Athena (Αθηνη) was the Olympian goddess of wisdom and war and the adored patroness of the city of Athens in Greek mythology. She often appeared in mythology as a champion of heroes such as Argos, Perseus and Hercules. These stories celebrated Athena’s kind regard for struggling mortals and often displayed her craftiness and ingenuity. For example, Athena advised Argos on how to construct the Argo, the ship that took Jason and the Argonauts to find the Golden Fleece. Athena also aided Perseus in his quest to slay Medusa, the Gorgon with hair made of serpents whose gaze turned onlookers to stone. As he set out on his quest, Athena appeared before him and gave him a bronze shield, polished to reflect the sight of Medusa so that Perseus would not have to look in her eyes. When Perseus struck Medusa with a scythe gifted to him by Hermes (the messenger of the gods), Athena guided the swing to ensure it would sever her head. Hercules also benefited from Athena’s intervention. When he was charged with stealing the golden apples from Hera’s secret garden, which was overseen by the daughters of Atlas, Hercules offered to hold the sky while Atlas beseeched his daughters to gather the apples. When the sky proved too heavy for Hercules, Athena took action and lifted the sky so that he would not be crushed under its weight.
(Jean Paul Gaultier Fall 2009 Haute Couture Collection)
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