Minerva

This article is about the Roman goddess. For other uses, see Minerva (disambiguation).
Minerva
Goddess of poetry, medicine, commerce, weaving, the crafts, and wisdom
Member of the Capitoline Triad and the Dii Consentes
Fresco of Minerva from Herculaneum (1st century AD)
SymbolsOwl of Minerva, olive tree, serpent of Jupiter, the Parthenon, the spear, the spindle, and Hellebore
GenderFemale
ParentsJupiter
Metis
Equivalents
CanaaniteAnat[1]
EtruscanMenrva
GreekAthena
EgyptianNeith
CelticBrigantia
Religion in
ancient Rome
Marcus Aurelius sacrificing
Marcus Aurelius (head covered)
sacrificing at the Temple of Jupiter
Practices and beliefs
Priesthoods
Deities
Related topics
Mosaic of the Minerva of Peace in the Library of Congress

Minerva (/məˈnɜːrvə/; Latin: [mɪˈnɛru̯ä]; Etruscan: Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars.[2] Beginning in the second century BC, the Romans equated her with the Greek goddess Athena.[3] Minerva is one of the three Roman deities in the Capitoline Triad, along with Jupiter and Juno.

Minerva is a virgin goddess. Her domain includes music, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, and the crafts.[4] Minerva is often depicted with her sacred creature, an owl usually named the "owl of Minerva".[5] which symbolised her association with wisdom and knowledge, as well as, less frequently, the snake and the olive tree. Minerva is commonly depicted as tall with an athletic and muscular build. She is often wearing armour and carrying a spear. As an important Roman goddess, she is highly revered, honored, and respected.[6] Marcus Terentius Varro considered her to be ideal and the plan for the universe personified.[7]

  1. ^ Day, Peggy L. (1999). "Anat". In Karel van der Toorn; Bob Becking; Pieter W. van der Horst (eds.). Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible (2nd, revised ed.). Brill. p. 39.
  2. ^ Bulfinch, Thomas (2010). The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes. Neeland Media LLC. ISBN 978-1-59625-257-8. OCLC 1028955021.
  3. ^ Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia, Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215.
  4. ^ Candau, Francisco J. Cevallos (1994). Coded Encounters: Writing, Gender, and Ethnicity in Colonial Latin America. University of Massachusetts Press. p. 215. ISBN 0-87023-886-8.
  5. ^ Philosophy of Right (1820), "Preface"
  6. ^ Fara, Patricia (2010-03-01). "Minerva/Athene". Endeavour. 34 (1): 4–5. doi:10.1016/j.endeavour.2010.01.001. ISSN 0160-9327. PMID 20096932.
  7. ^ Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354–430. (2008) [1950]. The city of God. Catholic University of America Press. ISBN 978-0-8132-1108-4. OCLC 647919892.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)