As the lightning goddess of mountains and useful discoveries and inventions. And in Rome, in ancient times, Minerva was considered a lightning-bringing and warlike goddess, as evidenced by the gladiatorial games that were necessarily held during the main holiday in her honor - Quinquatrus.
The direct relationship to Minerva as a military patroness is confirmed in the gifts and dedications that were made by Roman generals in her honor after some brilliant victory. Thus, Lucius Aemilius Paulus, having completed the conquest of Macedonia, burned part of the booty in honor of Minerva; Pompey, after his triumph, built a temple for her on the Campus Martius; Octavian Augustus did the same after his victory at Actium. But, mainly, the Roman Minerva was revered as the patroness and partly the inventor of crafts and arts. She patronizes woolsmiths, shoemakers, doctors, teachers, sculptors, poets and, in particular, musicians; she mentors, teaches and guides women in all their work.
The main festival in her honor - Quinquatrus or Quinquatria, held from March 19 to 24 - was a holiday of artisans and artists, as well as schoolchildren, who were freed from classes during the festivities and at the same time brought their teachers payment for teaching - minerval.
Minerva was sometimes mistakenly identified with the goddess of wisdom Budte, a character in Lithuanian mythology.
The asteroid (93) Minerva, discovered in 1867, is named after Minerva.
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Notes
Literature
- // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.
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Excerpt characterizing Minerva
The next day after the theater, the Rostovs did not go anywhere and no one came to them. Marya Dmitrievna, hiding something from Natasha, was talking with her father. Natasha guessed that they were talking about the old prince and making up something, and this bothered and offended her. She waited for Prince Andrei every minute, and twice that day she sent the janitor to Vzdvizhenka to find out if he had arrived. He didn't come. It was now harder for her than the first days of her arrival. Her impatience and sadness about him were joined by an unpleasant memory of her meeting with Princess Marya and the old prince, and fear and anxiety, for which she did not know the reason. It seemed to her that either he would never come, or that something would happen to her before he arrived. She could not, as before, calmly and continuously, alone with herself, think about him. As soon as she began to think about him, the memory of him was joined by the memory of the old prince, of Princess Marya and of the last performance, and of Kuragin. She again wondered if she was guilty, if her loyalty to Prince Andrei had already been violated, and again she found herself remembering in the smallest detail every word, every gesture, every shade of play of expression on the face of this man, who knew how to arouse in her something incomprehensible to her. and a terrible feeling. To the eyes of her family, Natasha seemed more lively than usual, but she was far from being as calm and happy as she had been before.On Sunday morning, Marya Dmitrievna invited her guests to mass at her parish of the Assumption on Mogiltsy.
“I don’t like these fashionable churches,” she said, apparently proud of her free-thinking. - There is only one God everywhere. Our priest is wonderful, he serves decently, it’s so noble, and so is the deacon. Does this make it so sacred that people sing concerts in the choir? I don’t like it, it’s just self-indulgence!
Marya Dmitrievna loved Sundays and knew how to celebrate them. Her house was all washed and cleaned on Saturday; people and she were not working, everyone was dressed up for the holidays, and everyone was attending mass. Food was added to the master's dinner, and people were given vodka and roast goose or pig. But nowhere in the whole house was the holiday more noticeable than on Marya Dmitrievna’s broad, stern face, which on that day assumed an unchanging expression of solemnity.
When they had drunk coffee after mass, in the living room with the covers removed, Marya Dmitrievna was informed that the carriage was ready, and she, with a stern look, dressed in the ceremonial shawl in which she made visits, stood up and announced that she was going to Prince Nikolai Andreevich Bolkonsky to explain to him about Natasha.
The Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, corresponds to the Greek warrior Pallas Athena. The Romans attributed their goddess of wisdom to the triad of supreme gods, Minerva, Jupiter and Juno, to whom a temple built on the Capitoline Hill was dedicated.
Roman cult of the goddess of wisdom Mineva
The cult of Minerva was widespread throughout Italy, but she was revered more as the patroness of science, crafts and. And only in Rome was she more revered as a warrior.
