Athena

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Athena

"Figure it out."
Goddess of Wisdom and Battle
Olympian Parent:	Metis
Olympian Parent:	Zeus
Physical Description
Gender:	Female
Height:	Any size she wants
Age:	Immortal
Hair Colour:	Blonde (Black in photo)
Eye Colour:	Gray
Books
Appears In:	The Titan's Curse The Last Olympian

Athena is the Goddess of Wisdom and Battle, and she is also the disciplined side of war. She has many demigod children, one of the most well-known being Annabeth Chase. Like Zeus, her children are born from her head. Her father is Zeus and her mother is Metis, a Titan. Athena seems to not like her daughter’s relationship with Percy and in The Last Olympian her message that she sends through the messenger of the gods, Hermes tells Percy "to stay away from her daughter." This is probably due to her hatred toward Poseidon though, in The Titan's Curse she told Percy that though she didn't like him, she told him his fatal flaw, so that if he was aware of it, he could overcome it.

Athena seems to truly love her demi-god children, which may be one of the (minor) reasons as to why she doesn't like Percy's relationship with Annabeth, she doesn't think a son of Poseidon is good for her daughter.

[edit] History

Before Zeus married Hera, he first married Metis. Zeus got Metis, a Titan, pregnant, but immediately feared the consequences. It had been prophesied that Metis would bear extremely powerful children: the first, Athena and the second, a son more powerful than Zeus himself, who would eventually overthrow Zeus.

In order to forestall these dire consequences, Zeus tricked her into turning herself into a fly and promptly swallowed her. He was too late: Mètis had already conceived a child. In time she began making a helmet and robe for her fetal daughter. The hammering as she made the helmet caused Zeus great pain and Hephaestus cloved Zeus's head with an axe. Athena leaped from Zeus's head, fully grown, armed, and armored, and Zeus was none the worse for the experience. It is unknown if Metis escaped when Zeus' head was split open.

[edit] Rivalry with Arachne

A long time ago, the mortal Arachne challenged Athena to see who could make the best tapestry. Athena accepted the challenge, the two both made a tapestry, Athena's was of the gods together in glory. Arachne's showed the gods making fools of themselves. Athena was angry that Arachne still hadn't not to be vain, so she destroyed it and turned Arachne into a spider (supposedly after Arachne tried to kill herself). Ironically she could still use the web from her spinnerets to make silk. Ever since then Athena's children have had a fear of spiders, paranoid that every spider they see is out to get them, as what better way would there be for Arachne to get revenge on Athena, then to kill her children.

[edit] Rivalry with Poseidon

For many eons, Athena and Poseidon have had rivalry between them. It all started when they competed for being the patron of the city Athens. The leader of the city told the two gods to make a gift for the newly constructed city. Poseidon made a useless salt-water spring, while Athena, gifted 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 (Hence the name Athens) and made Athena a temple known as the Parthenon, and also made her the Patron of the city. Also, Athena once caught Poseidon with his girlfriend Medusa (who was once a pretty maiden). Furious at Poseidon and Medusa for doing such disgusting acts in her temple, she turned Medusa and her sisters into the "Three Gorgons". Medusa's sister's were also turned because they helped Medusa get into the temple. The competition for Athens and the terrible acts Poseidon committed to in Athena's temple are probably the basis for why Athena dislikes Percy.

[edit] Appearances

[edit] In The Titans Curse

Athena disguises herself as a park ranger at the Hoover Dam, and advises Percy on how to get out , despite her misgivings about him. The reason for this is probably because she wanted her daughter saved, and Percy was trying to find and rescue her.

At the Winter Solstice, Athena, along with Ares and Dionysus, vote for Percy to be killed, but they were outruled by the majority. Athena later tells Percy not to judge her too harshly, and that he is a big risk to take. Percy replies with questioning her saying"so you're saying you shouldn't take risks?"

[edit] In 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. 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 New York City. She praises Annabeth's abilities to everyone making Annabeth very proud. After the council meeting, Athena privately talks to Percy saying that she could of been wrong about him, but not necessarily say she was. Athena asks why Percy would give up immortality and he first says that he couldn't leave Annabeth and then quickly adds that he coudn't leave Grover either. She then quickly tells Percy to "spare her" and disappears in a fiery blast that singes his eyebrows.

[edit] Personality

Athena is a very disciplined woman, very wise, and is quick thinking. She is very brilliant and always takes precautions before acting. She loves all her children, and seems to be a more caring mother to them then Nemesis. Nemesis treats her children like they are objects and not people.

Athena is somewhat cold and calculating at times. She voted against letting Percy, a child of Poseidon, live in The Titan's Curse. Athena is also known for never giving up, and that crossing her is a mistake, such as Paris picking Aphrodite instead of her, which caused Athena to use every power within her to bring him down.

[edit] Physical description

Athena has long blond hair, though in the illustration she is shown with long black hair, and gray eyes. She is said to be beautiful, and wears an elegant white dress. It is said Annabeth looks a lot like her mother, and has the same cold stare.

[edit] Children

Athena's children are born from Athena's 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 gray eyes, it is safe to assume she only falls in love with blond men (or at least prefers them). This also could have been a continuity error (like Thalia's eyes being mentioned as both blue and green), as it was only mentioned once that everyone in the Athena cabin has blond hair.

Annabeth
Malcolm
George Washington
Benjamin Franklin
Many other blonde, gray-eyed demigod children.

[edit] Film

Melina Kanakaredes

In the upcoming film, The Lightning Thief, Athena will be played by Melina Kanakaredes.

Camp Half-Blood

Core Series:

The Lightning Thief | The Sea of Monsters | The Titan's Curse | The Battle of the Labyrinth | The Last Olympian

Main Characters:

Gods:

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