65+ Important Athena Quotes From Classic Literature

Why Athena Quotes?

Athena is a member of the Greek Gods of Olympus and the daughter of Zeus. Born to such powerful parents, she is a master of many arts and is immortal.

She became the patron God of the city of Athens after defeating Poseidon. Athena is also the sister of Ares, Artemis, Aphrodite, and more famous deities.

She is the daughter of the Titan Metis, and she is one of the characters in 'The Odyssey'. She stands for wisdom, war, and courage.

She excels in war strategy and crafting. She has invented many things and devised many more plans to help those who have had the chance to have her look over them. The Goddess possesses both physical powers like her mom and the king of the Olympian gods and sharp acumen.

She had fallen in love with Hephaestus and was the mother of Erichthonius. She killed Ares in the battle of Troy.

Her temple still stands in the Acropolis of Athens and is something you can definitely consider visiting with your family. The olive tree was a symbol of Athens because Athena offered that as a gift to the people living there.

What parents should know

• Athena was the goddess of war, craft, and practical reason in ancient Greek religion.
• Athena's moral and military superiority over Ares is because she represents the intelligent and civilized aspects of warfare and the virtues of justice and skill.
• Traits like fear, quarrel, defense, and attack that lead to victory are found in the aegis, or breastplate, worn by Athena when she goes to war.

What to discuss with kids

• According to legend, Athena was the favorite daughter of the supreme god Zeus.
• The metropolis of Athens became related to Athena.
• Guardian of the king's welfare, Athena became the goddess of good counsel, wise restraint, practical insight, and war.

Quotes About The Goddess Of Wisdom From The Odyssey

Goddess Athena is referenced multiple times in 'The Odyssey'. Here are a few Athena quotations in the Odyssey and quotes about the Goddess from Olympus.

1. "And now am I come, for of a truth men said that he, your father, was among his people; but look, the Gods are frustrating him of his return."- Athena.

2. "They made libation to the gods,the undying, the ever-new, most of all to the grey-eyed daughter of Zeus. And the prow sheared through the night into the dawn."- Homer.

3. "The rose Dawn might have found them weeping still had not grey-eyed Athena slowed the night when night was most profound, and held the Dawn under the Ocean of the East." - Homer.

4. "Surely, then, no nameless lineage have the Gods appointed for you in time to come, seeing that Penelope bore you such as you are."- Athena.

5. "[Athena] gave no all-out turning of the tide, not yet, she kept on testing Odysseus and his gallant son, putting their force and fighting heart to proof."- Homer.

6. "Stop me now no longer, when I am eager to be gone, and whatever gift your heart orders you give me, give it when I come back, to bear to my home, choosing a right beautiful one; it shall bring you its worth in return."- Athena.

7. "Come, weave us a scheme so I can pay them back! Stand beside me, Athena, fire me with daring, fierce as the day we ripped Troy's glittering crown of towers down."- Homer.

8. "Stand by me - furious now as then, my bright-eyed one -and I would fight three hundred men, great goddess, with you to brace me, comrade-in-arms in battle!"- Homer.

9. "The Goddess thus the imperial car ascends; Shook by her arm the mighty javelin bends, Ponderous and huge; that when her fury burns, Proud tyrants humbles, and whole hosts overturns."- Homer.

Quotes About The Goddess Athena By Famous Characters And Personalities

10. "Then Prometheus, in his perplexity as to what preservation he could devise, stole from Hephaestus and Athenawisdom in the arts together with fire -- since by no means without fire could it be acquired or helpfully used by any -- and he handed it there and then as a gift to man."- Plato.

11. "Whenever I asked, she'd say, "You had no father. I'm your father. You sprang full-blown from my forehead, like Athena.'" - Janet Fitch.

12. "They went to university because someone, at a time when universities seemed important, said that in order to rise in the world, you had to have a degree. And thus the world was deprived of some excellent gardeners, bakers, antique dealers, sculptors, and writers." - Paulo Coelho, talking about the importance of wisdom not found in universities.

13. "Wisdom's daughter walks alone. The mark of Athena burns through Rome."- Rick Riordan.

14. "Athena always, always has a plan."- Rick Riordan.

15. "Athena: You wish to be called righteous rather than act right. [...] I say, wrong must not win by technicalities."- Aeschylus.

16. "When Athena falls in love, it's purely intellectual. It's a meeting of minds. The purest kind of love." - Rick Riordan.

17. "When ancient Greeks had a thought, it occurred to them as a god or goddess giving an order.

Apollo was telling them to be brave....Athena was telling them to fall in love. Now people hear a commercial for sour cream potato chips and rush out to buy, but now they call this free will...at least the ancient Greeks were being honest. "- Chuck Palahniuk.

18. "If Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff?" - Rick Riordan.

