Myth Monday - How Well Do You Know Athena?

Athena Statue at Owner: CC Flickr user AZAdam Alt: Peaceable Athena Statue at the Louvre

Athena is probably the favorite Greek goddess among today's western women. This puzzles me, although I do understand that her supreme competency has much to do with it. I wonder how much people who admire her know about her.

This week's Myth Monday challenges you to determine how much you actually realize about the goddess.

There are no scores, just a series of questions and links to other pages where you can verify your answers.

1. Question: What happened to Arachne?

   Answer: Athena and Arachne

2. Question: On which side was Athena in the Trojan War?

   Answer: See Major Figures in the Iliad.

3. Question: Which human form did Athena take when she initially appeared to Telemachus?

   Answer: Telemachus in the Odyssey

4. Question: What is the connection between Athena and the Abduction of Persephone?

   Answer at l. 415 of Homeric Hymn to Demeter II, where Pallas refers to Athena.

5. Question: Why IS it Pallas or Pallas Athena?

   Answer: Why Pallas Athena?

6. Question: How can a virgin goddess have a son? Extra credit: Who is the father?

   Answer: Athena Profile - scroll down for A Son for a Virgin Goddess.

7. Question: Whom did Athena get to babysit her son?

   Answer: Athena and the First King(s) of Athens, scroll down to "But back to Athens...."

8. Question: What is the connection between Athena and the flayed-Marsyas?

   Answer: Apollo and Marsyas

9. Question: What were the circumstances in which Athena decided mothers were less important than fathers?

   Answer: Orestes

10. Question: Why did Athena disfigure Medusa?

    Answer: Medusa

How did you do? Any surprises? Please post in the comments.

Previous 2012 Myth Mondays:

1. Hercules Hurls His Guest
   
2. Scylla
   
3. Olympics Origins II: Myrtilos
   
4. Hercules the Giant-Killer
   
5. The First Tyrant
   
6. The King and the Harpies
   
7. The Dawn Goddess Loves a Mortal
   
8. Vediovis
   
9. Even a Boar Wishes to Kiss Adonis
   
10. Hero and Leander
    
11. Who Were the Argonauts?
    
12. The Chimera
    
13. Narcissus and Echo
    
14. How Perseus Fits In
    
15. Hesiod and the Bestiary
    
16. The First Olympics Origins I
    
17. Dionysus and the Return of Hephaestus
    
18. Zeus, the Recent Victor of the Titanomachy, Wins Once More in Hesiod's 'Theogony'
    
19. Atlas, the Titan Who Didn't Shrug
    
20. Troilus and ... Polyxena
    
21. Who Is the Virgo?
    
22. Pandora's Box
    
23. Achilles and His Heel
    
24. Hercules and His Labors
    
25. The First Humans
    
26. The Death of Pentheus
    
27. Greek Ghosts
    
28. One More Underworld God
    
29. A Norse God of Winter
    
30. "Why Is Gold Called Sif's Hair?"