Athena: A Positive Role Model for Women Today.
Athena:
A Positive Role Model for Women Today
As a man, it is nearly impossible for me to truly know what a woman would desire in a positive role model. Being a man in a "mans ' world" I can only see and try to understand the struggles that many woman go through today. To me an ideal role model for modern women would be, someone who can overcome the obstacles of a patriarchal society while not compromising their personal ethics and morals. Role models need to have both strength and sensitivity while dealing with adversity. The Greek goddess Athena is a powerful role model for the women of today by embodying all of these virtues.
The goddess Athena was the Daughter of Zeus and Metis. When Metis became pregnant, Zeus devoured her. He did this because of a prophecy, which said that Metis would have a son who would grow to dethrone him. Later, Zeus developed a severe headache, which was relieved by splitting his head open with an axe. From this open wound sprang Athena. Being born unwanted and motherless was very traumatic, but Athena left Zeus ' body prepared. She was born fully dressesed in armor and armed with a spear and shield. Women today are born into a world where genders are not treated equally. Athenas wiliness to defend herself is something that woman today can admire.
Athena or Minerva (Roman) was the goddess of wisdom, military tactics, weaving and crafts. In these areas she dominated male oriented things, such as masterminding the fall of Troy by building the Trojan horse. The invention of the chariot is also credited to her. In fact she was more proficient at war than men were. She was also the goddess of military victory and winning strategies, where Ares or Mars (Roman) was just the god of war. Athena is known as the protector of heroes and cities. She is portrayed by artists of ancient Greece as tall with calm features, majestic, and described as the goddess with gray eyes. She makes a good example that women don 't need to be confined from
A Positive Role Model for Women Today
As a man, it is nearly impossible for me to truly know what a woman would desire in a positive role model. Being a man in a "mans ' world" I can only see and try to understand the struggles that many woman go through today. To me an ideal role model for modern women would be, someone who can overcome the obstacles of a patriarchal society while not compromising their personal ethics and morals. Role models need to have both strength and sensitivity while dealing with adversity. The Greek goddess Athena is a powerful role model for the women of today by embodying all of these virtues.
The goddess Athena was the Daughter of Zeus and Metis. When Metis became pregnant, Zeus devoured her. He did this because of a prophecy, which said that Metis would have a son who would grow to dethrone him. Later, Zeus developed a severe headache, which was relieved by splitting his head open with an axe. From this open wound sprang Athena. Being born unwanted and motherless was very traumatic, but Athena left Zeus ' body prepared. She was born fully dressesed in armor and armed with a spear and shield. Women today are born into a world where genders are not treated equally. Athenas wiliness to defend herself is something that woman today can admire.
Athena or Minerva (Roman) was the goddess of wisdom, military tactics, weaving and crafts. In these areas she dominated male oriented things, such as masterminding the fall of Troy by building the Trojan horse. The invention of the chariot is also credited to her. In fact she was more proficient at war than men were. She was also the goddess of military victory and winning strategies, where Ares or Mars (Roman) was just the god of war. Athena is known as the protector of heroes and cities. She is portrayed by artists of ancient Greece as tall with calm features, majestic, and described as the goddess with gray eyes. She makes a good example that women don 't need to be confined from
Cited: Harris, Stephen L, and Platzner, Gloria. Classical Mythology: Images and Insights. Mountain View: Mayfield 2001 Hathaway, Nancy. The Friendly Guide to Mythology. Harmondsworth: Penguin 2001