Black Athena

It is quite rare to be enrolled in a history class that does not, even briefly, expose students to the essence of Greek society; we are often taught to appreciate the influence that the Greeks had on the development of the western world. Martin Bernal, in his work Black Athena, sheds new light on this matter, offering evidence that suggests our beliefs about the origin of Greek culture are misconstrued. Bernal successfully argues that, contrary to the widely believed and racism-laced Aryan Model, the Egyptians and Phoenicians played a significant role in the development of Greek society; this argument is strengthened by the author’s incorporation of evidence derived from his interpretations of primary sources, his use of chronology, as well as his discussion about the role of racism in the replacement of the model. Black Athena is partly comprised of information from primary sources which Bernal has…

Athena Lemnia, a modern copy of Athena Lemnia’s reconstruction, currently resides in a niche in Carpenter Library of Bryn Mawr College. It used to exhibit in Thomas Great Hall and it was moved to carpenter Library in 1997. and before The statue is made of plaster and slightly over life-size. Its dimension is 228.6 cm x 106.68 cm x 68.58 cm (Height x Width x Depth). The statue was made by August Gerber and was painted black to resemble bronze texture of the original. The original sculpture it…

She was upset with Medusa and turned her into a hideous monster. The Athens princess Agraulos disobeyed Athena and opened a box that contained the hidden infant Erikhthonios. This made Athena angry so she put a curse upon Agraulos making her have severe jealousy. When Agraulos’ jealousy took over in front of Hermes; Hermes turned Agraulos into stone. Athena had a beautiful white crow with her, but the crow told Agraulos about the baby Erikhthonios in the box. Athena became furious with the crow…

on his journey back home by giving them social advice and keeping them safe from storms and the unknown. The gods also intervene into their lives by prohibiting Odysseus from reaching home. Without them intervening and interfering in Odysseus and Telemakhos’ life, Odysseus would never have saw Ithaka again. Athena aids Odysseus and Telemakhos by giving them social guidance. In the beginning of “The Odyssey”, Athena helps Telemakhos when he has to speak to king Nestor to get information about…

Her name is Aquanis and she protects animals in the sea. She has two sacred objects both are on her at all times. One of the objects you will always find on Aquanis’s neck is her sea shell necklace given to her by Poseidon (God of the Sea) when she was born so that she would never loose connection with the sea, no matter what happened. The other sacred object she would have is her hair brooch given to her by Athena (Goddess of Wisdom, War, and Useful Arts). Aquanis is the offspring of Poseidon…

persona of humans. In similar contrast, the artwork from the period of the Panathenaic games, illustrated Athena and some sort of athletic event. Between the beginning of the sixth and by the end of the fourth centuries B.C., new techniques were starting to be used to decorate the fine pottery. Throughout many cities all over the Greek world celebrations in honor of deities took place. The Panathenaic games were one of Athens most important festivals. With the day of games, citizens would go…

It seen within the two knitting women at the office. The two women are described as “knitting black wool” as if they are weaving someone’s fate. The women could be compared to the Moirai, or the Greek personification of fate. While there are three Moirai in Greek mythology, there are only two knitting women. The two knitting women are representative of the two Morai who weave someone’s fate. The third Moirai cuts the thread, effectively ending someone’s life. The lack of a third knitting woman…

death for years; to make matters worse, all of Ithaka’s eligible men have flocked to Odysseus’ home to eat his livestock and court his wife. However, the anguish in Telemakhus’ heart is soon addressed by the goddess Athena, who comes in the form of a weary traveler to assure Telemakhus that Oddyseus is not dead. As Athena guides Telemakhus in his confrontations and travels, it becomes apparent that Telemakhus is a brave and intelligent (albeit young and inexperienced) boy. When Athena descends…

(Bleiberg).” When meat was utilized for sacrificial means, an animal would be killed and divided amongst the worshipers gathered at the hero 's grave. The choice cut of meat would be offered to the fallen hero. Greeks even went as far as to dig a hole and pour blood into the corpse 's mouth. They believed it triggered the hero’s conscious and allowed them to communicate with it. When Greeks prepared sacrifices for a hero their worship was directed towards the ground. However, when Greeks…

of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent and untamed aspect of war, in contrast to his sister the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and generalship. The Greeks were ambivalent toward Ares: although he embodied the physical valor necessary for success in war, he was a dangerous force, "overwhelming, insatiable in battle, destructive, and man-slaughtering." His sons…