19. "'I am Zeus's favourite child.' Her smile beamed. Apollo's blue eyes rolled." - 'Sentinel: The Fifth Covenant Novel', Jennifer L. Armentrout.

20. "'Trust me, I pick my generals well. Priapus doesn't stand a chance.'"- Sarah A. Hoyt.

21. "Love simply is. That is the testament of Athena or Sherine or Hagia Sofia - love is. No definitions. Love and don't ask too many questions. Just love."- Paulo Coehlo.

22. "Hers was a beauty so pure that it was nearly painful to behold--Athena heading out on a Friday night."- Jim Butcher.

23. "I once warned you, Percy Jackson, that to save a friend you would destroy the world. Perhaps I was mistaken. You seemed to have saved both your friends and the world."- Athena, 'Percy Jackson And The Olympians'.

24.People respond to political characters in archetypal ways. A fun game is to think of a politician and ask, "Which god is that? Are they like Aries? Are they like Athena?"- Zephyr Teachout.

25. "Athena: There are two sides to this dispute. I've heard only one half the argument. (...) So you two parties, summon your witnesses, set out your proofs, with sworn evidence to back your stories.."- Aeschylus.

26. "'It's one of my inventions-a shampoo,' Athena explained. 'Anyway, I didn't know it would do’-she gestured toward the snakes-‘that'."- Joan Holub.

27. "Wisdom's daughter walks alone. That didn't just mean without other people, Annabeth realized. It meant without any special powers."- Rick Riordan.

28. "among mortal men
you’re far the best at tactics, spinning yarns,
and I am famous among the gods for wisdom,
cunning wiles, too" - The Odessey 'Homer'

29. "I've been waiting a long time for a quest, seaweed brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you're going to save the world, I'm the best person to keep you from messing up."- Rick Riordan.

30. "The woman is Athena," Devon said. "According to myth, she invented the bridle and was the first ever to tame a horse."- Lisa Kleypas.

Athena Quotes From The Iliad That You Can Read With Your Friend

31. "Athena winged a heron close to their path and veering right. Neither man could see it Scanning the night sky, they only heard its cry."- Homer.

32.

"Father of us all, you son of Cronus, high above all lords, if indeed this is now well-pleasing to the blessed Gods, that the wise Ulysses should return to his own home, let us send forth Hermes, the messenger, Argeiphontes, to the island Ogygia, that with all speed he may declare to the fair-tressed nymph our fixed decision, even the return of Ulysses of the constant heart, that he may come home.

"- Athena.

34. "Among mortal men you're far the best at tactics, spinning yarns, and I am famous among the gods for wisdom, cunning wiles, too."- Athena.

35. "[In] silence you must bear a world of pain, subject yourself to the cruel abuse of men."- Athena.

36. "But quickly, order Athena down to battle now, into the killing-ground of Trojans and Achaeans- and see that the Trojans break the sworn truce first and trample on the Argives in their triumph!"- Homer.

Best Athena Quotes

Her being a good or a bad Goddess is up for debate, but she seemed to care and support the people who depended on her for strength, courage, and power. Here are some more of the best quotes on the Goddess who becomes the patron Goddess of Athens after Poseidon lost to her in a contest.

37. May the strength of Ares and wisdom of Athena see you through. (Eros) And may Hades roast your hoary soul. (Julian)- Sherrilyn Kenyon.

38. "Attina- Ariel didn't spell out the sign; she moved her hand to suggest the robes of a goddess, the sign for Athena, for whom her sister was named."- Liz Braswell.

39. "I could not bring myself to fight my Father's brother, 

Poseidon, quaking with anger at you, still enraged."- Athena, 'The Odyssey'.

40. "Be of good cheer, and let not these things distress your heart."- Athena, 'The Odyssey'.

41. "Let them all die so, all who do such things. But my heart breaks for Odysseus, that seasoned veteran cursed by fate so long—far from his loved ones still, he suffers torments."- Athena, 'The Odyssey'.

Quotes about Athena By Rick Riordan

42. “What if it lines up like it did in the Trojan War ... Athena versus Poseidon?"I don't know. But I just know that I'll be fighting next to you. Why?"

43. “Can you surf really well, then?"I looked at Grover, who was trying hard not to laugh. Jeez, Nico," I said. "I've never really tried."

44. “Remind me again-why do you hate me so much?" I don't hate you. Could've fooled me."

45. “She folded her cap of invisibility. "Look...we're just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."

46. She sighed. "How many reasons do you want? One time my mom caught Poseidon with his girlfriend in Athena's temple, which is hugely disrespectful.

Another time, Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."

47. “They must really like olives. Oh, forget it. Now, if she'd invented pizza-that I could understand.”

48. “Hey, can I see that sword you were using? I showed him Riptide, and explained how it turned from a pen into a sword just by uncapping it.”

49. "Cool! Does it ever run out of ink?"

