Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the
Roman goddess
Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these representat ...
of
wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as
Mars, but of strategic war.
From the second century BC onward, the
Romans equated her with the Greek
goddess Athena.
[''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', Book People, Haydock, 1995, p. 215.] Minerva is one of the three Roman deities in the
Capitoline Triad
The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in th ...
, along with
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousand ...
and
Juno.
She was the
virgin goddess of music,
poetry,
medicine,
wisdom,
commerce,
weaving, and the
crafts.
She is often depicted with her sacred creature, an owl usually named as the "
owl of Minerva", 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, as well as wearing armour and carrying a spear. As the most important Roman goddess, she is highly revered, honored, and respected.
Marcus Terentius Varro considered her to be ideal and the plan for the universe personified.
Etymology
The name ''Minerva'' stems from
Proto-Italic ('intelligent, understanding'), and ultimately from
Proto-Indo-European (PIE) ('thought').
Helmut Rix (1981) and Gerhard Meiser (1998) have proposed the PIE derivative ('provided with a mind, intelligent') as the transitional form.
Origin
Following the Greek myths around Athena, she was born of
Metis
Metis or Métis may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Métis, recognized Indigenous communities in Canada and America whose distinct culture and language emerged after early intermarriage between First Nations peoples and early European settlers, primar ...
, who had been swallowed by
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousand ...
, and burst from her father's head, fully armed and clad in armour. Jupiter had sex with the
titaness
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (mythology), ...
Metis, which resulted in her attempting to change shape (or
shapeshift
In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited th ...
) to escape him. Jupiter then recalled the prophecy that his own child would overthrow him as he had
Saturn, and in turn, Saturn had
Caelus.
Fearing that their child would be male, and would grow stronger than he was and rule the Heavens in his place, Jupiter swallowed Metis whole after tricking her into turning herself into a fly. The Titaness gave birth to Minerva and forged weapons and armour for her child while within Jupiter's body. In some versions of the story, Metis continued to live inside of Jupiter's mind as the source of his wisdom. Others say she was simply a vessel for the birth of Minerva. The constant pounding and ringing left Jupiter with agonizing pain. To relieve the pain,
Vulcan used a hammer to split Jupiter's head and, from the cleft, Minerva emerged, whole, adult, and in full battle armour.
Presence in mythology
Minerva is a prominent figure in
Roman mythology. She appears throughout many famous myths. Many of the stories of her Greek counterpart
Athena are attributed to Minerva in Roman mythology, such as that of the naming of Athens
resulting from a competition between Minerva and
Neptune,
in which Minerva created the olive tree.
Minerva and Arachne
Arachne was a mortal highly proficient in weaving and embroidery. Not only were her finished works that were beautiful, but also her process, so much so that
nymphs would come out of their natural environments to watch her work. Arachne boasted that her skills could beat those of Minerva, and if she were wrong she would pay the price for it. This angered Minerva, and she took the form of an old woman to approach Arachne, offering her a chance to take back her challenge and ask forgiveness.
When Arachne refused, Minerva rid herself of her disguise and took Arachne up on her challenge. Arachne began to weave a tapestry which showed the shortcomings of the gods, while Minerva depicted her competition with Neptune and the gods looking down with disgust on mortals who would dare to challenge them.
Minerva's weaving was meant as a final warning to her foe to back down. Minerva was insulted by the scenes which Arachne was weaving, and destroyed it. She then touched Arachne on the forehead which made her feel shame for what she had done, leading her to hang herself. Minerva then felt bad for the woman, and brought her back to life. However, Minerva transformed her into a spider as punishment for her actions, and hanging from a web would forever be a reminder to Arachne of her actions which offended the gods. This story also acted as a warning to mortals not to challenge the gods.
Minerva and Medusa
Medusa was once a beautiful human, a priestess of Minerva. Later on, Minerva found out that Neptune and Medusa were kissing in a temple dedicated to Minerva herself. Because of this Minerva turned her into a monster, replacing her hair with hissing snakes and removing her charm. Medusa turned any living creature she looked upon into stone. When
Perseus approached Medusa he used her reflection in his shield to avoid contact with her eyes, and then beheaded her.
He delivered the severed head to Minerva, who placed its image on her
Aegis
The aegis ( ; grc, αἰγίς ''aigís''), as stated in the ''Iliad'', is a device carried by Athena and Zeus, variously interpreted as an animal skin or a shield and sometimes featuring the head of a Gorgon. There may be a connection with a d ...
