The Birth of Athena |
 I
begin to sing of Pallas Athene, the glorious goddess, bright-eyed, inventive,
unbending of heart, pure virgin, saviour of cities, courageous, Tritogeneia.
From his awful head wise Zeus himself bare her arrayed in warlike arms
of flashing gold, and awe seized all the gods as they gazed. But Athena
sprang quickly from the immortal head and stood before Zeus who holds the
aegis, shaking a sharp spear: great Olympus began to reel horribly at the
might of the bright-eyed goddess, and earth round about cried fearfully,
and the sea was moved and tossed with dark waves, while foam burst forth
suddenly: the bright Son of Hyperion stopped his swift-footed horses a
long while, until the maiden Pallas Athene had stripped the heavenly armour
from her immortal shoulders. And wise Zeus was glad. [Image: Berlin Painter's
Armed Athena, c. 490 BC.]
Homeric Hymn XXVIII. Trans. H.G. Evelyn-White. |
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