50. "Are you really the son of Poseidon? Well, yeah. Can you surf really well, then? I looked at Grover, who was trying hard not to laugh.”

51. “He went on asking questions. Did I fight a lot with Thalia, since she was a daughter of Zeus? (I didn't answer that one.)

If Annabeth's mother was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, then why didn't Annabeth know better than to fall off a cliff? (I tried not to strangle Nico for asking that one.) Was Annabeth my girlfriend? (At this point, I was ready to stick the kid in a meat-flavored sack and throw him to the wolves. )”

52. “The first lesson every child of Athena learned: Mom was the best at everything, and you should never, ever suggest otherwise.”

53. “There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it.”

54. “She studied me with concern. She touched the new streak of gray in my hair that matched hers exactly—our painful souvenir from holding Atlas's burden. There was a lot I'd wanted to say to Annabeth, but Athena had taken the confidence out of me. I felt like I'd been punched in the gut.”

55. “Athena stood in the middle of the road with her arms crossed and a look on her face that made me think Uh-oh. She'd changed out of her armor, into jeans and a white blouse, but she didn't look any less warlike. Her gray eyes blazed.”

56. “Athena stepped close to me, and I could feel her aura of power making my skin itch. "I once warned you, Percy Jackson, that to save a friend you would destroy the world. Perhaps I was mistaken.

You seem to have saved both your friends and the world. But think very carefully about how you proceed from here. I have given you the benefit of the doubt. Don't mess up."

57. “The most dangerous flaws are those which are good in moderation," she said. "Evil is easy to fight. Lack of wisdom… that is very hard indeed.”

58. “Wisdom's daughter walks alone. That didn't just mean without other people, Annabeth realized. It meant without any special powers.”

59. “your loved ones have been used to lure you into Kronos's traps. Your fatal flaw is personal loyalty Percy. You do not know when it is time to cut your losses. To save a friend you would sacrifice the world.”

Amazing Quotes About The Personality of Athena

60. “They went to university because someone, at a time when universities seemed important, said that in order to rise in the world, you had to have a degree. And thus the world was deprived of some excellent gardeners, bakers, antique dealers, sculptors, and writers.”― Paulo Coelho, ‘The Witch of Portobello’

61. “Forget diamonds or dogs—a girl or boy's best friend is always a high-powered weapon.”― Sarah A. Hoyt, ‘DarkShip Thieves’

62. “Athena came to stand by her side. She reached out and ran a light touch over the read wrap. 'Nice dress. Grace frowned in disbelief. 'They're fighting to the death and you're admiring my clothes? Athena laughed. 'Trust me, I pick my generals well. Priapus doesn't stand a chance.”― Sherrilyn Kenyon, ‘Fantasy Lover’

63. “Can I tell you what I think?” She nods.

“You have a strong sense of loyalty to your friends and family and that’s why you’re very hurt when you’re let down.

You give out love and rightfully expect back the same love in return. But that’s not because you are sensitive, it’s because you have a big heart so when you love someone, you give them all of you and it hurts if they don’t do the same.”― Elicia Roper, ‘All That You Are: a heartwarming and emotional novel’

64. “Athena placed the apotropaic image of Medusa's severed head on her aegis or breastplate and on Zeus's shield.

Other gorgoneia (images of Medusa's head) were installed on temples and other places to benefit from her protection, even after death. Ironically, gorgoneia were placed on heroes' shields, armor, and chariots to protect the Greek warriors engaged in destroying all threats to the new social order, including her own.”― Joan Marler, ‘Re-visioning Medusa: from Monster to Divine Wisdom’

65. “ Athena, it must be admitted, has never been much of a friend to her fellow women. The war-like goddess of wisdom, who wasn't even gestated by a women (she sprang fully grown from her father's head), is the original "not-like-the-other-girls" girl.”― Jess Zimmerman, ‘Women and Other Monsters: Building a New Mythology’

66. “And so, Athene, the prayer I offer is this: thank you for bringing my husband home, if that is what you have done. If the man who sleeps upstairs in the bed he once carved from an old olive tree is an impostor, I suppose I will find out soon enough.

He knows the old stories of our marriage, of that I am certain. And Telemachus is devoted to him, which is fortunate.

So perhaps it does not matter if he is the man who left, or a changed man, or even another man altogether. He fits in the space that Odysseus left. "― Natalie Haynes, ‘A Thousand Ships’

67. “Golden Aphrodite who stirs with love all creation, Cannot bend nor ensnare three hearts: the pure maiden Vesta, Gray-eyed Athena who cares but for war and the arts of craftsmen, Artemis, lover of woods and the wild chase over the mountain.”― Edith Hamilton, ‘Mythology’

68. “There is always a way for those clever enough to find it”― Rick Riordan, ‘The Titan's Curse’

You might also like

Greek quotes 

Achilles quotes

'The Odyssey' quotes