Athena
Also known as: Itonian Athena / Pallas / Tritonian Athena · Family: gods · Role: goddess · First appears: Book I 1
In Book I, Athena guided Argus son of Arestor in building the Argo and urged Tiphys to join the band of chiefs. She brought a divine beam from Dodona to fit into the ship, then gave Jason a purple mantle and taught him to measure the timbers. Near the crest of Pelion, she and Argus son of Arestor constructed the Argo.
In Book II, as the daughter of Zeus, Athena helped Jason and Tiphys by thrusting back the rocks and pushing the Argo safely through them. In Book III, she joined Hera in counsel and helped enlist Cypris to make Aeetes’ daughter love Jason.
Relationship record
Life events
- Argus son of Arestor builds Argo under Athena’s guidance.(Book I 1)
- With: Argus son of Arestor
- “The ship, as former bards relate, Argus wrought by the guidance of Athena.”
- Athena recruits Tiphys to join the band of chiefs.(Book I 1)
- With: Tiphys
- “Tritonian Athena herself urged him to join the band of chiefs, and he came among them a welcome comrade.”
- Athena equips Argo with a divine beam brought from Dodona.(Book I 4)
- With: Jason
- “For in her a beam divine had been laid which Athena had brought from an oak of Dodona and fitted in the middle of the stem.”
- Athena gives Jason a purple mantle and teaches him to measure Argo's timbers.(Book I 6)
- With: Jason
- “Pallas had given him when she first laid the keel-props of the ship Argo and taught him how to measure timbers with the rule.”
- Athena thrusts back the rocks and pushes Argo safely through them.(Book II 5)
- Athena and Argus construct the Argo near the crest of Pelion.(Book II 9 · 📍 Pelion)
- With: Argus son of Arestor
- “For our ship Athena built and with axe of bronze cut her timbers near the crest of Pelion, and with the goddess wrought Argus.”
- Hera and Athena enlist Cypris to make Aeetes’ daughter love Jason.(Book III 1)
Book I 1
- protégé: Tiphys “Tritonian Athena herself urged him to join the band of chiefs, and he came among them a welcome comrade”
- pupil: Argus son of Arestor “The ship, as former bards relate, Argus wrought by the guidance of Athena”
- protégé: Argus son of Arestor “with her Argus, son of Arestor, wrought it by her counsels”
- pupil: Tiphys “Tritonian Athena herself urged him to join the band of chiefs”
Book I 2
- protégé: Argus son of Arestor “Argus, helper of the goddess Athena”
- with Argus son of Arestor (interaction) “nor Argus, helper of the goddess Athena;”
Book I 3
- protégé: Jason “take courage from the promises of Athena, and from the answers of the gods”
Book I 4
- protégé: Jason (Athena aided the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts were voyaging.) “For in her a beam divine had been laid which Athena had brought from an oak of Dodona and fitted in the middle of the stem.”
Book I 6
- protégé: Jason “Now he had buckled round his shoulders a purple mantle of double fold, the work of the Tritonian goddess, which Pallas had given him when she first laid the keel-props of the ship Argo and taught him how to measure timbers with the rule.”
- pupil: Jason “Now he had buckled round his shoulders a purple mantle of double fold, the work of the Tritonian goddess, which Pallas had given him when she first laid the keel-props of the ship Argo and taught him how to measure timbers with the rule.”
Book II 5
- protégé: Jason “It is my hope that we have safely escaped this peril—we, and the ship; and none other is the cause so much as Athena, who breathed into Argo divine strength when Argus knitted her together with bolts;”
- parent: Zeus “the daughter of Zeus darted down and set her foot on the cheerless shore of Thynia.”
Book II 9
- protégé: Argus son of Arestor “For our ship Athena built and with axe of bronze cut her timbers near the crest of Pelion, and with the goddess wrought Argus.”
Book III 1
- protégé: Jason “But not yet do I think that I have conceived a scheme to aid the courage of the heroes, though I have balanced many plans.”
- with Hera (They jointly counselled one another about aiding the Argonauts.) “but Hera and Athena took note of them, and, apart from Zeus and the other immortals, entered a chamber and took counsel together”
- patron: Cypris (Cypris receives Athena as a guest.) “when she saw the goddesses before her, she stayed and called them within, and rose from her seat and placed them on couches.”
- parent: Zeus (Athena is identified as Zeus's daughter.) “Hera first made trial of Athena: “Do thou now first, daughter of Zeus, give advice.”
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Extracted from the original text of The Argonautica. Made with Rho MD.