Roman Goddess: Minerva Greek Name: Athena

Roman Goddess: Minerva
Greek Name: Athena

Minerva was born without a mother. Her father was the mighty Jupiter, king of all the gods. Minerva was born directly out of Jupiter' brain.

Jupiter loved all his children, but if he had to pick a favorite, it would probably have been Minerva, the goddess of wisdom.

Minerva was a powerful force, and one of the deities who made up the Dei Consentes, the Roman Council of 12 gods.

There are many myths about Minerva in Greek mythology. Here is one of them.

As the story goes ...

In ancient times, each town had a special deity, a god that looked after them.

Neptune, Lord of the Sea, was a very powerful god. He loved attention. He loved having towns build temples to worship him. He loved the gifts people brought him.

Neptune was always on the lookout for towns that had not yet been claimed by a god. He wanted as many towns as possible to call his own. Although towns could only have one god to watch over them, gods could watch over as many towns as they chose.

One day, Minerva, goddess of wisdom, and Neptune, lord of the sea, both claimed a coastal village. Normally, the people in the village would have been thrilled to be selected by a god to watch over them. But two gods at once? A town could have only one guardian, and they did not want to choose. They did not want to anger either god.

Minerva, who was wise as well as beautiful, understood their worry. She suggested that both gods should give the town a gift. The townspeople could decide which gift was better. Neptune loved the idea. The townspeople, if possible, were even more nervous than before.

Neptune tapped the side of the mountain. Water flowed out in a beautiful stream. Fresh water was so important. The people were sure Neptune had won. When they tasted the water, they tried to smile, but they had to spit the water out. It was salt water!

Then Minerva waved her hand. An olive tree began to grow. The people tasted the olives. Smiles broke out. The olives were delicious. The olive tree would provide food, shelter, and oil for cooking. It was a magnificent gift indeed.

But no coastal village would risk angering the lord of the sea, the mighty Neptune. Fortunately for the people, they did not have to choose.

Neptune threw back his head and laughed his mighty roar. "Yours is a far better gift than mine, my lovely niece. The village is yours!"

Even today, Minerva's special tree is the olive.