SPEAKER_01: Calling all podcasters. The 2024 iHeart Podcast Awards are coming. This is the chance to nominate your podcast for the industry's biggest award. Submit your podcast for nomination now at iHeart.com slash podcast awards. But hurry, submissions close on October 8th. Hey, you've been doing all that talking. It's time to get rewarded for it. Submit your podcast today at iHeart.com slash podcast awards. That's iHeart.com slash podcast awards.
SPEAKER_04: Hi, I'm Hillary Clinton, back with a new season of my podcast, You and Me Both. On this show, I'll be talking to people I admire about one of my favorite subjects, getting things done. We'll hear from folks in positions of power, like democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, but also writers and actors and really anyone who keeps doing the work. So please join me. Listen to You and Me Both on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
SPEAKER_03: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanika. This month, we're doing something a little different. We're talking about goddesses, mythical figures who've shaped culture, history, and imagination around the world. Today, we're talking about a goddess of ancient Greek and Roman mythology. She emerged fully grown from the head of Zeus and is known for her wisdom. Whether aiding heroes in battle, cursing disrespectful mortals, or inspiring young women to be more independent, she was the most actively involved in human life of any other god or goddess of Mount Olympus. Please welcome Athena. Thousands of years ago, in ancient Greece, most people practiced Hellenism. They worshiped the 12 Olympians, a group of gods and goddesses who ruled the cosmos from their thrones at the top of the fantastical Mount Olympus. To curry favor, devotees would visit the gods and goddesses' statues and leave offerings of handmade clothes, fruit, wine, milk, and honey at their feet. Some gods also held status as the patron of certain cities. In Athens, that patron was the goddess of wisdom and war and daughter of Zeus, the king of all gods. Her name was Athena. Athena watched over ancient Athens, which was a highly patriarchal society. During early childhood, boys and girls were raised the same. But once children reached age seven, boys were taught their father's trade, while young girls' formal education essentially stopped. Girls learned how to spin wool, make crafts, and maintain the household. Their worth was largely tied to the fact that one day they would become mothers, and they weren't often permitted to leave the house. That's where the cult of Athena comes in. It was common for Greek deities to have cults devoted to them, but Athena's in particular provided an outlet for women to participate in society. Athens held about 30 religious festivals a year, and women were allowed to participate in about half of them. Women and girls who were members of the cult of Athena held key positions in the rituals, like carrying offerings for the goddess. The Greek deities were also allowed to participate in the cult of Athena, the goddess. Some women left the cult once they got married. Others became members of Athena's clergy. Athena wasn't always the city's patron. It all started with a contest. According to the myth, a beautiful region in Greece called Attica drew the attention of many gods and goddesses, particularly Athena and Poseidon, the god of the sea. Zeus suggested they compete to become the patron god of the city. They'd each bring a gift for the citizens of Attica, and whoever brought the better gift would win. Poseidon and Athena gathered the residents of Attica to the center of town to present their gifts. Poseidon struck the ground with his trident. And a glittering stream of water gushed out from the earth, a water source for the city. Initially, the crowd was thrilled until they realized the water was salt water and not drinkable. For Athena's gift, she planted a seed in the ground. The water was a little bit cold, but the water was still cold. It quickly shot up into a full-grown olive tree with ripe olives and silvery leaves. It would provide food, shade, and lumber. The citizens of Attica preferred Athena's gift. She won the contest, and so the story goes, the city was named Athens in her honor. Today, scholars debate whether the city was named after the goddess or the other way around. Regardless of which came first, to this day, Athens is filled with temples dedicated to Athena. The Parthenon, with its towering white columns, is an enduring testament to the people's love and admiration for the goddess. Athena's influence expanded beyond Athens to the rest of the Mediterranean. Her counterpart in Roman mythology was known as Minerva. Whenever a mortal was facing hardship during wartime or while embarking on a perilous journey, he would call to the goddesses of war for her trademark wisdom intact. In one story, Athena gifted the demigod Perseus a bronze shield on his way to slay the vicious Gorgon Medusa. Athena's favors were also depicted in the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey. Before the Trojan War broke out, Athena appeared to Achilles, saying, I have come from heaven to stay your anger if you will obey. After the war, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, survived the long journey home to his wife thanks to Athena's guidance. Sometimes, Athena used her powers to punish mortals rather than to help them. As one story goes, a woman named Arachne was gaining notoriety for her weaving skills. She was so confident she challenged Athena, also known as the goddess of handicrafts, to a contest. Arachne wove a tapestry depicting stories of gods and goddesses being shamed and humiliated. When Arachne showed off her finished product, Athena became furious. She turned Arachne into a spider, doomed to do nothing but spin silk for the rest of her days. Athena's story and legacy are complicated. She was a goddess among powerful gods. Though she had a considerable amount of wisdom and strength, she often had to seek permission from her father Zeus. That power conflict mirrored some of the oppression mortal women experienced in ancient Greece. In more modern times, Athena became a common figure in art, literature, and pop culture. She was featured in the 90s television series Xena, Warrior, Princess, and she has her own Barbie. Athena proved a woman could make an impact outside the domestic sphere. She was an empowering force not just for the women of Athens, but also for young women today. All month, we're talking about goddesses. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at Womanica Podcast. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow.
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