Athene Olympia
Dr. Athene Minerva Olympia (a.k.a. Atanodjuwaja, Athena, Minerva, Mykene, Pallas, Tritogeneia, Victory)
Born of your father
No woman could birth wisdom,
You took Hephaestus as midwife.
Axe! Axe! To Zeus’ head, an axe!
Split the ache,
Which corners the guilt of another
Pregnant lover,
Whose son
Might best thee
As Kronos bested Ouranos.
As Zeus - you bested Kronos.
Your daughter’s eyes are thin
And wise.
Fully garmented, she knew not
The indigence of naked birth.
Screaming mothers.
Do labour-screams burn intelligence
From a woman?
Does her reproduction
End her usefulness and eradicate
Her tender, ignorant mind?
Holy virgin, you know every thing
But the push of a man’s loins.
You race. You fly.
As your banner flies over Athens
The holy city bathed in the Adriatic
Flowing with olive orchards
A gift, from Pallas Athene
And her gifted gorgon shield.
Your helm protects you.
Houses hair none will thread
Fingers through
In pillow talk.
Your features are perfect
Your beauty is perfect
For the men worship you
Without owning you.
Honourary gentleman,
Your ways are mighty
Your temple is grace
Your people remember your footsteps
And your names:
Daughter of Zeus
Metis-daughter
Mother-Protector of Athens
Sister of War
Pallas-inspiration
Heroic Patroness.
Mykene.
Atanodjuwaja, snake-goddess of Minos.
Victory,
You bless your stubbornCapricious father.Pallas Minerva, from Usurper Kings by Sapha Burnell
Divine Domains
Wisdom
War
Weaving
Crafts
Artifacts
Holy Books & Codes
Divine Symbols & Sigils
- Aegis
- Gorgoneion
- Owl
- Olive Tree
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Conceived of Zeus and Metis, Athene was born of no mother for Metis did not survive a prophesy that a son from her loins would best his father. Like Cronus before him, Zeus ate Metis and the embryo of Athene. Unlike Cronus, Zeus began to suffer from headaches.
Hephaestus split Zeus' head open, and out fully clothed and armour clad came Athene.
She never knew the indignity of childhood, of infancy's incontinence or the frustration of developing motor control. Athene was born and she was exactly herself. This disconnected her from her siblings, while relieving her father of the difficulty in raising a child from infancy who never knew her mother's touch. There was no touch as her mother was consumed wholesale.
Thus, Athene knew separation from her first breath.
Beloved of her father for having the talents of a son, but the harmlessness of a woman (no woman could usurp his throne! Bah!), Athene was the Heir of Zeus' choice. The favourite child. She fought with Ares, her as patron of Athens, he of Sparta.
They did not enjoy each other's company in those Hellene days.
It wasn't until the centuries stretched, when Athene succumbed to Mars' Roman popularity and their capricious father began to wither that Athene saw her brother as more than, or other than, a threat. Some time still until they talked in Bologna, Italy.
When Athene finally expressed her desires to her half-brother, Ares did the most curious of things: he helped.
Ares convinced the University of Bologna take Athene on as a professor. And over the centuries, he checked in, sent care packages to remind her of the olive groves of Athens, the smell off the sea and the rich baklava she loved without saying. Over the centuries, Athene began to realize what Ares was, for all his horrors and those of his kin.
And the two war deities made peace.
Athene became his advisor as she had been Zeus's, she helped develop sciences and technologies. Once the centuries turned toward modernity, Athene wanted more than anything, to have a compatriot who remembered the Hellene age. One crafty, who could build with her.
She entered a high stakes card game with Persephone Chthonia to win the desired shade of Daedalus. A man she knew no doubt she could have a platonic and companionate relationship with, and was tricked into releasing the shades of his two children Icarus Areides and Leander.
Confronted with a twelve year old genius, and his angry sixteen year old brother, Athene found herself with both the companion she wished for, young enough to mould into the right kind of thinker, but also plagued with a hormonal child. Something she'd never been.
Once more, Athene went to Ares: The brothers were his great-grandsons.
Between teaching responsibilities at the University of Bologna (who by now have given up on asking about retirement parties, and since she has tenure continue on with little fuss), and R&D at Kopis Industries, Athene tutors and continues to develop Icarus' talents.
Gender Identity
Sexuality
Education
The Olympian of Wisdom, Athene applied herself to the gaining of knowledge from her first breath. This never changed. The more time passed, the more philosophers and minds Athene plumbed to develop her own ideas on life, the universe and the cosmos. A voracious writer as well as reader, Athene eventually became enamoured with the University system, and became a professor at the University of Bologna from the 1300s onward.
