Apollo and Athena in Greek Culture
Ideas of Righteousness, Wisdom, Chastity and Warfare
The Greek Gods Apollo and Athena embody several imortant aspects of Greek Society: Warfare, Justice, Chastity and Wisdom.
The Sun God Apollo
The pantheon of Greek gods contains many interesting gods and goddesses, each containing their own attributes and personality. Each god embodies a distinct aspect of Greek society, whether it be warfare, craftsmanship, trickery, sensuality, etc. The god Apollo is used as a vessel to convey ideas of righteousness. He defines the role of a proper Athenian male: temperate and just. Apollo reflects the values of 5th century Athens, a golden age in Greek society, and challenges concepts of law and order. Historical evidence supporting this can be seen on the temple of Zeus at Olympia, constructed during the year 460 BC. On a pediment relief, Apollo extends his right arm over an unruly crowd of centaurs and men. He stands as a symbol of order amongst chaos.
Apollo’s other divine gift was that of prophecy. In 5th century Athens, the oracle of Delphi was highly regarded. It began to attract people from various areas of the Greek world in Archaic times, and by the Classical era its religious significance rose greatly. It was a privilege to receive a fortune from the Pythia, and her words were taken quite seriously.
Athena: Ideas of Justice, Wisdom and Chastity
Like Apollo, Athena also conveys ideas of righteousness and justice. Ideas of justice and righteousness were popular during 5th century Athens. Not only was this a time of immense building projects and heightened prosperity, but a time of innovative democratic thinking and political change. Power was being moved into the hands of the state, instead of remaining within select tribes of aristocrats. Notions of equality were being questioned, and values were being re-examined.
Athena though, is also the goddess of wisdom. She is a female deity, but associates herself with the male gods. Since she was born from her father’s head (illustrated here on this black-figure vase), Athena theoretically has no mother.
It is important to mention as well, that Athena is the sacred goddess of Athens. The Parthenon is dedicated to her, and her image appears on city coins. It is evident from this historical evidence that Athena holds precedence in Athenian society. Her overall image however, clashs with Athenian ideals for women. Athena, after all, is very masculine in nature. As mentioned above, she does not associate herself not with female divinities, but with male gods. She wears armor and remains somewhat androgynous. Athenian women were not associated with warfare, so these attributes are conflicting. Athena does however, also represent ideas of modesty, chastity and intelligence - goals all proper Athenian women should acquire.
