Foundation Stories : The Naming Of Athens Flashcards
Where could the story be found sculpted
On the western pediment of the Parthenon
What was King Cecrops’ dilemma.
He needed a name for the new city he had founded in Athens
What did king Cecrops do
He gave worship to both Athena and Poseidon who both came to the city to claim it as their own
What did Poseidon give the people
He arrived first and struck the centre of the Acropolis with his trident creating a spring from which sea water sprung up
What did Athena give the people
She came next and planted an olive tree in the in the Acropolis
Who judged the gifts
Zeus and Cecrops
Why was Posiedon’s gift unfavourable
The water was salty making it largely unusable
Why was Athena’s gift favoured
The olive tree was central to the Greek way of life - it supplied food, oil, shelter and fuel
What did Athena name the city after winning
Athens after herself
What became the symbol of the city
Athena’s favourite pet the owl. The first Athenian coins bore an image of an owl
What temple was built and what did it house
The Erechtheion Temple was constructed and was dedicated both to Poseidon and Athena. It held in one room the well and in a walled garden outside Athena’s olive tree
In some versions who judged and what happened
The people of the city - all men had voted for Poseidon and all women for Athena. As there were more women than men Athena won. As a result, Poseidon flooded the city causing the men to punish the women by not allowing them to vote, not allowing them to give their names to their children and not allowing them to call themselves Athenians to appease Poseidon.
