Athena was the daughter of Zeus and Metis.
Zeus discovered that if he had a son by Metis this son would be
mightier than him. So he tricked Metis into becoming a fly and
swallowed her. However, Metis was pregnant with Athena at the time and
when Athena was born, Zeus was plagued with headaches. He went to
Hephaestus (Smith God) and begged him to open his head. Hephaestus
did, and out popped Athena, full grown and ready for battle.
Athene was in interesting and complex goddess. She invented the flute,
the trumpet, the earthenware pot, the plough, the rake, the ox-yoke,
the horse-bridle, the chariot, the ship and the science of numbers
(all things generally though of as masculine arts) but she was also
the first teacher of women's arts: weaving, cooking, and spinning.
She was goddess of wisdom, strategic battle and carfts. She, along
with Artemis and Hestia, was a virgin goddess.
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