Athena

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The goddess of wisdom and warfare in ancient mythology is often recognized for her strategic skill and intelligence in various legends
2. A symbol of reason and warfare, this divine figure is revered in Greek culture for her role in protecting cities and guiding heroes
3. In classical lore, she embodies the ideals of wisdom, courage, and civic responsibility, influencing philosophical and governmental thought throughout history

Etymology: The goddess's name in Greek, Ἀθηνᾶ, has an origin that scholars still argue over, and the ancient Greeks themselves seem to have been unsure of it. Later writers tried to explain it with word play, linking it to the Greek word for "mind" or "wisdom," but such explanations were guesses. The name most likely predates the Greeks' own language and may come from a pre-Greek source connected to the city of Athens, which bears the goddess's name in its own form. The word reached English through Latin "Athēna," itself a transliteration of the Greek. Middle English took it up in the medieval period, when classical mythology was being read and discussed in Latin, and it arrived as a learned borrowing rather than a word that grew up in English speech. English also has a doublet, "Athina," which entered by a separate route, so the two forms are variant spellings of one name that came into the language along different paths.

Synonyms: Goddess of Wisdom, Minerva