Who was Athena in the Bible?

Athena was the legendary Greek goddess of war, wisdom, and the arts. Although she was one of the five greater gods of Greece, Athena is not among the five Greek gods mentioned by name in the Bible. However, a city named after Athena and dedicated to her worship figures prominently in the book of Acts. That city is Athens, the capital and largest city of modern-day Greece and the heart of ancient Greece.

In Greek mythology, Athena was one of the three virgin goddesses. She had no husband or children. She was the half-sister of Hercules. Athena was said to be motherless because she was born from the forehead of her father, Zeus.

In another version of the mythic tale, Zeus was believed to have swallowed the nymph Metis while she was pregnant with Athena. Zeus was attempting to stop Athena from usurping him as lord of heaven. Meanwhile, Metis gave birth to Athena inside Zeus’ skull and made a gown, helmet, sword, and shield for her. Zeus developed such an excruciating headache that the other gods were called to his aid. Hermes instructed Hephaestus, the god of fire, metalworking, and volcanoes, to crack open Zeus’s skull with an axe. Athena emerged, fully grown and clad in her armor.

Athena was typically depicted in works of art with an aegis (a protective shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty), spear, helmet, and wearing a goatskin dress. The aegis of Athena was particularly noteworthy, as it bore the snaky head of the Gorgon Medusa and a fringe of snakes. It was loosely draped over her right shoulder and said to be indued with the power to turn onlookers to stone.

Athena’s sphere extended to various aspects of life. As the goddess of wisdom or “applied knowledge,” she was considered the wisest of the Olympian gods. The owl, symbolic of Athena, appeared printed on the coinage of Athens.

As the goddess of war, Athena was known as a skilled strategist in battle, an advisor to soldiers, a protector of people, an upholder of justice, a companion of heroes, and a patron of heroic endeavors. All the arts, including agriculture, crafts, weaving, sewing, cooking, and even the art of government, fell under her domain. Besides the owl, significant symbols of Athena included olive trees (for peace, provision, and protection), snakes, and Medusa (for protection and warding off evil).

Athena was especially worshiped in Northern Greece, and war dances were incorporated into that worship. In Athens, the great temple Parthenon on the Acropolis was dedicated to Athena. So important was Athena to the city that a golden statue of her was housed in that temple. According to Greek mythology, Athena and her uncle Poseidon, god of the waters, fought over who would get to name and protect their favorite city. In the competition, Poseidon created a spring of water for the town, while Athena planted an olive tree to provide peace and prosperity. The citizens and leaders of Athens decided Athena’s gift was better and renamed the city in her honor.

According to the Bible, the apostle Paul visited Athens during his second missionary journey around AD 50 (see Acts 17:15–34). While in Athens, Paul observed that it was a religious center where the Athenians spent their time discussing the latest ideas (Acts 17:21–23). Paul preached to the Epicureans and Stoics on the Areopagus (Mars Hill), a low hill northwest of the Acropolis. His brilliant sermon only produced a small number of believers. Among those converted were “Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus” and “a woman named Damaris” (Acts 17:34).