In the Ancient Greece, it was common for a city to be under the protection of a specific god. However, in the region of Attica, ruled by Cecrops, their first king, there was a lack of a deity’s guardianship.
Soon, the rapid growth of the city attracted the attention of the gods. There were two Olympians who disputed in order to become Attica’s protector. This lead to a confrontation between the goddess of wisdom and the god of the sea: Athena and Poseidon.
The contest
Athena and Poseidon yearned so much the title of the city’s patron that they were willing to fight for it. Thus, in order to avoid this, Zeus had to step in. The king of Olympus declared that the people governed by Cecrops which god would be their protector.
To do so, each citizen would have to vote. Athena and Poseidon agreed that they would each make a gift to the people, and that each person would choose whichever they preferred.
Poseidon struck the ground with his trident and made a fountain sprout with salty water, meaning that he would bring them good fishing. Meanwhile, Athena offered the first olive tree, the most prized of all the trees of Greece since it could be used for food and fire preservation.
Time to vote
At last, it was time to vote. Moments later, the city had a result: Athena turned out to be the winner of the contest. Here’s where things get interesting. As we know, myths change as they are passed down from generation to generation.
One version tells that it was king Cerops who made the final decision as to which god would be the protector of Attica. Another interpretation claims that the outcome was determined by a majority vote.
A third version narrates that all the women voted for Athena and all the men for Poseidon; since there were more women, the goddess of wisdom and strategy won by a single vote.
In the end, the city was renamed in honor of their new protector. From then on, the Greek metropolis would be known as Athens.
Poseidon’s wrath: punishing the Athenian women
Poseidon was furious for losing against his long time rival. In retaliation, he flooded the region. Everything on Earth would have been destroyed if not for Zeus, who ordered Poseidon to stop the flood.
In return, the king of Olympus allowed his brother to punish the Athenian women, for they were seen as the cause of Poseidon’s defeat.
It was decided that the women of Athens would lose their right to vote. Furthermore, patrilineal descent was instituted, meaning that the children began to bear the father’s surname and would stop carrying their mother’s.
Images from: Picryl, PxHere, Pixabay, The Met
