I came across an interesting online article which discusses Athena’s problematic character. Athena is charismatic, yet problematic. She exemplifies strength, wisdom, intelligence, strategy, handicrafts and skill. She is an inspiring role model for women, a multifaceted alternative to the mother/sexpot Venus role that pop culture often means when it hails someone as a “goddess.” However, she is strongly male-identified in classical mythology, assisting male heroes and (often) treating women rather badly.
Athena Polias, the goddess of (male) Athens, who like modern women executives challenges the corporate world by assuming male dress, denying femininity, and by denying that traits like intelligence, wit, crafts, technical skill, non-sexual camaraderie are naturally part of a woman’s repertoire. We are left with Pallas Athena, who kills her girlfriend, who denies her mother, who rises from the head of Zeus. We are left with the more complex Athena who gifts Penelope and (in late classical times) seems to have another Pallas-like girlfriend,khlariklo.reducing Athena to a male-dominated goddess brainwashed into championing the patriarchy does a great disservice to her. But she is a complex figure and any follower of Athena who identifies her as a patron of academics, wisdom, and womanpower may need to grapple with this question.(link)
athena and the amazons
Athena and the amazons share many qualities such as being strong women, also both are always depicted wearing armour which was only worn by men at the time.
(amazons in battle)
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