Athena

"I once warned you, Percy Jackson, that to save a friend you would destroy the world. Perhaps I was mistaken."

- Athena

Athena (Αθηνά in Ancient Greek) is the Greek virgin goddess of wisdom, handicrafts, defense, and strategic warfare. The daughter of Zeus alone, her symbols include the owl, Aegis, olive tree, a fox, and the snake. Athena's Roman counterpart is Minerva and she is portrayed by Melina Kanakaredes in The Lightning Thief film.

History
Athena sprung fully-grown from Zeus' head in full battle armor and shouting a battle cry after he pleaded with Hephaestus to split his head open with a hammer to rid him of a terrible headache. She quickly became Zeus' favorite daughter. In the most ancient account, the Iliad, Athena is the Goddess of ferocious and implacable fight, but, wherever she can be found, she only is a warrior to defend the State and the native land against the enemies coming from outside. She is, above all, the Goddess of the City, the protectress of civilized life, of artesian activities, and of agriculture. She also invented the horse-bit, which, for the first time, tamed horses, allowing men to use them.

In Greek mythology, she was one of the most active goddesses. She assisted Odysseus in his journey home from the Trojan War in the Odyssey and made sure the Greeks won the Trojan War in the Illiad. She also helped heroes like Diomedes, Hercules, Jason, and Perseus. Like Artemis, and Hestia, she is one of the virgin goddesses although she has demigod children in the series, though they are born from thought (brain children, just like herself), which she believes to the purest kind of love. It is unknown if any other god can give birth to children in a similar way.

Rivalry with Arachne
A long time ago, the mortal Arachne challenged Athena to see who could make the best tapestry. Athena accepted the challenge, as she invented weaving, and they each made a tapestry. Athena's was of the gods together in glory and joy. Arachne's showed the gods making fools of and mocking themselves. It was also very beautiful, but Athena won. Arachne was upset that the goddess won, so she challenged the goddess' power, saying the tapestry was no good.

Athena was angry that Arachne still hadn't learned not to question and think unworthy of the gods, so she turned Arachne in to a spider. This meant she could still use the web from her spinnerets to make silk, and she and her descendants can continue weaving forever, but none of them could speak, so none would challenge the gods' power and skill. Ever since then, Athena's children have had a deep fear of spiders and whatever looks like them, paranoid that every spider they see is out to get them and avenge Arachne.

Rivalry with Poseidon
For many eons, Athena and Poseidon have had rivalry between them which all started when they competed for being the patron of the city of Athens (called Attica at that time). The leader of the city told the two gods to make a gift for the newly constructed city. Poseidon created a salt-water spring, while Athena gave them the olive tree. Seeing that the olive tree was much better than a salt-water spring, the leader of the newly constructed city named it after Athena and made Athena a temple known as the Parthenon. Athena was also made the patron of the city. This made Poseidon very angry.

Also, Athena once caught Poseidon with his girlfriend Medusa (who was once a beautiful maiden) together in her temple. Furious at Poseidon and Medusa for doing such disgusting and "disturbing" acts in her temple, she turned Medusa and her sisters into the "Three Gorgons". They had snakes for hair and could turn anyone into stone if they looked into their eyes, which no one could resist. Medusa's sister's were also transformed because they helped Medusa get into the temple.

The competition for Athens and the terrible acts Poseidon committed in Athena's temple are probably the basis for why Athena dislikes Percy. Athena also helped Odysseus on his quest for home, while Poseidon tried to kill him. Poseidon's and Athena's rivalry didn't seem to affect Percy and Annabeth, but Athena tells Percy she doesn't approve of their relationship. At the end of the series, she seems to be indifferent to Percy, except for the fact that she singed his clothes as a warning.

The Sea of Monsters
She is seen when Annabeth is being lured by the Sirens, described as wearing hiking boots and jeans and being casual. She was sitting with Luke and Annabeth's father, supposedly at a picnic in the redesigned Manhattan.

The Titan's Curse
Athena disguises herself as a park ranger at the Hoover Dam, and advises Percy on how to escape, despite her misgivings about him. It is likely that her desire to see Annabeth saved outweighed her disapproval of him.