.
Taming of Pegasus
When
Perseus beheaded
Medusa some of the blood spilled onto the ground, and from it came
Pegasus. Minerva caught the horse and tamed it before gifting the horse to the
Muses. It was a kick from the hoof of Pegasus which opened the fountain
Hippocrene.
When
Bellerophon later went to fight the
Chimera he sought to use Pegasus in the fight. In order to do this he slept in Minerva's temple, and she came to him with a golden bridle. When Pegasus saw Bellerophon with the bridle the horse immediately allowed Bellerophon to mount, and they defeated the Chimera.
Turning Aglauros to Stone
Metamorphoses by
Ovid
Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom ...
tell the story of Minerva and
Aglauros. When
Mercury comes to seduce mortal virgin
Herse, her sister Aglauros is driven by her greed to help him. Minerva discovers this and is furious with Aglauros. She seeks the assistance of
Envy, who fills Aglauros with so much envy for the good fortune of others that she
turns to stone. Mercury fails to seduce Herse.
Minerva and Hercules
Minerva assisted the hero
Hercules. In
Hyginus' ''Fabulae'' she is said to have helped him kill the
Hydra (30.3).
Minerva and Odysseus
Minerva assisted the hero
Odysseus. Hyginus describes in his work ''Fabulae'' that Minerva changes Odysseus' appearance in order to protect and assist him multiple times (126).
Inventing the flute
Minerva is thought to have invented the
flute by piercing holes into boxwood. She enjoyed the music, but became embarrassed by how it made her face look when her cheeks puffed out to play. Because of this she threw it away and it landed on a riverbank where it was found by a
satyr.
Worship in Rome and Italy
Minerva was worshipped at many locations in Rome, most prominently as part of the
Capitoline Triad
The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in th ...
. She was also worshipped at the
Temple of Minerva Medica, and at the "
Delubrum Minervae", a temple founded around 50 BC by
Pompey on the site now occupied by the church of ''
Santa Maria sopra Minerva''.
The Romans celebrated her festival from March 19 to March 23 during the day which is called, in the neuter plural,
Quinquatria, the fifth day after the Ides of March, the nineteenth, an
artisans' holiday. This festival was of deepest importance to artists and craftsmen as she was the patron goddess of crafting and arts.
According to
Ovid
Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom ...
(
Fasti 3.809) the festival was 5 days long, and the first day was said to be the anniversary of Minerva's birth, so no blood was to be shed. The following four days were full of games of "drawn swords" in honour of Minerva's military association.
Suetonius tells us (Life of Domitian 4.4) that Domitian celebrated the
Quinquatria by appointing a college of priests who were to stage plays and animal games in addition to poetry and oratory competitions. A lesser version, the ''Minusculae Quinquatria'', was held on the Ides of June, June 13, by the
flute-players, as Minerva was thought to have invented the flute.
In 207 BC, a
guild
A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometim ...
of poets and actors was formed to meet and make
votive offerings at the temple of Minerva on the
Aventine Hill. Among others, its members included
Livius Andronicus. The Aventine sanctuary of Minerva continued to be an important center of the arts for much of the middle
Roman Republic.
As ''Minerva Medica'', she was the goddess of medicine and physicians. As ''Minerva Achaea'', she was worshipped at
Lucera in
Apulia where
votive gifts and arms said to be those of
Diomedes were preserved in her temple.
According to the
Acta Arvalia, a cow was sacrificed to Minerva on October 13 58 AD along with many other sacrifices to celebrate the anniversary of Nero coming to power. On January 3 81 AD, as a part of the New Year vows, two cows were sacrificed to Minerva (among many others) to secure the well-being of the emperor Titus, Domitian Caesar, Julia Augusta, and their children. On January 3 87 AD there is again record of a cow being sacrificed to Minerva among the many sacrifices made as a part of the New Year vows.
In ''
Fasti'' III,
Ovid
Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom ...
called her the "goddess of a thousand works"
due to all of the things she was associated with. Minerva was worshipped throughout Italy, and when she eventually became equated with the Greek goddess Athena, she also became a goddess of battle. Unlike Mars, god of war, she was sometimes portrayed with sword lowered, in sympathy for the recent dead, rather than raised in triumph and battle lust. In Rome her bellicose nature was emphasized less than elsewhere.
