Athena, also known as Athene or Pallas, is an ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft

. She was a member of the Twelve Olympians and was later syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva

. Athena was the daughter of Zeus and Metis, and she emerged fully-grown from Zeus' forehead

. She was known for her wisdom, practical reason, and her association with various crafts, particularly weaving

. In art, she is often depicted wearing a helmet and holding a spear

. Athena's major symbols include owls, olive trees, snakes, and the Gorgoneion

. She was the guardian of the welfare of kings and became the goddess of good counsel, prudent restraint, and practical insight, as well as of war

. Athena was also the patron of various crafts and skilled peacetime pursuits, such as weaving and pottery

. Some notable myths featuring Athena include:

• Her birth from the head of Zeus, fully-grown and arrayed in arms

• Her contest with Poseidon for dominion of Athens, in which she produced the first olive tree and he the first horse

• The War of the Giants, in which she buried Enkelados beneath Mount Etna and made her aigis from the skin of Pallas

• The attempted violation of the goddess by Hephaistos, who spilled his seed upon the earth and produced Erikhthonios

• The Judgement of Paris, in which she competed with Hera and Aphrodite for the prize of the golden apple

• The Trojan War, in which she sided with the Greeks in battle but attacked their ships with a storm when they failed to punish Oilean Aias for violating her Trojan shrine