ment. She is twice called píλov TÉKOS (sup. II.) as he is pile Poîße. Such terms would rather have been expected in the case of the youthful Hermès, or of the beautiful Aphroditè; who, however, is only called Tékvov éμóv (II. v. 428). By Herè she is saluted as piλov Tékos, but only at a moment when practising a trick upon her. 20. Most of all perhaps does she resemble Apollo in this leading point: that no common link is supplied by the Olympian system itself for binding her main attributes in one. Wisdom and the care of polity may be naturally or easily associated, but how to associate that with war, or war itself with works of industry? These are not mere specialties, but coherent parts of a scheme, according to which these two deities, besides a multiplicity of recognized Olympian function such as is found in the case of no other divinity, and not easily to be explained as mere portions of the ordinary thearchy, have another and wider sphere, in which they extensively present the attributes, and exercise the offices, of deity at large. The relation of Athenè to Apollo in Homer is not, then, exhaustively represented by this enumeration. Nor is its leading feature to be discovered by any comparison of their respective offices in mythology, which are wholly distinct if not contrasted. The capital feature lies in the distinctive attitude and frame of mind with which the Poet approaches and handles these divinities. He has for them a profound and religious reverence, of such a nature and extent as can best be explained by the supposition that he regarded the traditions on which their characteristics were moulded as of a more venerable nature, or as derived from a purer source, than the mass of purely Syrian, Egyptian, or Pelasgian legends, with which he principally had to deal. This, it may be truly said, is inference. But the difference of exhibition and treatment between this pair of figures in particular, and the ordinary personages of the Olympian Court, is not inference or theory it is fact. In this, so to speak, supernal sphere, the dignity of Athenè is the more august of the two in these respects, that 1. She exercises more of direct personal and mental discipline, especially in the case of Odūsseus. 2. She is never in any matter baffled, even by Apollo, whom she herself baffles. 3. She never strikes, or contends with mortals, but only with gods. Athenè may be said to be exempt, not from passion, but from perturbation. Troy was hateful to her as well as Herè, from the day when Paris promoted the competition of the three goddesses (Il. xxiv. 25-30). Anger is imputed to her twice in the Iliad: on Olūmpos (Il. iv. 23) at the proposal of Zeus to terminate the war (and viii. 459); but the emotion is not suffered in her case to break out. And once in the Odyssey (xxii. 224); but her feeling seems only to invigorate her action. With these ascriptions may be compared the wrath ascribed to Apollo (vide IV. 26 on xwóμevos) whose whole character, however, is far the less intense of the two. Unless in the point of craft (Od. xiii. 248), exemplified in her acting as tempter to Pandaros (Il. iv. 86-104), which was done under the direction of Zeus (ibid. 68), and in the personation of Deïphobos (Il. xxii. 226—299), she never deviates from her lofty ideal. As respects conformity with the supreme will, in Apollo it is absolute, in Athene qualified. He repelled and destroyed (Od. xi. 318) the assailants of heaven; but she joined with Poseidon and Herè in the attempt to dethrone Zeus and put him in fetters, which would have been successful but for Thetis II. i. 397-406. This inconformity of will allows her to remonstrate strongly in the Olympian Assembly (Il. xxii. 178), which Apollo never does. She, by strong effort, procures the divine intervention in Od. i. 44-79 on behalf of Odüsseus. But no discrepancy from Zeus is ever manifested in the face of mortals. She is, under him, the operative Providence for the Greeks, as in Il. iv. 69 and in the Ithacan civil war (Od. xxiv. 520—542). So careful is the Poet to have no collision between Athenè and Apollo that, though they operate for the respective hosts, not a word or act of opposition ever occurs between them; one appears when the other has retired, and when Athenè in the Doloneia knows that he is (too late) endeavouring to counterwork her by giving the alarm, in warning Diomed for his security she is careful not to name Apollo, but says eòs aλdos may arouse the enemy (Il. x. 511). V. SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS RELATION TO OTHER DEITIES. (A.) Her relation to Zeus. In comparing Athene with Zeus, it is obvious that he has the supremacy of rank and power. Nevertheless the ideal picture is far less grand, as she is free from the notes of infirmity and generally of passion, which in