The capital of Greece is named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom. But why ? it has been quite a competitive challenge between the gods to be chosen by the mere mortals who populated this extraordinary city.
At the beginning, the city of Athens was named Cecropia, after Cecrops, the supposed first Athenian king. The city had yet no patron god.
In Ancient Greece each city state determined for itself a specific patron deity which implied dedicated temples, specific clergy and festivals. Greece as a country didn’t exist, it was a collection of city-states in an Hellenistic common world.
King Cecrops decided that it was about time to have a patron god, so even before inventing the political system of the democracy, the Athenians called for an open contest among the gods. They would vote for the god who would become their patron. This concept was quite revolutionary : the people would decide.
Life was sweet in Mount Olympus but a bit dull. Every one was excited when two gods entered the competition :
- the wise, strategic, logical goddess Athena, daughter of Zeus,
- and the competitive, mighty, powerful god Poseidon, brother of Zeus.
In order to settle their difference, it was decided that they would both present a gift to the people of Cecropia and the people would then vote in favour of the one they preferred.
The stage for the vote was set on Acropolis Hill, the highest point in the city. The citizens climbed the rock to watch the two gods present their gifts to them.
Poseidon came first; he stood proudly with his trident in hand and gave a powerful blow to the ground. Shortly after, water started gushing from the rock and the people of Cecropia were subdued, gazing with admiration as water is so precious. Unfortunately they tasted it and it was un drinkable as it was sea water.
Then, it was Athena’s turn : the goddess thrust her spear to the rocky hill and a fruitful olive tree appeared, provide food, oil, wood and also the needed shadow to protect them from the blazing sun.
The people voted enthusiastically for Athena becoming the patroness of Cecropia which was then renamed Athena.
To appease the fury of Poseidon and prevent him from flooding the city, the cautious Athenians built the temple of Erechtheion on top of the spring of water the god had created.
It is said that you can still hear the sound of waves coming from the inside of the temple when the wind blows from the south.
There is also an olive tree next to the Erechtheion and some guides will swear that it is Athena’s olive tree.
Let’s not get the truth in the way of a good story.