Quinquatria - festivities dedicated to Minerva, took place on March 19-23. On the first day of the holiday, students and schoolchildren were supposed to thank their mentors and pay for their education. On the same day, all hostilities ceased, and gifts were presented - honey, butter and cakes. On other days, gladiator fights and processions were held in honor of Minerva, and on the last day, sacrifices and the consecration of city pipes participating in various ceremonies were held. Junior quinquatria were celebrated on June 13-15. Basically it was a festival of flute players, who considered Minerva their patroness.
Minerva in Roman mythology
According to myths, the goddess Minerva emerged from the head of Jupiter. One fine day, the Roman supreme deity had a very bad headache. No one, not even the recognized healer Aesculapius, could alleviate his suffering. Then, exhausted by pain, Jupiter asked the son of Vulcan to cut off his head with an ax. As soon as the head was split open, Minerva jumped out of it, singing war hymns, in armor, with a shield and a sharp spear.
Minerva, who emerged from the head of her father, became the goddess of wisdom and a just war of liberation. In addition, Minerva patronized the development of sciences and women's handicrafts, patronized artists, poets, musicians, actors and teachers.
Artists and sculptors depicted Minerva as a young beautiful girl in military armor and holding a weapon. Very often next to the goddess there is a snake or an owl - symbols of wisdom and love of thought. Another recognizable symbol of Minerva is the olive tree, the creation of which the Romans attributed to this goddess.
The role of Minerva in Roman mythology is very great. This goddess was an adviser to Jupiter, and when the war began, Minerva took her shield Aegis with the head of the Gorgon Medusa and went to protect those who suffered innocently, defending a just cause. Minerva was not afraid of battles, but did not welcome bloodshed, unlike the bloodthirsty god of war Mars.
According to descriptions in myths, Minerva was very feminine and attractive, but she did not favor her fans - the goddess was very proud of her virginity. Minerva's chastity and immortality were explained by the fact that true wisdom can neither be seduced nor destroyed.
Greek goddess AthenaIn Greek mythology, the goddess Minerva corresponds to Athena. She was also born from the head of the dominant god, Zeus, and was the goddess of wisdom. About the fact that the Greek goddess is older than her Roman twin, 
Many legends speak, for example, about the city of Athens.
When a magnificent city was built in the province of Attica, the supreme gods began to argue after whom it would be named. In the end, all the gods except Poseidon and Athena renounced their claims, but the two disputants could not make a decision. Then Zeus announced that the city would be named after the one who would bring him the most useful gift. Poseidon, with a blow from his trident, created a beautiful and strong horse worthy of serving the king. Athena created the olive tree and explained to people that they could use not only the fruits of this plant, but also its leaves and wood. And, in addition, the olive branch is a symbol of peace and prosperity, which is undoubtedly very important for the residents of the young city. And the city was named after the wise goddess, who also became the patroness of Athens.
Goddess Minerva in Italian mythology - the goddess of belligerence and lightning speed. The Etruscans worshiped her as the goddess of inventions, any discoveries, as well as the lightning-fast mountain goddess.
The most important holiday of the Ancient Romans, Quinquatrus, held in honor of Minerva, is indicated by the fact that she was a warlike goddess. Generals, after brilliant victories, brought gifts and dedications to Minerva, which hints at her involvement with the goddesses of war. Built by Pompey on the Campus Martius, the temple was erected in honor of the goddess Minerva.
In addition to all of the above, this goddess was revered as the patroness of craft and art. Minera patronized doctors, poets, woolsmiths, sculptors and others.
Minerva, in Roman mythology, the goddess of wisdom, art, war and cities, patroness of artisans. There is an assumption that the cult of Minerva has Phrygian roots. The Romans considered the goddess equal to Juno and Jupiter; she was part of the pantheon of the main Roman gods, the so-called Capitoline triad, to which the temple on the Capitol was dedicated.
