Athena was the patron god of the city of Athens and she was the sponsor of warriors and heroes, but she was also connected with arts and crafts and she represented wisdom.

Athena was born from the head of Zeus fully grown and armed for battle. The birth of Athena from the head of her father tells us that she had an important relationship with men, both gods and human, and she was a protector of heroes; while in the divine she completely avoids sexual liaisons with gods.

Athena fought a contest with Poseidon for the city of Athens. According to the legend, both gods wanted Athens as the site of their main sanctuary. In order to settle the duel in his favour, Poseidon created a spring from which salt water flowed. However, Athena then produced an olive tree on the Athenian Acropolis, and this second divine gift was judged by the people to be the more useful. This contest gave rise to the Parthenon, the temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. The myth is shown on one of the pediments of the temple, while the birth of the goddess is shown on the other.

Medusa claimed that she was more beautiful than Athena. Medusa was a terrible monster who had once been a beautiful maiden with the most wonderful hair, but when she competed for beauty with Athena, the goddess changed her beautiful ringlets into hissing serpents.

She became a cruel monster so terrible that no living thing could behold her without being turned into stone. Athena lent Perseus her shield and Hermes lent his winged shoes, and Perseus approached Medusa while she slept. He made sure he did not look directly at her, and instead looked at her image reflected in the bright shield. He then cut off her head and gave it to Athena, who fixed it in the middle of her cloak.