Pallas-Athene. She is in Homer, and in the general popular system, the goddess of wisdom and skill. In war she is opposed to Ares, the wild war-god, as the patroness and teacher of just and scientific warfare. Therefore she is on the side of the Greeks, and he on that of the Trojans. Ulysses was her special favorite. As the patroness of arts and industry in general, Pallas-Athene was regarded as the inspirer and teacher of all able artists. Thus she taught Epius to form the wooden horse, by means of which Troy was taken; and she also superintended the building of the ship Argo.