According to
Livy's ''History of Rome'' (7.3), the annual nail marking the year, a process where the praetor maximus drove a nail into to formally keep track of the current year, happened in the temple of Minerva because she was thought to have invented numbers.
There is archaeological evidence to suggest that Minerva was worshipped not only in a formal civic fashion, but also by individuals on a more personal level.
Roman coinage
Minerva is featured on the coinage of different
Roman emperors. She often is represented on the reverse side of a coin holding an owl and a spear among her attributes.
Worship in Britain during Roman occupation
During
the Roman occupation of Britain, it was common for carpenters to own tools ornamented with images of Minerva to invoke a greater amount of protection from the goddess of crafts. Some women would also have images of her on accessories such as hairpins or jewellery. She was even featured on some funerary art on coffins and signet rings.
Bath
During Roman rule Minerva became equated with the Celtic goddess
Sulis, to the degree where their names were used both together and interchangeably.
She was believed to preside over the healing hot springs located in
Bath
Bath may refer to:
* Bathing, immersion in a fluid
** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body
** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe
* Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities
Plac ...
.
Though Minerva is not a water deity, her association with intellectual professions as ''Minerva Medica'' she could also be thought of as a healing goddess, the epigraphic evidence present makes it clear that this is how Minerva was thought of in Bath.
Some of the archaeological evidence present in Bath leads scholars to believe that it was thought Minerva could provide full healing from things such as rheumatism via the hot springs if she was given full credit for the healing.
The temple of Sulis Minerva was known for having a miraculous altar-fire which burned coal as opposed to the traditional wood.
Carrawburgh
There is evidence of worship of Minerva Medica in
Carrawburgh
Carrawburgh is a settlement in Northumberland. In Roman times, it was the site of a -acre (1.5 ha) auxiliary fort on Hadrian's Wall called Brocolitia, Procolita, or ''Brocolita''. This name is probably based on the Celtic name for the pla ...
due to archaeological evidence such as a relief depicting her and
Aesculapius.
Chester
There is a shrine dedicated to Minerva in Edgar’s Field built in the face of a quarry next to the
River Dee.
Etruscan Menrva
Stemming from an Italic moon goddess ('She who measures'), the
Etruscans adopted the inherited Old Latin name, , thereby calling her
Menrva. It is presumed that her Roman name, Minerva, is based on this
Etruscan mythology. Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, war, art, schools, justice and commerce. She was the Etruscan counterpart to Greek
Athena. Like Athena, Minerva burst from the head of her father, Jupiter (Greek
Zeus), who had devoured her mother (Metis) in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent her birth.
By a process of
folk etymology, the Romans could have linked her foreign name to the
root ''men-'' in
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
words such as ''mens'' meaning "mind", perhaps because one of her aspects as goddess pertained to the intellectual. The word ''mens'' is built from the
Proto-Indo-European root ''*men-'' 'mind' (linked with memory as in Greek
Mnemosyne/μνημοσύνη and /μνῆστις: memory, remembrance, recollection, in Sanskrit meaning mind).
The Etruscan Menrva was part of a holy
triad
Triad or triade may refer to:
* a group of three
Businesses and organisations
* Triad (American fraternities), certain historic groupings of seminal college fraternities in North America
* Triad (organized crime), a Chinese transnational orga ...
with
Tinia and
Uni, equivalent to the Roman
Capitoline Triad
The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in th ...
of Jupiter-Juno-Minerva.
Modern depictions and references of Minerva
Universities and educational establishments
As a patron goddess of wisdom, Minerva frequently features in statuary, as an image on seals, and in other forms at educational institutions. Listings of this can be found on
Minerva in the emblems of educational establishments.
Societies and governments
* The
Seal of California depicts the Goddess Minerva. Her birth fully-grown parallels California becoming a state without first being a territory.
* The U.S Military
Medal of Honor for the Army, Navy/Marine Corps, and Coast Guard depicts Minerva in the center of it. The Air Force uses the head of the
Statue of Liberty instead.
* According to
John Robison's ''Proofs of a Conspiracy'' (1798), the third degree of the Bavarian
Illuminati was called ''Minerval'' or ''Brother of Minerva'', in honor of the goddess of learning. Later, this title was adopted for the first initiation of
Aleister Crowley's
OTO rituals.
* Minerva Hospital for Women and Children is a first-class hospital in Chengdu, China.
* The
Max Planck Society, association of
research institutes mainly in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
.
* Minerva appears in the logo of
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and other educational institutions in Brazil.