him stand like clay mingled with the true metal. Besides being wholly exempt from the sensual taint, she is incapable of being petted and overpersuaded, as he was by Thetis (II. i. 511-530), much less beguiled and entrapped, as he was by the plot of Herè (Il. xiv. 293 seqq.). The panoply of her mind was perfect, and its internal equilibrium absolute. When she yields to him, it is only to the supremacy of force, or else of parentage (Il. viii. 28-32). And so soon as she has done this, he at once addresses her in caressing terms, as though unwilling to be at variance with her (Il. viii. 39, xxii. 178). In many particulars the intimacy of her relation to Zeus is common to her with Apollo, either wholly or partially. But her function as the working providence of the world is conspicuous in the Poems above that either of Apollo or of Zeus, as will appear from the following enumeration of details, scarcely less than from her general working in the Odyssey:Il. viii. 26-28. Agamemnon will take Troy if Zeus and Athenè grant it. ix. 254. Joined with Herè in the prerogative of imparting force to a warrior. xi. 736. The Pylians, about to engage, invoke Zeus and Athene. XV. 70. Zeus speaks of the coming capture of Troy as due to the plans of Athene ('Αθ. διὰ βουλάς). 613. While Zeus is glorifying Hector, she is bringing upon him his day of doom (οἱ ἐπώρινε μόρσιμον ἦμαρ). xvii. 561. Able to strengthen and protect Menelaos in fight. 567, 568. Pleased with his selection of her XX. ὅττι ρα οἱ παμπρῶτα θεῶν ἠρήσατο πάντων. 569, 570. Inspires him with the daring of a horse-fly (uvin, L. and S.). 94. Is the coadjutor of Achilles. 192. The same, with Zeus (συν ̓Αθ. καὶ Διὶ πάτρι). 146. Helped the Trojans to build the wall which saved Heracles. xxi. 284-304. Just after her return to Olumpos, she is emboldening Achilles (μέγα γὰρ σθένος ἔμβαλ' ̓Αθ.). Od. xxii. 445, 446. Is the conqueror of Hector by the hands of Achilles. ii. 116, 125. Her influence is synonymous with that of the gods at large (ἃ οἱ πέρι δῶκεν ̓Αθ. followed by νόον ὅντινα οἱ νῦν ἐν στήθεσσι τιθεῖσι θεόι). iii. 133-147. The storm which she sent upon the Greeks appears to have been an act of retribution for the offence of calling the Drunken Assembly. xiii. 359. Even in making a prayer to the Nymphs, Odüsseus refers to her as his Providence. xiv. 215. Joined with Arès (it being his special office) in giving. prowess to the Pseudodusseus. xvi. 232. Her suggestion about the deposit of the property was the iórns of the gods (cf. xiii. 363). 260-265. She and Zeus are the chief deities, whom neither gods nor men can withstand. ὥτε καὶ ἄλλοις ἄνδρασὶ τε κρατέουσι καὶ ἀθανάτοισι θεοῖσιν. As regards the nearness of Athenè to Zeus, perhaps the most marked among all the signs are the use of the Aigis (v. 738) as if of right, the possession of an Aigis of her own, and the putting on, again as if of right, the tunic of Zeus himself. (B.) Her relation to Herè. In the Iliad the two deities are thrown into close and uniform cooperation; and it is managed as follows:-Athenè shows to Herè a marked official deference. In their joint action, Herè always plays the primary and working part. In the divine Council their emotions are alike; but Athenè holds the mastery over them; Herè cannot bridle her tongue. In the Odyssey Herè has no place: she being the national, Athenè the personal deity. Il. i. 195. She is sent by Herè to appease and restrain Achilles. iv. 20-24. They sit together, devising evil to Troy. Both are arms. viii. 370. While in Il. i. 536, Herè only suspects or divines, as a woman might, that Thetis had perhaps been practising upon Zeus, Athenè has knowledge of what took place, asserts it roundly, and describes it accurately. xi. 45. They jointly cause thunder in honour of Agamemnon. (C.) Her relation to Poseidon. To this god she pays the utmost respect as her uncle, and forbears to show herself under her proper form to Odüsseus in Scheriè, of which he was the presiding god, that she might not be in conflict with him as her uncle, who relentlessly hated the hero (Od. vi. 329-331; xiii. 341-343). And in the Olympian Assembly, when describing his detention in Ogugie and promoting his return, she avoids any allusion to the enmity of Poseidon towards him (Od. i. 44-62). And conversely Poseidon withdraws from the storm scene, leaving Odūsseus on a plank, and then swimming, before Athene begins to act in his favour (Od. v. 365-383). We must not by any means infer her inferiority to Poseidon when at the court of Nestor she offers prayer to him, acting in the character of Mentor, as a courteous guest and a religious Greek. But at the close the poet declares in most remarkable words that she herself accomplished the petitions which she had offered (Od. iii. 55—62, and Nitzsch in loc.)