The Goddess Athena in Plato

T h e G o d d e s s A t h e n a
i n P l a t o

Plato (bottom left) and Athena (top right)

PLATO ON THE GODS (OVERVIEW)

ATHENA IN PLATO

A T H E N A I N P L A T O

Plato Alcibiades 2 150d - But I think, as Homer relates how Athena removed the mist from the eyes of Diomede, "That he might well discern both God and man," so you too must first have the mist removed which now enwraps your soul, and then the means may be given to you whereby you may distinguish between good and evil. For at present I do not think you could do so.
Plato Cratylus 404b - Very well; what shall we say of Demeter, Hera, Apollo, Athena, Hephaestus, Ares, and the other Gods?
Plato Cratylus 406d - Still there remains Athena, whom you, Socrates, as an Athenian, will surely not forget
Plato Cratylus 407a-b - The ancients seem to have had the same belief about Athena as the interpreters of Homer have now; for most of these, in commenting on the poet, say that he represents Athena as mind (nous) and intellect (dianoia); and the maker of names seems to have had a similar conception of her, and indeed he gives her the still higher title of "divine intelligence" (hê theou noêsis), seeming to say: This is she who has the mind of God (Theonoa)
Plato Cratylus 418a - You bring out curious results, Socrates, in the use of names. Just now, when you pronounced boulapteroun, you looked as if you had made up your mouth to whistle the flute-prelude of the hymn to Athena
Plato Critias 109b - In the days of old, the Gods were taking over by lot the whole earth according to its regions, -- not according to the results of strife (between Poseidon and Athena): for it would not be reasonable to suppose that the Gods were ignorant of their own several rights, nor yet that they attempted to obtain for themselves by means of strife that which more properly belonged to others.
Plato Critias 109c - Now in other regions others of the Gods had their allotments and ordered the affairs, but inasmuch as Hephaestus and Athena were of a like nature, being born of the same father, and agreeing, moreover, in their love of wisdom and of craftsmanship, both obtained as their common portion this land, which was naturally adapted for wisdom and virtue; and there they implanted brave children of the soil, and put into their minds the order of government; their names are preserved, but their actions have disappeared by reason of the destruction of those who received the tradition, and the lapse of ages.
Plato Critias 112b - Outside the Acropolis and under the sides of the hill there dwelt artisans, and by such of the husbandmen as had their farms close by; but on the topmost part only the military class by itself had its dwellings round about the temple of Athena and Hephaestus, surrounding themselves with a single ring-fencelike the garden of a single house.
Plato Euthydemus 302d - The name of "ancestral Zeus" is not to be found among the Ionians, neither we nor those who have left this city to settle abroad: they have an "ancestral Apollo", there is, who is the father of Ion, and a "family Zeus", and a "Zeus guardian of the phratry", and an "Athena guardian of the phratry". But the name of "ancestral Zeus" is unknown to us.
Plato Greater Hippias 290b - Pheidias did not make the eyes of his Athena of gold, nor the rest of her face, nor her hands and feet, if, that is, they were sure to appear most beautiful provided only they were made of gold, but he made them of ivory
Plato Laws 626d - O Stranger of Athens, what shall we say, for you seem to deserve rather to be named after the Goddess Athena herself, seeing that you have made the argument more clear by taking it back again to its starting-point
Plato Laws 745b - The lawgiver must divide the city into twelve portions, first founding temples to Hestia, to Zeus and to Athena, in a spot which he will call the Acropolis, and surround with a circular wall
Plato Laws 796b - And at Athens, too, our Virgin-Lady (Athena) delighting in the amusement of the dance, thought it not fit to amuse herself with empty hands; she must be clothed in a complete suit of armour, and in this attire go through the dance.
Plato Laws 796c - And youths and maidens should in every respect imitate her, esteeming highly the favour of the Goddess (Athena), alike for service in war and for use at festivals. It shall be the rule for the children, from the age of six until they reach military age, to make processions and supplications to all the Gods in goodly array, armed and on horseback, in dances, and marches, fast or slow, offering up prayers to the Gods and to the sons of Gods.
Plato Laws 806b - Or shall we take a middle course letting the girls share in gymnastic and music, while the grown-up women, no longer employed in spinning wool, are hard at work weaving the web of life, which will be no cheap or mean employment, and in the duty of serving and taking care of the household and bringing up children, in which they will observe a sort of mean, not participating in the toils of war; and if there were any necessity that they should fight for their city and families, unlike the Amazons, they would be unable to take part in archery or any other skilled use of missiles, nor could they, after the example of the Goddess (Athena), carry shield or spear, or stand up nobly for their country when it was being destroyed, and strike terror into their enemies, if only because they were seen in regular order?
