CLAS 110 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Erechtheus, Sounion, Panathenaic Games
Week 4
● The Battle for Athens -- Athena and Poseidon
○ Athena (Minerva)
■ Parentage: Zeus and Metis
● Born out of Zeus’ head after he ate Metis to keep her from
reproducing
■ Offspring: Erectheus (Erichthonius)
● With Poseidon or Hephaestus
■ Attributes: Helmet, shield, spear, owl
● Gorgon (apotropaic)
■ Epithets
● Promachus (Front-Fighter)
● Parthenus (Maiden)
● Polias (City Protector)
■ Rituals/Santuaries
● Parthenon
● Panathenaea
■ Intelligence
■ Affinity to men/men’s activities
● Love of heroes like Heracles, Odysseus, and Perseus
■ Skill in battle
■ Women’s activities: weaving
■ Perseus and Medusa
● Uses a mirror to chop off her head
● Gives it to Athena and she wear it on her shield
○ Poseidon (Neptune)
■ Parentage: Cronos and Rhea
■ Offspring: King Peleus (w/Tyro)
● Pegasus and Chysaor (w/Medusa)
● Polyphemus (famous cyclops from the Odyssey)
● Others
■ Attributes: trident, dolphin
■ Epithets
● Ennosigaeus (Earth Shaker)
● Hippius (of Horses)
■ Rituals/Sanctuaries
● Sounion
● Erectheus (Athens)
○ Battle for Athens
■ Poseidon vs Athena
■ Patron deity of the city
■ First there is a battle on the acropolis
■ Vote by the gods:
