智慧女神雅典娜(Athena )及Palladium（雅典娜的神像）

玲珑

Introduction
   Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industry, justice and skill. She was the favorite child of Zeus. She had sprung fully grown out of her father's head. Her mother was Metis, goddess of wisdom and Zeus' first wife. In fear that Metis would bear a son mightier than himself. Zeus swallowed her and she began to make a robe and helmet for her daughter. The hammering of the helmet caused Zeus great pain in the form of headaches and he cried out in agony. Skilled Hephaestus ran to his father and split his skull open and from it emerged Athena, fully grown and wearing her mother's robe and helmet. She is the virgin mother of Erichthnonius.
   Myth
    1  Athena
    On one occasion Zeus suffered a bad headache．All the gods，including Apollo，the god of medicine  ，had trieduselessly to offer an effective treatment  ．Then the father of gods and men asked Hephaestus to open his head．This the god of the fire did．To the wonder of all the Olympians，agoddess，well-grown and full-armed，came out of Zeus' head．The goddess was giving off light and splendor. She was Athena，goddess of wisdom and knowledge and patroness of Athens  ．
     The story of Athena becoming patron goddess of Athensconcerns the struggle between the goddess and Poseidon．When the city of Athens was first built by a Phoenician  ，both Poseidon and Athena competed for the honour of naming it．It wasthen agreed that whoever offered the most useful object for men would become the patron of the city．Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and produced a horse，whereas Athena had an olive tree  to present，a symbol of peace and plenty．As the horse was regarded as struggle and sorrow， Athens was named after the goddess，who soon took the city under her protection．
     Athena was the goddess of arts and crafts  and woman' shandi work．She was so skilled with her hands that she toleratedno challenge to her skill in this respect ． A Lydian maid，Arachne by name，did not seem to think much of Athena's skill，for she frequently talked big  that she could beat the goddess if she had the chance to do so．The goddess was quite angry．
     Dressed up as an old woman，she went to advise Arachne to bemodest．But the ignorant crafts woman  bravely asked the goddess herself to come down and compete with her．At this the goddess took off her disguise and accepted the competition. The two women immediately set about making different designs．
While the goddess worked on the story of her rivalry with Poseidon，Arachne began to make a delicate web．When both pieces were finished，Arachne saw，to her surprise，that she had been beaten，for the goddess' design was infinitely better．She felt soshamed that she tied a piece of silk to hang herself．But Just before she breathed her last breath the goddess changed her into aspider and let her weave forever．
      雅典娜
     有一次，宙斯得了严重的头痛症。包括药神阿波罗在内的所有山神都试图对他实施一种有效的治疗，但结果都是徒劳的。众神与人类之父宙斯只好要求火神赫斐斯托斯打开他的头颅。火神那样做了。令奥林波斯山诸神惊讶的是：一位体态婀娜、披坚执锐的女神从裂开的头颅中走了出来，光彩照人，仪态万方。她就是智慧与知识女神雅典娜，也是雅典的守护神。
    雅典娜成为雅典的守护神的传说和女神与波塞冬之间的争斗有关。当雅典首次由一个腓尼基人建成时，波塞冬与雅典娜争夺为之命名的荣耀。最后达成协议；能为人类提供最有用东西的人将成为该城的守护神。波塞冬用他的三叉戟敲打地面变出了一匹战马。而雅典娜则变出了一棵橄榄树——和平与富裕的象征。因战马被认为是代表战争与悲伤，因此雅典就以女神的名字命名。女神很快将该城纳入她的保护之中。
    雅典娜是艺术、工艺和妇女手工之神，双手灵巧，无法忍受别人的挑战。一位名叫阿瑞克妮的莉迪亚族少女，似乎瞧不起雅典娜的本领，并常吹嘘如有机会定能击败女神雅典娜。一气之下，女神装扮成一位老妇，劝告阿瑞克妮应谦虚一些。但那位愚昧无知的女手艺人，竟勇敢地向她发出挑战。女神卸去伪装，接受了挑战。两位妇女立刻着手创作各自的作品。女神设计的图案叙述了她与波塞冬争斗的故事，而阿瑞克妮则编织了一张精细的网。之后，阿瑞克妮吃惊地发现自己输了，因女神的作品要好得多。她感到非常羞耻，便用一根丝线自缢。但在咽气之前，女神将她变成了一只蜘蛛，让她永远地编织。


2  Palladium
     When Ilus had first built his new seat，the city of Troy， he prayed Zeus to show some sign of blessing for it． His prayer was heard，and a wooden image of Pallas- A-thena fell from heaven to within the walls of the city． Known as the Palladium， the statue afforded the city safety and protection． At religious meetings of the goddess it was carried through the city streets amid joys and songs of praise．
After the flames of war had spread for ten years before the walls of Troy， a prophet foretold that Troy could never be expected to fall as long as the Palladium was treasured by its  people ．In order to steal it out，Odysseus and Diomedes slipped into the capital one night in  disguise ，known to none but Hellen．The bad woman took out them to He cuba， the queen of Troy， at whose feet Odysseus immediately bowed down and asked formercy．The queen granted their request，and with the help of Helen，they successfully brought the image back to the Greek camp at dawn．
      Later it was said that Aeneas got hold of it and carried itwith him to his new land，where it was Preserved together with the goddess' fire．
    2 雅典娜的神像
     当伊拉斯最初建造特洛伊城时，他祈求宙斯赐福于这座城市。宙斯听到祈求后，一尊木制的智慧雅典娜像从天堂落到了城墙里。人们将它称作雅典娜神像。这尊木像担任着保卫和看守城市的任务。在祭神的宗教仪式中，它在欢快的气氛和赞美的歌声中被抬着走过城市的所有街道。
    在特洛伊建成之前，战火已弥漫了十年。一位预言家说：只要雅典娜的神像受人民的爱戴，特洛伊城就永远不会衰灭。为了将神像偷出城，一天夜里奥德修斯和狄俄墨德斯乔装改扮潜入首都，这一切只有海伦知道。这个可恶的女人把他们介绍给特洛伊皇后赫克犹巴。奥德修斯立刻跪倒在她的面前乞求怜悯。皇后答应了他们的要求，在海伦的帮助下，他们在拂晓的时候成功地带着雕像回到希腊营地。
    据说后来埃弥斯得到了雕像并带着它到了自己的新领地。木像和神火一起被保存在这块土地上。

[ 本帖最后由 玲珑 于 2008-11-7 19:24 编辑 ]