In Greek mythology, there is an analogue of Minerva - Athena the Warrior. Just like Athena, Minerva was the patroness of military affairs; after battles, great commanders sacrificed some of their best trophies to her. The ancient Romans attributed to Minerva the patronage of doctors, teachers, sculptors, musicians and poets. Worshipers of the goddess organized festivals in her honor - quinquatria, at which teachers and artisans received payment for teaching children.
Minerva was usually depicted in armor and a helmet with a spear in her hands or with an owl in one hand and a snake in the other. The owl is a symbol of nightly reflections, and the snake is a symbol of wisdom. The cult of the goddess was widespread throughout Italy, but only in Rome was she revered for her warlike character.
The name Minerva may have come from the Indo-European root "man", from which intellect and mind were also derived. However, the non-Indo-European Etruscan people had a goddess Menrwa, so the name may be of completely unknown origin.
Minerva was the daughter of Jupiter and Metis. She was believed to be a virgin warrior goddess, patron of poetry, medicine, wisdom, trade, crafts, and was considered the inventor of music. Like Minerva Medisa, she was the goddess of medicine and doctors.
Adapting the Greek myths of Athena, the Romans said that Minerva was not born in the usual way, but rather jumped out fully armed from her father's brain; this image has captivated Western authors and artists through the centuries.
Ovdi called her the goddess of a thousand works. Minerva was worshiped throughout Italy, although it was only in Rome that she acquired a warlike character. Minerva is usually depicted wearing chain mail and a helmet, and carrying a spear.
In the temple on Capitol Hill she was worshiped along with Jupiter and Juno, with whom she formed a powerful triad of gods of Ancient Rome. Another temple of hers was located on the Aventine Hill. The Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva is based on the remains of one of its temples.
Every year from March 19 to 23, the Quinquatria festival was held, the originally named festival was Minerva. This festival was mainly celebrated by artisans, but also by students. On June 13 the junior Quinquatrus was celebrated. Minerva is believed to be the inventor of numbers and musical instruments.
She is thought to be of Etruscan origin, like the goddess Menrva or Menerva. Later she began to be compared and contrasted with the Greek goddess Athena. At the beginning of the 20th century, Manuel José Estrada Cabrera, the President of Guatemala, tried to promote the Cult of Minerva in his country. According to legend, the Queen of Spades playing card represents Minerva.
The Romans celebrated her festival from March 19 to March 23 during days called Quinquatria, the festival of the artisans. A smaller version, Minusculae Quinquatria, was performed on June 13, by flutists who especially paid homage to her religion. In 207 BC. a guild of poets and actors was formed to perform votives in the Temple of Minerva on the Aventine Hill. Among others among its participants was Livius Andronicus. The Temple of Minerva on the Aventine Hill continued to be an important arts center for much of the middle Roman Republic.
Minerva was also worshiped on Capitol Hill as one of the Capitoline Triad along with Jupiter and Juno, in the Temple of Minerva Medica, and in the Temple of Minerva, the latter temple founded around 50 BC. in Pompeii, where the modern church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva stands
Minerva was part of the divine trinity, which, besides her, included Jupiter and Juno- Apparently, this was a direct borrowing from the Etruscans of their divine trinity: Tini, Uni and Menrva.
Sources: ezoterical.ru, godsbay.ru, romana.su, otvet.mail.ru, zaumnik.ru
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Athena (Greek) Minerva (Roman) Athena goddess of wisdom, knowledge and just war, patroness of cities and states, sciences and crafts. She was one of the most revered goddesses in Greece, rivaling Zeus in importance. She was his equal in strength and wisdom. She was distinguished by her independence and was proud of the fact that she remained a virgin forever.
Genealogy. Daughter of Zeus and Metis. Zeus's favorite daughter was born by him in an amazingly sophisticated way. The goddess of reason, Metis, was to give birth to a daughter and a son of extraordinary intelligence and strength. The Moirai predicted to Zeus that he would be overthrown by her son.