Plato Laws 848d - Everywhere we shall erect temples to Hestia, and Zeus, and Athena
Plato Laws 920d - Sacred to Hephaestus and Athena is the class of craftsmen who have furnished human life with the arts
Plato Laws 920e - To Ares and Athena belong those who safeguard the products of the craftsmen by arts of defence; rightly is this class also sacred to these deities
Plato Laws 921c - If one lets out work to a craftsman and fails to pay him his wage duly according to the legal agreement, disregarding Zeus, the Patron of the State, and Athena, who are the partners in the constitution, -- thereby dissolving great partnerships through love of a little gain, -- then, with the help of the Gods, this law shall lend aid to the bonds that unite the State.
Plato Menexenus 237c - Our country is deserving of praise, not only from us but from all mankind, first, and above all, as being dear to the Gods. This is proved by the strife of the Gods (Athena and Poseidon) who contended over her and their judgement testify to the truth of our statement. And how should not she whom the Gods praised deserve to be praised by all mankind?
Plato Protagoras 321c - Prometheus, in his perplexity as to what preservation he could devise for man, stole from Hephaestus and Athena wisdom in the arts
Plato Protagoras 321d - Prometheus entered unobserved the building shared by Athena and Hephaestus
Plato Protagoras 321e - Prometheus carried off Hephaestus' art of working by fire, and also the art of Athena, and gave them to man
Plato Republic 327a - I went down yesterday to the Piraeus with Glaucon, that I might offer up my devotions to the Goddess (presumably Bendis, though Athena is hreos for an Athenian), and also because I wanted to see how they would celebrate the festival, since this was its inauguration.
Plato Republic 378c - Neither must we admit at all that Gods war with Gods and plot against one another and contend -- for they are not true -- if we wish our future guardians to deem nothing more shameful than lightly to fall out with one another; still less must we make battles of Gods and giants the subject for them of stories and embroideries (on the Panathenaic peplus of Athena), and we shall be silent about the innumerable other quarrels of Gods and heroes with their friends and relatives.
Plato Republic 379e - But if any one asserts that the violation of oaths and treaties, which was really the work of Pandarus, was brought about by Athena and Zeus, we will not approve, nor that the strife and contention of the Gods was instigated by Themis and Zeus
Plato Statesman 274c - Men were in great straits; and that is the reason why the gifts of the Gods that are told of in the old traditions were given us with the needful information and instruction, -- fire by Prometheus, the arts by Hephaestus and the Goddess who is his fellow-artisan, Athena, seeds and plants by other deities.
Plato Symposium 197b - If Apollo invented archery and medicine and divination, it was under the guidance of Desire and Love; so that he too may be deemed a disciple of Love as likewise may the Muses in music, Hephaestus in metal-work, Athena in weaving and Zeus "in pilotage of Gods and men."
Plato Timaeus 21b - This tale will be a fitting monument of our gratitude to you, and a hymn of praise true and worthy of the Goddess (Athena) on this her day of Festival. (The Lesser Panathenaea, held early in June.)
Plato Timaeus 21e - The citizens of Sais in Egypt have a Goddess whose Egyptian name is Neith, and is asserted by them to be the same whom the Hellenes call Athena.
Plato Timaeus 23d - You are welcome to hear about them, Solon, both for your own sake and for that of your city, and above all, for the sake of the Goddess (Athena) who is the common patron and parent and educator of both our cities.
Plato Timaeus 24b - A further feature is the character of their equipment with shields and spears; for we were the first of the peoples of Asia to adopt these weapons, it being the Goddess (Athena) who instructed us, as in your part of the world first to you.
Plato Timaeus 24c - All this order and arrangement the Goddess (Athena) first imparted to you when establishing your city; and she chose the spot of earth in which you were born, because she saw that the happy temperament of the seasons in that land would produce men of supreme wisdom.
Plato Timaeus 24d - So it was that the Goddess (Athena), being herself both a lover of war and a lover of wisdom, selected and first of all settled that spot which was the most likely to produce men most like unto herself, and this first she established.
Plato Timaeus 26e - This story will be admirably suited to the festival of the Goddess (Athena) which is now being held, because of its connection with her; and the fact that it is no invented fable but genuine history is all-important.

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