Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and war. She was also the patron of the city of Athens.

Athena had a very unusual birth. Her father was Zeus, the king of the gods. Her mother was Thetis, a sea nymph. Zeus feared that the baby would overthrow him, and to stop this happening, Zeus swallowed Thetis. When it was time for Athena to be born, Hephaestus, god of fire and blacksmiths, hit Zeus with an axe. He cut open Zeus's head and baby Athena was born. Because Zeus was immortal and could not be killed, his injuries healed very quickly.

Athena often wore an aegis, a shield made of goatskin. The edge of the shield was made of live snakes. When Perseus killed and beheaded Medusa the Gorgon, Athena took the head and put it on her aegis.

Another story about Athena involves the hero Heracles. The hero went mad and started to kill his family. One of his children, Amphitryon, was going to be the next child killed. Athena took a rock and threw it at Heracles. The hero was knocked to the ground and Amphitryon was not killed.

Athena on a coin.