Pallas Athena

This article is about the Demon. For the Persona, see Athena.

Pallas Athena is a Demon in the Megami Tensei franchise.

Profile

Origin

Athena, also called Pallas Athena, was the Greek patron deity of Athens, and is the virgin goddess of wisdom and warfare. A child of Zeus, her pregnant mother Metis was absorbed by Zeus after it was prophesied that she would bare a son mightier than Zeus. From within her father, she struck a spear and shield against his head giving him an unbearable headache until he demanded Hephaestus cut open his head, making a hole in his forehead from which Athena burst free.

She is the patron god of Athens, with the myths stating that when the city was established she and Poseidon vied to have the city worship them as their patron god through competition. Poseidon created a salt water spring, promising the people significant naval power, while Athena created an olive tree, promising trade and peace. The king favoured Athena's gift, and the city was named Athens in her honour. She was also the patron god of various heroes, granting her half brother Perseus a polished shield to allow him to face Medusa without being turned to stone by her gaze and guiding his sword to decapitate the gorgon. She also guided Odysseus in the seige on Troy and in returning to his home of Ithica, granting him her blessings and aiding him through various means such as disguising him so none of the enemies that had overtaken his palace would recognise him.

The Roman poet Ovid introduced two significant narratives regarding Athena that are known to this day. First is the story of Arachne, in which the human girl Arachne boasts her skill in weaving is superior to Athena and when she refuses to express respect towards the gods is challenged by Athena in a contest, after which Athena assaults Arachne for either being a superior weaver or for Arachne mocking and insulting the gods before transforming her into a spider. Ovid also rewrote the monster Medusa into a human priestess of Athena who had sexual relations with Athena's rival Poseidon within the goddess's temple, with sources varying if it was consensual or not, and Athena's punishment for defiling her sacred ground being to transform Medusa into a Gorgon.

Design

Pallas Athena's design takes inspiration from the Athena Parthenos, a statue of the goddess that once resided in the goddess's temple in Athens. While the original statue is lost, replicas of the Athena Parthenos have survived and are consistent in design, depicting Athena in a full body robe resting a large shield on the ground with her left hand and holding an angelic figure in her right, wearing a helmet with three large plumes and in some depictions has a spear resting on her shoulder. Similarly, Pallas Athena is depicted in a similar manner, with the primary differences being a mask covering her face and the shield and spear being held in each hand rather than resting. In Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner she is coloured white and gold with dark skin, which was changed to black and red with pale skin and blond hair in Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers.

Gameplay

For complete gameplay information, see Gameplay:Pallas Athena.

Compendium

Compendium Entries
Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey	The virgin war goddess who sprungfrom '^[sic] fully armored after he swallowed her mother, Metis. She is the patron goddess of Athens and is associated with olive trees.
Shin Megami Tensei IV	The virgin war goddess who sprung from Zeus' forehead fully armored after he swallowed her mother, Metis. She is the patron goddess of Athens and is associated with olive trees.
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse	The virgin war goddess who sprung from Zeus' forehead fully armored after he swallowed her mother, Metis. She is the patron goddess of Athens and is associated with olive trees.
Soul Hackers (3DS)	The virgin war goddess who sprung from Zeus' forehead fully armored after he swallowed her mother, Metis. She is the patron goddess of Athens and is often associated with olive trees.
Persona 2: Innocent Sin	One of the twelve gods of Olympus. Presides over wisdom and craft.
Persona 2: Eternal Punishment	Greek goddess of intellect, war, and weaving. Zeus' favorite child.
Devil Survivor 2	The virgin war goddess who sprung from Zeus' forehead fully armored after he swallowed her mother, Metis. She is the patron goddess of Athens and is associated with olive trees.