When people think about strong and powerful goddesses, Athena comes to mind. She is recognizable for her armour, shield, and spear. All of these things represent her as the “Goddess of War”, but she was much more unique and complicated than that. Athena was also associated with strategy, wisdom, and craftsmanship. Weaving, and the protection of cities. Athena was also the patron of the great city of Athens. Thousands of years later her identity is still important because her power represents intelligence, skill, independence, wisdom, and problem solving- all important values in strong women today. Her representation in the Greek world of mythology is important to show what a powerful woman looks like today too.Â
Athena was connected to war, but she was more than just the gore and aggression within warfare. Ares was associated with the violence and chaos of war. Athena was more associated with strategy, planning, discipline, and intelligence on the battlefield. Her greatest weapon was her intelligence. This broadens the definition of what it means to be strong. Being strong isn’t just physical strength, it also includes wisdom and problem solving. Athena represents that women don’t have to be big and strong to be powerful, but to use their intellect and quick-thinking to lead.Â
A very instinctive difference of how Athena was looked at versus how other ancient women in mythology was also important to her identity. Many Greek mythological women revolve around romance and beauty. She was not primarily known for being in romantic relationships, being a wife, being a love interest, or being beautiful. She was a strategic leader that was respected and followed by all of her fellow gods and the people of Greece. Athena was traditionally a virgin goddess. This made her separately categorized from those goddesses who were defined by their romantic relations and marriages. Her purpose and importance came from her own abilities.Â
Warfare in ancient Greece was pretty much 100% male dominated. Generals, commanders, and soldiers were all males. Athena was a powerful representative of this male-dominated field. She did not need to be a man to make a powerful difference and lead in warfare. Today, many women are within male dominated fields like, politics, law, business, STEM, and the military.Â
Athena’s representation still matters today because powerful women are often expected to choose between different versions of themselves. They can be ambitious or likable, strong or feminine, intelligent or approachable. Athena’s image challenges the idea that women must fit into one simple definition of what they are supposed to be. She reminds us that strength can look like intelligence. Leadership can require strategy. And being powerful does not mean becoming someone else.
Athena may have belonged to the ancient world, but the questions surrounding women and power have not disappeared. That is what makes her more than just a goddess of war. Thousands of years later, Athena still represents something worth thinking about: what it means for a woman to take up space, use her intelligence, and be powerful on her own terms.