For the past 700 years, Athene has done nothing but learn and teach, investigating the sciences and philosophy to make theorems of her own and attempt to create new technologies. Most of the technology in use by Kopis Industries, was designed by Athene (and/or her assistant Icarus Areides) and prototypes built by Hephaestus Vulcan Olympia.
Failures & Embarrassments
Mental Trauma
"That is for my therapist, not for you."Athene
Intellectual Characteristics
Precise and perpetually prepared to research multiple angles of thought, Athene is the best resource for any who come to her with a desire to learn. Ferocious in protecting knowledge with as little manipulation as possible, Athene is a bastion of rationality & logic. Constant in her attempts to get her students and compatriots to a place where they can set aside their emotions and look at the facts themselves. To make conclusions not based on cultural comfort, but on the truth as it is evident.
After all, Athene lived throughout eons of cultural comfort being discomforting to her gender. She saw how cultural comfort negatively impacted members of her own family, and how her father's culture destroyed so many. As Zeus's once-favourite and heir, Athene carries the weight of her father's sins in the back of her mind.
Passive with many, Athene allows others to see her passionate side only when they've proven themselves to be intellectually stimulating, or in some way encouraging at improving themselves or others. I must admire that.
Morality & Philosophy
Wisdom
Temperance
Justice
Courage
Social
Contacts & Relations
Family Ties
Ares Mars Olympia
A tempestuous beginning took eons to develop into a familial companionship. While neither sibling will admit it, they since started to rely on each other more and more. Becoming solid friends. Ares blames Harmonia & Eros for this, as both his children connived them all into enough family therapy for it to take.
Icarus Areides
Athene never did want a child of her own. When Daedalus tricked her and Persephone into releasing the boy, Athene was ready to throw the Shade right back. A deep glance into his eyes, and the assurance that he would best his father in craft and intelligence stayed Athene's hand. While it was best for Icarus to stay with Ares, Aphrodite and Leonidas, thus also keeping the brothers together, Athene has personally tutored Icarus every day since.
She spurred him on to receive his PhD at age 18, and continues to monopolize her great-grandnephew Icarus' time as work-mate, post-doctoral student and companion 40 hours a week.
Areosides
Strange tidings indeed, when the asexual Olympian of Wisdom spends the majority of her slim leisure time with the family of Love and War. Yet, out of all the family she has left, they are the closest to her in no small part because of Ares, and Icarus.
Zeus Olympia
Hatred blossomed where loyalty once lived. The more time Athene spent around Zeus and his habits, the more she praised his eventual withering. No longer close, Athene attends medical reviews of the incapacitated Olympian former-King via video conferencing out of a sense of duty, without affection.
Hephaestus Vulcan Olympia
Both crafters, it was once thought Hephaestus and Athene might get along. Any attempt at companionship between the half-siblings was decimated by two events: One, the invisible net which trapped Ares & Aphrodite (which left a bitter taste in Athene's mouth), and most significantly the near-assault she suffered once Hephaestus was free of his marriage to the Olympian of Love.
After Athene rejected his advances, Hephaestus attempted to assault her and force her into a marriage similar to Zeus and Hera's. Larger and more spry, Athene smacked Hephaestus back and escaped. No harm, but the jostling of her mind. An insecurity which her father rebuffed with a laugh.
This not only soured Athene to her half-brother, but began the process of Athene's eventual betrayal of Zeus centuries later. Hephaestus and Athene have an understanding mediated by their niece Harmonia Ourania-Areia and nephew Eros Areides-Ouranov. Athene remains on Continental Europe, Hephaestus in North America. Any contact is pre-arranged and occurs in neutral territory with others present.
The mediated plan works so well, Hephaestus and Athene have begun to collaborate on Kopis Industries R&D tech, via video conferencing.
Apollo
After it became clear Apollo followed in Zeus's wake and shadow, Athene not only cut contact, but helped Ares gather enough evidence to have Apollo put away for seven consecutive life sentences. They do not speak.
Religious Views
Social Aptitude
Mannerisms
Hobbies & Pets
Speech
Relationships
Wealth & Financial state
A small stipend from Kopis Industries every month increases her wages from lecturing. While not personally well off, Athene is rich in her library, wine & whiskey cellar, and in the quality of ingredients in her pantry.
She lives in a spacious flat overlooking the historical centre of Bologna, Italy, and also collects handiworks, tapestries and sculpture from women across the world.
Accomplishments
Too many PhD's to count.Employment
A senior lecturer at the University of Bologna.Senior Scientific Advisor & Research Chair, Kopis Industries
Appears In
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