Athena
...thena is not only known for wisdom, but also for her skills in weaving. Arachne however, was also popular in that aspect. Her weavings were so beautiful nymphs left their homes to watch her while she worked (www.goddess-athena.org). Arachne boasted that her work was greater than the Goddess's, and the contest more or less proved that her weavings were equal to Athena's, if not better. Any Goddess would not be able to stand being surpassed by a mere mortal, so Athena, in a fit of rage, tore Arachne's hard labor into pieces. The woman tried to commit suicide, but Athena took pity on her, and allowed her to live on as a spider, forever weaving webs (www.homepage.mac.com). During other times, when criminal trials came to conclusions in which votes were split equally, Athena voted to free the accused, revealing the side of the Goddess that understood and forgave human errors (www.arthistory.sbc.edu). Athena played a great influential role in her time. During a society in which women were "reduced to a condition of sexual servitude," as said by Frederick John Kluth, Athena, a female, was the virginal Goddess of Wisdom. Athena also aided the Athenians in the victory of the war against Persia, even though the Persian forces were better equipped and had a larger army. Over time, this probably helped diminish women's roles as weak minded sexual slaves to men (www.fjkluth.com). Each God and Goddess had rules to abide by when it came to mortal lives. Athena herself kept to these rules, though she was more forgiving than many others. In one tale, Tiresias caught Athena bathing naked, so she punished him by striking him blind. Chariclo, the nymph that was bathing her and also Tiresias's mother, begged her to take the curse away. Chariclo explained that her son was entranced by her beauty, as mortal would be. Athena understood and pitied Tiresias, but she could not give him his sight back beca...