— ὣς ἄρ ̓ ἔπειτ ̓ ἠρᾶτο, καὶ αὐτη πάντα τελεύτα. In the regard of Athenè for Poseidon we perhaps trace something of the Southern legend which made her his daughter. (D.) Her relation to Arès. It was her established practice to chastise this brutal deity, so Zeus recommends Herè to set her on him (Il. v. 764-766). II. v. ἢ ἑ μάλιστ ̓ εἴωθε κακῆς ὀδύνῃσι πελάζειν. 240. She turns aside the blow he aimed at Diomed, and causes the spear of the hero to wound the god. She had first (845) made herself invisible to him. xv. 123-142. She severely rebukes him in his excitement, strips him of his arms, and replaces him in his chair. xx. 48-53. In the prelude of the Theomachy she and Arès shout for the encouragement of the opposite armies respectively, as the two deities presiding over war; and they are not in collision. xxi. 391–426. But in the Theomachy itself, when he has vainly struck at her shield (Aigis), she, with a great stone, lays him prostrate and insensible, and subsequently punishes with him Aphrodite, who was leading him off. Her general precedence in Olümpos is established by her possession of a seat, probably the second, next to Zeus, which she yields to Thetis on her paying a special visit to the divine assembly (Il. xxiv. 100). On the seat of honour (at the court of Nestor), see Od. iii. 39. VI. FURTHER SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS. (A.) Her relation to Death. This relation is doubly signified. Firstly, she was a personage felt in the Under-world, where there is no appearance of any exercise of power by Zeus. He sent Heracles thither to fetch away "the dog" (Od. xi. 623), but Heracles himself required a champion, and Athenè was dispatched accordingly. "Had I known," says she, "how Zeus would be now behaving, never should Heracles have been delivered from that region" (Il. viii. 366-369). In this deliverance Hermes had shared (Od. xi. 626), doubtless in virtue of his general office as conductor in the world below; but she claims the exploit as her own. In Il. iv. 845, she put on the helmet of Aides (dv' "Aïdos kuvéŋv) to make herself invisible to Arès. There seems to be here some speciality of darkness drawn from the world beneath. It may be related to the Gorgon head, which was on the aigis that she was allowed to wear (I. v. 741), and which was also under the dominion of Persephone (Od. xi. 634). Both may have had their origin in the Egyptian practice of representing Isis with the serpent's head issuing from her skull." Secondly, she possessed in some sort a power of averting death: för Eurucleia exhorts Penelope to pray to her for Telemachos; ἡ γάρ κεν μιν ἔπειτα καὶ ἐκ θανάτοιο σάωσαι. Od. iv. 753. (B.) Athene is not as a rule decorated by epithets expressing personal beauty. The only exception to this rule in the Iliad serves to illustrate rather than impair it. She is termed the fair-haired at the offering of the Peplos in Il. vi. (92, 273, 303); but this was placed on her knees," and therefore seems to refer manifestly to her image or statue. The “fair-locked” (λóкaμos) of Od. vii. 41 is an exception which does not fall within this explanation. (C.) The only instance in the Poems of a power exercised over the spirit of animals as well as their bodies, is in Il. xxiii. 399, 405: where it is Athene who gives courage as well as speed to the horses of Diomed. (D.) It still remains, however, to notice the very highest of her peculiar offices. It is the personal care, guidance, and discipline of her chosen ones, mental as well as bodily. In this office, which not even Zeus shares with her. there is an individuality, and a closeness of relation to the human spirit, such as cannot I believe be found elsewhere within the region of Paganism; differing from the ordinary exhibition of the relation of the deity to man not so much in degree as in kind, and vividly recalling the conception of that relation which is exhibited in the Book of Psalms, and which was kept alive through long ages within the precinct of Hebraism. In the character This picture has also its darker side. and function of Athenè is lodged that deep secret of moral government which prevents the inveterately wicked man from mending his condition. Odüsseus, advised by her, begs of the Suitors to find out who is well disposed. Amphinomos gives him a couple of loaves. Odüsseus advises him to betake himself elsewhere for safety: but Athenè, by a mental influence, keeps him there for his ruin (Od. xvi. 155) πέδησε δὲ καὶ τὸν ̓Αθήνη Τηλεμάχου ὑπὸ χερσὶ καὶ ἔγχεϊ ἶφι δαμήναι. So, again, she did not suffer the Suitors to flag in their insolence towards Odūsseus (xviii. 346; xxi. 284); and her purpose is that Odusseus may be yet more sharply tried by woe. And while stimulating him in the battle, she keeps the issue undecided to make full trial of him and of his son (Od. xxii. 236-238). |