Her recurring image is that of a Greek goddess awaiting battle, dressed in full armor but also in a beautiful embroidered robe. Athena was not the strongest god, like Zeus, but she was one of the most powerful since she represented war and battle strategy. This led archaeologists to surmise that the statue was of the Minerva goddess of war, with hints to her Etruscan origins. Unlike Athena Nike, Minerva Victrix is hardly ever depicted in art with wings. The city of Athens uses the owl to show their relationship with the goddess, Athena, and their love for her. They were also both great protectors of their respective cities, Athens and Rome, particularly in times of war. The Temple itself was dedicated to the Triad during the first year of the Republic, 509 BC. This is, of course, to be expected from the deities of two such closely linked ancient civilizations. This involved athletic, poetic, and naval contests as well as religious sacrifices. While these two shared similarities, they were also tailored to represent their respective cultures. These girls, the , also set up the loom which was to weave Athena’s robe for the Great Panathenaea.A marble relief of a sacrifice scene from the Panathenaic Festivaldisplayed on the Parthenon Frieze, 438–432 BC, British MuseumThe Panathenaea was a festival that celebrated Athena and her greatest moment in battle. It was Athena who presided over this revered site as Athena Polias – the goddess of the Acropolis. The goddess was often depicted with wings, allowing her to swoop down to victory when the moment arose. Great temples and marble structures were erected by famous architects and sculptors. She was an ancient goddess whose origins lay in the indigenous Etruscan heritage of Italy. The aegis was either a bronze breastplate or shield bearing the image of the . The alphabetical, Greek Goddess list below is designed to contain brief facts about each of the main Goddesses. This version of Minerva has clear links with the Greek goddess Athena Nike since both were primarily associated with victory in battle. Athena helped Hercules in return for his aid in the Olympian’s battle against the Giants.

Perhaps the most important piece of her armor is the mysterious aegis. Athena was not the strongest god, like Athena used her power and knowledge to help many Greek heroes and demigods, especially since Zeus’s wife, Hera, was after most of them for being the children of Zeus’s mistresses.

The goddess was often depicted with wings, allowing her to swoop down to victory when the moment arose. The Greek goddesses and gods of war were led by Ares and Athena, and included various war gods including Eris (Strife), Deimos (Terror) and Phobos (Fear).

The Roman state religion later adopted her as Minerva goddess of wisdom and war. It is believed that the temple was home to a wooden cult-statue of the goddess. The goddess was often depicted with wings, allowing her to swoop down to victory when the moment arose. These girls, the , also set up the loom which was to weave Athena’s robe for the Great Panathenaea.A marble relief of a sacrifice scene from the Panathenaic Festivaldisplayed on the Parthenon Frieze, 438–432 BC, British MuseumThe Panathenaea was a festival that celebrated Athena and her greatest moment in battle. An association which she inherited from her links with Athena.One of Minerva’s most important epithets was Minerva Victrix, meaning Minerva goddess of Victory. In one hand she held a helmet and in the other a branch of the pomegranate tree. Hercules was a son of Zeus that was raised by two mortal parents. One of the most famous ancient literary depictions of the Greek goddess Athena can be found in The Iliad by Homer. She was believed to be a great protector of cities, particularly in times of war and crisis. For example, the Athenian court, the Areopagus, was built on a hill dedicated to this God.

Second only to Zeus at the head of the battle, she successfully defeated the Giants, enabling the Olympians to reign supreme.Apulian red-figure vase depicting Minerva as AthenaMinerva was not simply the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess, Athena. After his death, the Senate ruled that the memory of his reign should be erased. This brought with it the powerful influences of Greek religion and its deities. The city she was most closely connected to was Athens. Great temples and marble structures were erected by famous architects and sculptors. She is simultaneously the Greek goddess of feminine skills in handcraft and masculine skills in war.Athena’s specific martial skill was her tactical awareness in battle, which she used to help her chosen heroes. Athena was miraculously born from the head of Zeus after he swallowed her mother, means ‘cunning intelligence’ and Athena is its progeny.The image of the Greek goddess Athena in full armor is often referred to as Athena Promachos, meaning ‘Athena who fights at the front’. Athena was one of the Olympian Goddesses in Greek mythology. This legion fought with an image of Minerva as their emblem and became a primary force in wars against Germanic tribes. One of the most powerful of these was between Athena, Greek goddess of war, and Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom and war. writes of a vast equestrian statue of Domitian holding a statuette of Minerva in his left hand. Respectively, these were the symbols of war and peace. The Theoi Polemikoi also those gods that had specific wartime functions such as Zeus , as the god of fate, Nike, goddess of Victory and Apollo , the god … It is believed that the temple was home to a wooden cult-statue of the goddess. The daughter of Tin and Uni, the king and queen of the Etruscan gods, Minerva’s original name was Menrva. Ares (/ ˈ ɛər iː z /; Ancient Greek: Ἄρης, Áres [árɛːs]) is the Greek god of war.He is one of the Twelve Olympians, the son of Zeus and Hera.