Editing Athena (section)

===Trojan War===
{{Main|Judgement of Paris}}

[[File:Judgement Paris Antioch Louvre Ma3443.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|left|Ancient Greek mosaic from [[Antioch]] dating to the second century AD, depicting the [[Judgement of Paris]]]]

The myth of the Judgement of Paris is mentioned briefly in the ''[[Iliad]]'',{{sfn|Walcot|1977|page=31}} but is described in depth in an [[epitome]] of the ''[[Cypria]]'', a lost poem of the [[Epic Cycle]],{{sfn|Walcot|1977|pages=31–32}} which records that all the gods and goddesses as well as various mortals were invited to the marriage of [[Peleus]] and [[Thetis]] (the eventual parents of [[Achilles]]).{{sfn|Walcot|1977|page=31}} Only [[Eris (mythology)|Eris]], goddess of discord, was not invited.{{sfn|Walcot|1977|pages=31–32}} She was annoyed at this, so she arrived with a golden apple inscribed with the word καλλίστῃ (kallistēi, "for the fairest"), which she threw among the goddesses.{{sfn|Walcot|1977|page=32}} Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena all claimed to be the fairest, and thus the rightful owner of the apple.{{sfn|Walcot|1977|page=32}}{{sfn|Hansen|2004|page=125}} The goddesses chose to place the matter before Zeus, who, not wanting to favor one of the goddesses, put the choice into the hands of Paris, a [[Troy|Trojan]] prince.{{sfn|Walcot|1977|page=32}}{{sfn|Hansen|2004|page=125}} After bathing in the spring of [[Mount Ida]] where Troy was situated, the goddesses appeared before Paris for his decision.{{sfn|Walcot|1977|page=32}} In the extant ancient depictions of the Judgement of Paris, Aphrodite is only occasionally represented nude, and Athena and Hera are always fully clothed.{{sfn|Bull|2005|pages=346–347}} Since the [[Renaissance]], however, Western paintings have typically portrayed all three goddesses as completely naked.{{sfn|Bull|2005|pages=346–347}} All three goddesses were ideally beautiful and Paris could not decide between them, so they resorted to bribes.{{sfn|Walcot|1977|page=32}} Hera tried to bribe Paris with power over all Asia and Europe,{{sfn|Walcot|1977|page=32}}{{sfn|Hansen|2004|page=125}} and Athena offered fame and glory in battle,{{sfn|Walcot|1977|page=32}}{{sfn|Hansen|2004|page=125}} but Aphrodite promised Paris that, if he were to choose her as the fairest, she would let him marry the most beautiful woman on earth.{{sfn|Walcot|1977|pages=32–33}}{{sfn|Hansen|2004|page=125}} This woman was [[Helen of Troy|Helen]], who was already married to King [[Menelaus]] of [[Sparta#Prehistory, "dark age" and archaic period|Sparta]].{{sfn|Walcot|1977|pages=32–33}} Paris selected Aphrodite and awarded her the apple.{{sfn|Walcot|1977|pages=32–33}}{{sfn|Hansen|2004|page=125}} The other two goddesses were enraged and, as a direct result, sided with the Greeks in the [[Trojan War]].{{sfn|Walcot|1977|pages=32–33}}{{sfn|Hansen|2004|page=125}}

[[File:Antalya Museum 06022022 003.jpg|thumb|Athena statue in the Antalya Museum.]]

In Books V–VI of the ''[[Iliad]]'', Athena aids the hero [[Diomedes]], who, in the absence of Achilles, proves himself to be the most effective Greek warrior.{{sfn|Burgess|2001|page=84}}{{sfn|Hansen|2004|page=124}} Several artistic representations from the early sixth century BC may show Athena and Diomedes,{{sfn|Burgess|2001|page=84}} including an early sixth-century BC shield band depicting Athena and an unidentified warrior riding on a chariot, a vase painting of a warrior with his charioteer facing Athena, and an inscribed clay plaque showing Diomedes and Athena riding in a chariot.{{sfn|Burgess|2001|page=84}} Numerous passages in the ''Iliad'' also mention Athena having previously served as the patron of Diomedes's father [[Tydeus]].<ref>''Iliad'' [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0134%3Abook%3D4%3Acard%3D350 4.390] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130204829/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0134:book%3D4:card%3D350 |date=30 November 2021 }}, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0134%3Abook%3D5%3Acard%3D84 5.115–120] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130204825/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0134:book%3D5:card%3D84 |date=30 November 2021 }}, [http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0134%3Abook%3D10%3Acard%3D254 10.284-94] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130204827/http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0134:book%3D10:card%3D254 |date=30 November 2021 }}</ref>{{sfn|Burgess|2001|pages=84–85}} When the Trojans go to her temple on the Acropolis to plead her for protection from Diomedes, Athena ignores them.{{sfn|Deacy|2008|pages=68–69}} Later, when Zeus allows the gods to fight, Ares, who sided with the Trojans, attacks Athena, but she overpowers him by striking him with a boulder.<ref>''Iliad'' [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.perseus-eng1:15.78-15.112 15.110–128], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.perseus-eng1:20.1-20.29 20.20–29], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg001.perseus-eng1:21.361-21.399 21.391–408].</ref>

In Book XXII of the ''Iliad'', while Achilles is chasing [[Hector]] around the walls of Troy, Athena appears to Hector disguised as his brother [[Deiphobus]]{{sfn|Deacy|2008|page=69}} and persuades him to hold his ground so that they can fight Achilles together.{{sfn|Deacy|2008|page=69}} Then, Hector throws his spear at Achilles and misses, expecting Deiphobus to hand him another,{{sfn|Deacy|2008|pages=69–70}} but Athena disappears instead, leaving Hector to face Achilles alone without his spear.{{sfn|Deacy|2008|pages=69–70}} In [[Sophocles]]'s tragedy ''[[Ajax (play)|Ajax]]'', she punishes Odysseus's rival [[Ajax the Great]], driving him insane and causing him to massacre the Achaeans' cattle, thinking that he is slaughtering the Achaeans themselves.{{sfn|Deacy|2008|pages=59–60}} Even after Odysseus himself expresses pity for Ajax,{{sfn|Deacy|2008|page=60}} Athena declares, "To laugh at your enemies – what sweeter laughter can there be than that?" (lines 78–9).{{sfn|Deacy|2008|page=60}} Ajax later commits suicide as a result of his humiliation.{{sfn|Deacy|2008|page=60}}