To avoid this, Zeus swallowed Metis, but after a while he felt a terrible headache and ordered Hephaestus to cut off his head. The warrior Pallas Athena emerged from the split skull of Zeus in full armor with a helmet, spear and shield. Epithets. “Tritonida” or “Tritogenea” (due to its birthplace at Lake Triton in Libya), “Owl-eyed”, “Motley snake”, “Worker”, “City”, “City Defender”, “Savior”, “Brotherly”, “ Soviet".
Attributes and symbols. Olive, owl (symbol of wisdom) and snake. She was the patroness of snakes (a huge snake lived in the temple in Athens - the guardian of the Acropolis). Iconography. Athena was depicted as Pallas (the victorious warrior) or Polyada (the patroness of cities and states). From the name of Pallas comes the word “palladium” (a wooden image of Athena that had miraculous effects). The city that owned palladium was considered under the patronage of the goddess. There was a legend about the palladium kept in Troy, which said that it fell from the sky. After the Trojan War, Aeneas brought it to Rome and since then the palladium has been kept in the Temple of Vesta.
She was considered the founder of the Areopagus the highest state court of Athens, the inventor of the chariot and ship, flute and trumpet, ceramic pot, rake, plow, yoke for oxen and bridle for horses. She taught us weaving, spinning and cooking. She helped Hercules in the fight against the Stymphalian birds, the giant Geryon, Perseus in defeating the gorgon Medusa, and Prometheus in stealing fire for people.
Among the victims of Athena are the princess Arachne, who was transformed by the goddess into a spider, and Tiresias, who accidentally saw her while bathing and was blinded by the goddess for this. As a consolation, he was endowed with the gift of prophecy. In the dispute for the possession of Attica and for the right to give a name to the city (later Athens), Poseidon defeated. The dispute, which took place on the hill of Ares, was decided by twelve gods, including Zeus, whose gift to Attica was more valuable. Poseidon knocked out a salty spring from a barren rock with a trident (according to another legend, he created a horse), and Athena plunged a spear deep into the ground and a sacred olive tree grew.
Athena Campana is named after the owner of the collection in which she was located, the Marquis Campana. She is depicted in the long ceremonial robe of Greek women - peplos, over which is thrown a cloak. Worship center. In Attica, Athena was the main deity of the country and city of Athens, the patroness of the Athenians. Athens reached its greatest power and prosperity under Pericles. New buildings on the acropolis were erected in 16 years. A wide marble staircase led to the Acropolis, a rocky hill located in the center of Athens. Having climbed the stairs, the traveler approached the Propylaea - the main entrance to the acropolis. Through the Propylaea, the “road of sacred processions” opened onto a vast square where stood a gigantic bronze statue of Athena-Promachos (leader in battle), cast by Phidias. The shine of the goddess’s golden helmet and spear was seen by sailors who were far out to sea. Above all the buildings of the acropolis stood the Parthenon, the temple of the Virgin Athena, which was the main temple of the goddess (“Parthenos” translated from Greek as “virgin”). The entire temple, including the roof tiles, was built from white Pentelic marble. The length of the temple was 69.5 m, width 31 m, i.e. its area was more than 2 square meters. km. The building was surrounded by 40 columns 10.43 m high. In the center of the temple stood a giant statue of Athena by Phidias, covered with gold and ivory. Thin plates of ivory covered the face and hands of the goddess; the cloak, helmet and shield were made of gold. The width of the base of the statue was 8 m, the height of the statue was 12 m. In the 17th century. The Turks, who owned Greece, built a gunpowder warehouse in the Parthenon, which exploded, destroying half of the ancient temple.
Every year in August the Panathenaea (“all-Athensian”) was held, dedicated to all “directions of activity” of Athens at once. Once every four years, the Great Panathenaea was held with musical and gymnastic competitions. The celebrations began at night with a torchlight procession and ended with a festive procession of the Athenians.
