Athena: A Miraculous Birth Poem by Terence George Craddock

Athena a miraculous birth
birth of a warrior goddess
a day of days unparalleled

Zeus the Olympians had defeated the Titans
Zeus cemented his place on victory created paradise
Mount Olympus home peaks as king of the gods

Zeus married Titaness Metis who had helped
him free his siblings from their father Cronus
Zeus overthrow Cronus married Metis but Zeus

received a disturbing prophecy about his bride
Gaia parthenogenic ancestral mother of all life
personified earth the sky personified was Uranus

Gaia Uranus told a new king Zeus that Metis
would bear two children first a gray-eyed girl
second a son with strength to overthrow Zeus

to take his place horrified Zeus turned Metis
into a fly swallowed her but as prophecy foretold
Metis was already pregnant with her first child

after destroying his wife Metis several months
passed Zeus began to suffer from headaches
the pain grew unbearable blinded by pain Zeus

sought out the lame smith god Hephaestus
for help begged the smith to break his head
open with his hammer to release the cause

of the pain prophecy was fulfilled

Hephaestus divine struck
brought his hammer down
on immortal Zeus's head

a great crack formed in the god's skull
Athena sprang from the crack in Zeus's skull
fully grown dressed in shining war armor

Athena at her birth shouted out
a great war-cry so chilling terrible
primordial Gaia Uranus cosmos

creator gods with fear quaked
Zeus immediately was pride filled
with joy at awe goddess birth

of his warrior daughter
her battle-cry armor impressed
at birth Athena wore

gleaming armor that flashed
with Zeus's own lightning
her shield cloak were edged

with snakes the crest of her helmet
reached far into the heavens Helios
was so in awe of Athena he stopped

the sun in the sky Zeus caused showers
of gold to rain down on the island of Rhodes
celebrating on the day Athena was born

ensuring the land's prosperity for ages to come
Athena Promachos born a miraculous birth
a warrior goddess a day of days unparalleled


Terence George Craddock (Afterglows Echoes Of Starlight)
Copyright © Terence George Craddock