*Ø* Blogmanac September 15 | Birthday of Athena, ancient Greece

The city of Pallas Athena
The Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, was fond of building towns. It came to pass one day that she said to the people of a fishing village, “Raise me a temple on the hill and I will be your protector forever.” This they did, until the god of the sea, Poseidon, called out that as he was the only one who had watched the town being built, he should have the honour of naming it, or else he would unleash such tempests that would engulf the whole world.

However, Pallas Athene (Athena) answered him: “If this place is destroyed, it will not belong to either of us. Let each of us give a gift to the citizens, and let them decide.”

Poseidon struck the sea with his trident, and a fine horse galloped out from the waves, at which sight the people marvelled. Then Pallas touched a blade of grass, upon which action an olive tree grew up suddenly.

The people cried out blessings on the olive tree, because it would provide food and oil for lamps. “More precious than the horse is the olive!” they cried.

Thus the new town was named Athens, in honour of the wise goddess.