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Minerva (Goddess of wisdom war and all)
Known to the Greeks as Athena (or Pallas Athene).
The goddess of wisdom, war, and all the liberal arts, sprang, full-grown and armed, from the head of Jupiter, and was immediately admitted to the assembly of the gods, and became one of the most faithful counselors of her father. Her power in heaven was great: she could hurl the thunders of Jupiter, prolong the life of men, and bestow the gift of prophecy. She was known among the ancients by many names.
She was called Athena, Pallas, Parthenos, Tritonia (because she was worshipped near the lake Tritonis) and Hippia (because she first taught mankind how to manage the horse), Sais (because she was worshipped at Sais), and some other names. She is usually represented with a helmet on her head, a spear in one hand, and a shield, ornamented with the head of Medusa, in the other.
Temples were erected for her worship in different places, one of the most renowned of which was the "Parthenon" at Athens. From this building a large collection of ancient sculpture was brought to the British Museum by Lord Elgin more than seventy years ago, which is known as the Elgin Marbles. Lord Byron wrote a scathing satire in reference to the removal of these marbles, familiar to his readers under the title of The Curse of