At the Winter Solstice, when Zeus asks the room if Percy should be left alive as he could be dangerous, Athena, along with Ares and Dionysus (halfheartedly), do not raise their hands to defend him, but they were out-ruled by the majority. Athena later tells Percy not to judge her too harshly, and that he is a big risk to take. Percy replies by saying, "So you're saying you shouldn't take risks?" She concedes to his point, but then informs him of his fatal flaw, which is intense personal loyalty. Percy is outraged by the thought that a desire to help those he love could be considered a flaw, but Athena tells him that the most dangerous flaws are those that are good under the right circumstances, and that in a hero of prophecy his flaw could cause the downfall of the world. Percy wants to argue, but is left speechless ("pretty darn smart").

Athena was "pretty darn smart," and Percy makes a note that she would be one of the worst gods to have as an enemy as she was smart and wouldn't make a mistake and just keep hunting you down. The goddess leaves after warning him that she does not approve of his relationship with her daughter.

The Last Olympian
Athena knows that Typhon is a distraction, and that Kronos sent him through the United States to get them away from Olympus, so he could send his army to overtake it. She convinces Zeus to send Hermes to tell them that it is a trap and gives them information. She tells Annabeth to "Try plan 23" and Percy to "Remember the rivers," and to stay away from her daughter. However, the demigods from Camp Half-Blood defend their parents' thrones, and many die in the process.

Athena later tasks Annabeth as the designer to rebuild Olympus. She praises Annabeth's abilities to everyone making Annabeth very proud. She also votes for awarding Percy immortality, though she turns to look at Annabeth when she says this and most likely noticed her stricken expression at the thought of losing Percy. After the council meeting, Athena privately talks to Percy saying that she could have been wrong about him, but not necessarily say she was. Later, Athena asked why Percy would give up immortality and he first says that he couldn't leave Annabeth and then quickly adds that he couldn't leave Grover either. She then quickly tells Percy to "spare her" and disappears in a colomn of flame that singes his shirt.

Personality
Athena can be very sympathetic. Once, a man saw her bathing. She blinded him, then sent snakes to protect him then giving him powers to see the future and other minor powers.

Athena is a very disciplined, quick thinking and wise woman. She is very brilliant and always takes precautions before acting. Percy notes in The Titan's Curse that Athena might be the worst enemy someone could make, even among the gods, as she would never give up or make a rash mistake simply because she hated you. She loves all of her demigod children, and seems to be a caring mother. She is the only known god who claims her children at birth. She gave her daughter Annabeth the gift of a cap that turns the wearer invisible. In one of Percy's dreams in The Battle of the Labyrinth, she is shown to have blessed both Daedelus and his young nephew Perdix. She later punishes Daedelus for killing Perdix by branding him with a partridge.

Athena is also usually kind to other demigods. She often aids heroes on their quests, even helping Percy at one point while he was in the Hoover Dam. Athena is somewhat cold and calculating at times. She voted against letting Percy live in The Titan's Curse, because she didn't want to risk him staying alive. Athena is also known for never giving up, and crossing her is a mistake. When Paris picked Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess instead of her, Athena took the side of the Greeks in the Trojan War and used every power within her to bring him down. In the book, Athena is seen as a strict and proud Goddess. In The Lightning Thief (Movie) she is less strict and didn't show any sign of not liking Poseidon or Percy. She even states that "War is not the answer". This is perhaps a little paradoxical, as she is the goddess of war strategies. However being the goddess of strategy, she knew that a war between the gods was not the answer and would only lead to unneeded sacrifice.

Appearance
Athena has long hair and intense grey eyes, as described when Percy sees her, and nearly mistakes her for Annabeth. As she is a goddess, she can turn to any form she would like so she will not always look like that. As shown in The Titan's Curse, she is shown as an average looking Park Ranger at the Hoover Dam. She is said to be beautiful and lean. She wears an elegant white dress. It is said Annabeth looks a lot like her mother, and has the same cold stare. In some myths she is said to be able to turn into a white owl. In the Titan's Curse she is seen with black hair. She is also said to be one of the most beautiful goddesses since many men faun over her but she uses her powers to do horrible things to them if they do not leave on her first warning. She gets along with Artemis well, being seen as similiar personalites and often conversations between the two.

Minerva
Athena can change her appearance and turn into her Roman counterpart of Minerva. Although the Roman Gods are generally more disciplined, militaristic, and warlike than their Greek aspects, Minerva was an exception as she was more associated with culture than warfare. She might have children or descendants at Camp Jupiter near San Francisco. The Greeks envisioned Athena as a fierce and proud being. The Romans depicted Minerva as a more cerebral and demure goddess of wisdom.

