Athena: The First Feminist
...inning, pottery and carpentry. For example, she directs the hero Jason in the construction of his ship, the Argo). The ancient Athenians attributed to her the creation of the olive tree. Being one of the most important crops produced, the olive tree was essential to the daily life of the ancient Greeks, olive oil was indispensable in every way and attributing it to the goodness of Athena informs us enough about the Greeks’ gratitude toward her. This is why the Greeks considered her the goddess of wisdom, order, and civilized values; and in their myths she became the advisor of gods and heroes who always sought out her wise counsel. Furthermore, having been born wearing a suit of armor and always represented carrying a spear and a lance, Athena was also the goddess of war. However, she did not represent the violence and savagery of armed conflict. Athena wins battle not through violent frenzy but rather through forethought and strategy, cleverly outmaneuvering enemies. Her sacred bird is the owl, and sometimes she is called “owl-eyed,” perhaps and index of her intelligence. In addition, Athena establishes the first law court in Athens. Through this creation, she promotes the art of logical persuasion, rather than brute strength or the seeking of blood vengeance, to reconcile a city-states’ opposing factions. All in all, Athena’s role as the goddess of intelligence and civilization stands in stark contrast to the attitude of the ancient Greeks toward women. The latter possessed almost no legal rights, were not considered citizens, and were the property of their husbands or fathers. Women could not participate in the political life of the city-states (such as Athens). Females were not considered to possess the intelligence necessary to deal with political matters. Their assigned roles in society were as wives and mothers. With few exceptions, the subjugated condition of women in ancient Greece was repeated throughout most of Western history. It was not until very recently that Western society began to move away from the repression of women and permitted them to aspire to goals other than marriage and motherhood. This is the reason why Athena is such a great role model. By embodying the values of reason, order, and civilization, the goddess teaches us about the values of moderation and industry that are so necessary for the proper working of society. Clearly, modern professional women can see Athena’s many roles as a reflection of their values. In addition, since women generally possess less physical strength than men due to bodily differences, they may look up to Athena’s ability to vanquish stronger opponents through her skills as a planner and strategist. Women can then emulate this practice in their dealings with men in modern society. This also may serve them well in the competition they encounter in their professional careers. Furthermore, Athena embodies the idea of feminine freedom and emancipation. Let us recall that in order to remain free from male control, Athena chooses never to marry and remains a virgin. By renouncing marriage, she prevents a husband to control her affairs and behavior, and finds herself free to go about her pursuits. In the modern world, women are no longer constrained to limit themselves to marriage and motherhood, and they take full advantage of this situation by pursuing meaningful careers; these provide a way to earn a living, and provide a welcome sense of fulfillment. Independence is the key concept here, and modern women are no longer dependent on men for their livelihood and security. In this way, their lives resemble that of the fiercely independent Athena. Interestingly, the idea Athena’s virginity, although problematic in our modern days, made perfect sense to the Gr...