The procession ascended the sacred road and entered the temple to present a peplos as a gift to Athena, a robe woven by the hands of noble Athenians from the finest expensive wool with gold embroidery. “Panathenaic amphoras” with a volume of 26 liters were prepared especially for the holiday, on which scenes of competitions and the goddess herself were depicted. An amphora filled with olive oil went to the winner of the competition. The cups awarded to winners today originate from these amphorae. The holidays of the first germination of bread, the beginning of the harvest, the giving of dew for crops, and the turning away of rain were dedicated to Athena.
Minerva goddess of war, arts, sciences and crafts, patroness of cities and the peaceful pursuits of their inhabitants. She was part of the divine Capitoline triad along with Jupiter and Juno. Genealogy. Daughter of Jupiter. The word “Capta” was added to the name of Minerva, meaning “capital” (from the Latin caput head). This emphasized that anyone who steals from her temple is responsible to the goddess with his head. Holidays in her honor were held in the second half of March and lasted five days (large quinquatria) or from June 13 and lasted three days (small quinquatria). Sacrifices: cakes, honey and oil.
And his first wife Metis (“thought, wisdom”), who herself predicted that she would first have a daughter, and then a son, and this son would be the ruler of the universe. Jupiter, frightened by such a prediction, turned to Gaia (Earth) for advice, and she advised him to swallow Metis, which he did. After some time, Jupiter felt a severe headache; it seemed to him that his skull was ready to shatter into pieces. He asked Vulcan to cut his head with an ax and see what was happening there. As soon as Vulcan fulfilled his request, Pallas Athena (Minerva), armed and in full bloom, emerged from the head of Jupiter, “the mighty daughter of a mighty father,” as Homer usually calls her. Several ancient monuments of art (among others, the Parthenon frieze, which no longer exists), depicted the birth of Minerva. She is, therefore, the personification of the divine reason and prudence of Jupiter.
This is a strong and warlike goddess, intelligent and judicious. Since she was born not from her mother, but directly from the head of Jupiter, all female weaknesses are alien to her; she has a serious, almost masculine character; she is never embarrassed by the excitement of love and passion; she is an eternal virgin, Jupiter’s favorite, his like-minded person, although sometimes, as, for example, in the Trojan War, she acts against her father’s will. She looks at humanity sensibly and clearly and willingly takes part in all life manifestations of people. She is always on the side of a just cause, helps brave heroes win victories over their enemies, and is the patroness of Odysseus and his wife Penelope, the leader of their son, Telemachus.
It seems to personify human culture; she invented many useful items, such as a plow and a rake; taught people how to harness oxen and made them bend their necks under the yoke. It is believed that she was the first to subdue the horse and turn it into a pet. She taught Jason and his companions to build the ship "Argo" and patronized them all the time while their famous campaign continued. Minerva is the goddess of war, but she recognizes only a prudent war, waged according to all the rules of military art and having a specific goal; in this she differs from the male god of war Mars, who enjoys the sight of blood and who loves horror and confusion.
Fight between Mars and Minerva. Painting by J. L. David, 1771
Minerva is everywhere a strict enforcer of laws, patroness and defender of civil rights, cities and harbors; she has a keen eye; ancient poets called her “blue-eyed, bright-eyed and far-sighted.” She established the Athenian Areopagus, and she was revered as the patroness of musicians, artists and all artisans.
Minerva was the main deity for the Athenians, and the Acropolis was considered her sacred mountain. The cult of Minerva existed for a very long time and ceased only under the influence of Christian teaching. Many coins with the image of the head of Minerva have survived; one of them also depicts an owl - a bird dedicated to this goddess.
The famous scientist Gottfried Müller says that the ideal type of Pallas Athena is the statue of Phidias - Parthenon Athena. The facial features of this statue became the prototype of all statues of Minerva. The famous sculptor depicted her with strict, regular features: she has a high and open forehead; long, thin nose; the lines of the mouth and cheeks are somewhat sharp; wide, almost quadrangular chin; eyes downcast; the hair is simply thrown back to the sides of the face and curls slightly over the shoulders.