Abilities

 * She presumably possesses the standard powers of a goddess
 * She can shapeshift into an owl. It is unknown if she can turn into other animals also
 * She is an expert in all areas of warfare and weapons
 * She is a skilled tactician (greater than Ares)
 * She is very wise, intelligent, and knowledgeable
 * She has great intellect
 * She may have the gift of prophecy, as she has snake which can grant psychic powers
 * She can conjure and use any kind of weapon
 * She is the only one Zeus trusts enough to wield Aegis and the Master Bolt

Children
Athena's children are born from her mind. When she falls in love with a man, their joined minds are what causes this. Athena calls this 'the purest kind of love' and is a virgin, and has sworn to remain one. As she has black hair, and all her children are blond and have her grey eyes, one can assume she only falls in love with blond men. This also could have been a continuity error (like Thalia's eyes being mentioned as both blue and green), as it was mentioned a couple times that everyone in the Athena cabin has blond hair like Annabeth's.

Athena's children, having their mother being the Goddess of Wisdom, are very smart, wise and are good in researching many things. Most of her children (Annabeth in particular), show great fondness in her area, such as Wisdom and Crafts.

Children

 * Annabeth Chase
 * Malcolm
 * Daedalus a.k.a Quintus (deceased)
 * Erictonius
 * George Washington (deceased)
 * Frederic Bartholdi (deceased)
 * Other Unknown Children of Athena or Minerva

Gifts
Athena has shown to be the most active goddess, secretly protecting her children from monsters such as when Annabeth ran away, she protected Annabeth until she met Thalia and Luke.
 * She gave Annabeth a cap of invisibility. (A Yankees cap).
 * She gave Daedalus and Perdix her blessing of wisdom.

The Lightning Thief
Athena DoDpo1jsSio Athena is played by Melina Kanakaredes. She played a more major role than the other gods at Olympus, besides Zeus and Poseidon. She was seen talking to Zeus about the threat of war between the gods if the Master Bolt is not returned trying to convince that that 'war is not the answer'. When peace is declared by Zeus, Annabeth says 'Hi, mom,' and Athena tells her that she is very proud of her.

While they were in the Parthenon, Percy sees 'Athena' written in Greek at the foot of her statue, and when he tells Annabeth, she wonders whether her mom really looks like the statue. Percy, in response, tells her 'We'll find out,' indicating that he is confident they will survive the quest and make it to Olympus. Annabeth also mentions that her mother had been speaking to her telepathically to help her, similar to how Poseidon spoke to Percy, saying that even though she hadn't seen her, she still felt close to her mother. It is unconfirmed whether Melina Kankaredes will return for the sea of monsters film.

Relationship with others
Children- She cares a lot for her kids. She does not show favoritism to her kids. She seems to care for her children more than other kids. Since she claims them at birth, protects them on their adventures and, give many gifts to them, they don't easily die and usually die of old age rather than murder.

Partners- She cares a lot for her partners and seem to protect them from harm as well. She states that it tears her apart to leave them but she must carry on her duty to help the rest of the world not just her lovers. She also seems to protect her children and their fathers more than she does for others.

Zeus- Athena comes up with battle plans for her father. She is the most trusted god.

Aphrodite- Athena seems to be on okay terms with her.

Ares- Athena often saves others from getting killed by Ares. Athena helps Ares control his strength.

Artemis- Athena often talks with her, like a best friend.

Apollo- Athena tolerates Apollo's antics and keeps Apollo from 'settling down' with more girls.

Hephaestus- They dont talk much since Hephaestus rarely comes out from his workshop.

Hera- Athena's step mom does not like her since she despises all children not made by her and Zeus, although Athena is one of her favorite goddesses.

Trivia

 * Pallas, one of the largest asteroids in the asteroid belt, is named after Pallas Athena, one of Athena's alternative names.
 * Her hair color is black in The Titan's Curse and blonde in The Sea of Monsters, but in the film, it is brunette.
 * She is the only Virgin Goddess who has children.
 * Minerva, her Roman counterpart, is displayed on the medal of honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States Government.
 * She highly dislikes Percy and Annabeth together because of the rivalary between Poseidon and her.
 * In the series, Frederic Bartholdi designed the The Statue of Liberty as a representation of his mother, Athena.