunus, s.)

Depiction of the flaying of Marsyas, who lost his
flute playing contest with Apollo playing the
lyre with the Muses as judges another instance
of hybris punished by the gods
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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Athena (Minerva) and Related Myths Medusa
• Medusa was one of three sisters (Stheno and
  Euryale-both immortal) known as the Gorgons
• Medusa had snakes for hair and if you looked her
  in the eyes, she would turn you to stone

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Athena (Minerva) and Related Myths Medusa
• Medusa was slain by the mythological hero Perseus
  
• When Perseus cut off Medusas head, the winged
  horse Pegasus sprung from her neck

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Athena (Minerva) and Related Myths Medusa
• Perseus supposedly gave Medusas severed head to
  the goddess Minerva (Athena), who put it in the
  center of her shield, the aegis

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Athena (Minerva) and Related Myths Arachne in
  Lydia
• Arachne, puella perita in lana, in Lydia habitat

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• The Lydians were the first people to coin money
• Lydian rulers include
• Gyges, who is said to have possessed a ring that
  would make the wearer invisible
• Link to that legend http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
  Gyges_of_Lydia
• The legend of Gyges is also retold by the Greek
  Philosopher Plato in his dialogue The Republic
  http//plato-dialogues.org/tetra_4/republic/gyges.
  htm
• Plato founded a school called the Academy in
  5th century B.C. Athens

Plato (ca. 427 - 347 B.C.)
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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• Other rulers of Lydia included King Croesus,
  whose wealth was famous throughout the ancient
  world even today you might say as rich as
  Croesus
• Croesus used his wealth to construct and decorate
  the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, which became
  one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
  http//www.kusadasi.biz/historical-places/temple-o
  f-artemis.html

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne

• In Phrygia, a region near Lydia, lived the
  legendary King Midas, who was so greedy that he
  wished that everything he touched would turn to
  gold,but his wish was flawed (he didnt think
  about touching food) another example of
  unmitigated hybris, also punished by the gods

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Latin via Ovid Chapter 3Minerva et Arachne
King Midas
Temple of Artemis
Link to article on Ancient Anatolia (Lydia) from
Encyclopedia Britannica On-line
http//www.britannica.com/eb/article-44372/Anatoli
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