Statue of Virgin Athena in the Parthenon. Ancient Greek sculptor Phidias
Minerva is often depicted wearing a helmet adorned with four horses, showing that she was reconciled with Neptune, to whom the horse was dedicated (these two gods argued over the patronage of Athens). Minerva always wears an aegis with the head of the gorgon Medusa, she is always decorated with jewels, and her attire is very luxurious. On one of the antique cameos, the goddess, in addition to a shiny aegis, wears a rich necklace made of acorns and earrings in the form of grape bunches. Sometimes on coins her helmet is decorated with a fantastic monster with a snake tail. She is always depicted with a helmet on her head, very varied in shape.
Minerva's usual weapon is a spear, but sometimes she holds in her hand the thunder arrows of Jupiter; she also often holds a statue on her hand Nicky- goddess of victory. On the most ancient monuments, Minerva is depicted with a raised shield and spear. The aegis which she always wears is none other than the skin of a goat, on which she has attached the head of Medusa; This aegis sometimes replaces her shield. Personifying lightning in the physical order, Minerva must wear the aegis as a distinctive sign. On archaic statues she uses an aegis instead of a shield; During the golden age of Greek art, she wears the aegis on her chest. The head of Medusa is also one of the distinctive features of this goddess and is depicted either on the aegis or on the helmet. This head was supposed to hint at the horror that seized the enemies of the goddess when she appeared before them. In one fresco discovered in Herculaneum, the goddess is dressed in peplos, falling onto her chiton in rough and ungraceful folds; she covered her left hand with the aegis and is ready to fight.
The famous statue of Phidias “Athena of the Parthenon” was sculpted from ivory and gold. The goddess stood at full height, her chest was covered with an aegis, and her tunic fell to her feet. She held a spear in one hand and in the other a statue of the goddess of victory Nike. On her helmet was a sphinx - the emblem of the divine mind; on its sides were depicted two griffins; above the visor are eight horses rushing at full speed - a symbol of the speed of thought. The goddess's head and hands were made of ivory; instead of eyes, two precious stones were inserted; the golden draperies could be removed at will so that the city could take advantage of this treasure in the event of any public disaster. On the outside of the shield, placed at the feet of the goddess, the battle of the Athenians with the Amazons was depicted, on the reverse side - the fight of the gods with the giants; birth myth Pandora was sculptured on a pedestal.
Minerva by the sculptor Zimart, which was at the exhibition at the Salon of 1855, is a repetition of the masterpiece of Phidias, possibly an accurately and carefully reproduced copy according to the description Pausanias, which has come down to us. The beautiful bronze statue of Minerva, located in the Turin Museum, is one of the most remarkable and beautiful ancient statues that has survived to our era.
The chaste goddess Minerva was never depicted naked by ancient artists, and if some modern artists present her in this form in their works, for example, “The Judgment of Paris”, then this is due to ignorance of ancient traditions. She had never been touched by the arrows of the god of love Cupid, who always avoided her and left her alone. Venus, dissatisfied with the fact that her playful son did not even attempt to wound the chaste goddess with his arrow, showered him with reproaches for this. He justified himself, saying: “I’m afraid of her, she’s scary, her eyes are sharp, and her appearance is courageous and majestic. Every time I dare to approach her in order to hit her with my arrow, she again frightens me with her gloomy gaze; Besides, she has such a terrible head on her chest, and in fear I drop my arrows and, trembling, run from her" ( Lucian).
Minerva once found a deer bone, made a flute, and began to make sounds from it, which gave her great pleasure. But, noticing that when she played, her cheeks swelled and her lips protruded unsightly, she, not wanting to disfigure her face so much, threw away her flute, cursing in advance the one who would find it and play it. A satyr found her Marsyas and, not paying attention to the curse of the goddess, began to play on it and began to boast of his talent, challenging Apollo himself to a competition with him. He did not escape terrible punishment for his disobedience and arrogance.
In addition to the myth of Marcia, Minerva is closely related to legends about Arachne and about the first Athenian kings - Kekrops and Erichthonia.
