Athena's Birth

 #Athena 

ATHENA'S BIRTH 

This is pre Classical but it serves as a contrast to more finished Classical works

Hermes in his messenger boots is on the left and Poseidon on the far right

Zeus ruler of the gods has a robe with embroidered borders and a stylized thunderbolt. 

Two goddesses act as midwives standing ready to receive the child a miniature Athena. 

So did anyone else notice how one goddess has a pattern of squares on her cloak and a patterned vertical panel on an other wise plain robe whereas the other vice versa ?

And Zeus' look of ... is it horror or surprise at whats happening?

Athena in Contemplation

#Athena #sculpture #classicalgreekart

None of the embroidery often seen on ceramics on this carved image of the goddess just the goddess gazing on a memorial stele probably for a fallen soldier returning the respect and worship given to her.

Here's a closeup showing more detail of the face.

A quiet yet powerful work.

Follow me for more Athena images our theme for October.

 

ATHENA on a Signet Ring.

 #Athena #classicalgreekart #signetring

Here we have Athena's image on a signet ring. 

Why a Signet Ring. Perhaps the owner wanted to indicate that he was an Athenian citizen or that he considered himself to have a special relationship with that goddess? Maybe he was a priest or temple official at Athens or elsewhere? We don't know but we can enjoy the craft and skill of this ring.

I have enlarged the image to show to the details that would have left an impression in wax on documents and to show the Greeks carved both large and small objects. Functional useful tools as well as objects of worship.

Also I really love the way she's holding the owl!

ATHENA as a Warrior

 #Athena 

A series of posts featuring Images of Athena in Classical Greek Art 

Here we see Athena as a warrior defeating Encelados the Giant a child of Gaia who is said to be buried under Mount Etna in Sicily.

We can see the shield straps telling us something about how the Greeks used and carried round shields.

She has the elaborate embroidered robe of an upper class woman but the helmet of a warrior.

The battle of Athena and Encelados is depicted on various ceramics and is mentioned by Euripides in his ION, and also Callimachus, Apollodoros, Pausanias, Nonnos,  and the Latin poets Virigil, Statius,Horace, and Claudian, though some writers attribute his defeat to Dionysios or Zeus.

ATHENA - Tetradrachma

 ATHENA THIS OCTOBER -

Our #OCTOBER #2020 theme is #Athena 

This Athenian coin is thought to be based on the face of Phidias' sculpture of the goddess.

I have actually enlarged the image to show every possible detail.