Public monuments, and places
* A statue of Minerva is the center of the
Pioneer Monument in
San Francisco's Civic Center created by
Frank Happersberger
Frank H. Happersberger (1859–1932) was an American sculptor based in San Francisco. He received training in a German royal art academy. He is best known for the monument for President James A. Garfield in Golden Gate Park and '' Pioneer Monu ...
in 1894.
* A small
Roman shrine to Minerva stands in
Handbridge,
Chester. It sits in a public park, overlooking the
River Dee.
* An
imposing bronze statue of Minerva stands on the rooftop of the
Círculo de Bellas Artes The Círculo de Bellas Artes is a private, non-profit, cultural organization that was founded in 1880. Its building, located in Madrid, Spain, was declared ''Bien de Interés Cultural'' in 1981.
The CBA is a major multidisciplinary centre with one ...
,
Madrid, Spain.
* A statue to Minerva was designed by
John Charles Felix Rossi to adorn the Town Hall of
Liverpool, where it has stood since 1799. It remains extant and was restored as part of the 2014 renovations conducted by the city.
* The Minerva Roundabout in
Guadalajara, Mexico, located at the crossing of the
López Mateos, Vallarta, López Cotilla,
Agustín Yáñez, and Golfo de Cortez avenues, features the goddess standing on a pedestal, surrounded by a large fountain, with an inscription that says "Justice, wisdom and strength guard this loyal city".
* A bronze statue of Minerva stands in
Monument Square (Portland, Maine). "Our Lady of Victories Monument" dedicated in 1891, features a 14-feet-tall bronze figure by
Franklin Simmons
Franklin Bachelder Simmons (January 11, 1839 – December 8, 1913) was a prominent American sculptor of the nineteenth century. Three of his statues are in the National Statuary Hall Collection, three of his busts are in the United States Senat ...
atop a granite pedestal with smaller bronze sculptures by
Richard Morris Hunt.
* A sculpture of Minerva by
Andy Scott, known as the Briggate Minerva, stands outside Trinity Leeds shopping centre.
* Minerva is displayed as a statue in
Pavia, Italy
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the capi ...
, near the train station, and is considered as an important landmark in the city.
* Minerva is displayed as a cast bronze statue in the
Minneapolis Central Library, rendered in 1889 by
Jakob Fjelde.
* Minerva is displayed as a bronze statue in
Frederick Ruckstull's 1920 ''Altar to Liberty: Minerva'' monument near the top of Battle Hill, the highest point of Brooklyn, New York, in
Green-Wood Cemetery.
* Minerva is displayed as an 11-ft statue in
Jean-Antonin Carlès's 1895 "James Gordon Bennett Memorial" in New York City's Herald Square.
* A statue of Minerva is displayed at
Wells College
Wells College is a private liberal arts college in Aurora, New York. The college has cross-enrollment with Cornell University and Ithaca College. For much of its history it was a women's college.
Wells College is located in the Finger Lakes ...
outside of Main Building. Each year, the senior class decorates Minerva at the beginning of the fall semester. Minerva remains decorated throughout the school year; then during the morning of the last day of classes and after singing around the Sycamore tree, the senior class takes turns kissing the feet of Minerva, believed to be good luck and bring success and prosperity to all graduation seniors.
* A statue of Minerva stands atop the Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute in
Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. There is also a mosaic tile of Minerva in the foyer of the building as well as a whole theatre name after her, called the 'Minerva Space'.
* A bronze statue of Minerva stands on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina. It was commissioned in 2003 by the Class of 1953 and created by sculptor James Barnhill.
* A statue of Minerva releasing an owl stands at Manderson Landing Park in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The statue was gifted by the University of Alabama to the community in 2019 as a commemoration of the City of Tuscaloosa's bicentennial year.
Minerva also features on the University of Alabama's seal.
Literature
She is remembered in ''
De Mulieribus Claris'', a collection of biographies of historical and mythological women by the
Florentine author
Giovanni Boccaccio, composed in 136162. It is notable as the first collection devoted exclusively to biographies of women in Western literature.
Poet
Elizabeth Carter is famously portrayed in an outfit inspired by Minerva, and also wrote poems in her honour.
References
Bibliography
*
See page 1090
External links
{{subject bar, s=y , wikt=y , commons=y
Athena
Arts goddesses
Crafts goddesses
Commerce goddesses
Medicine goddesses
Roman goddesses
War goddesses
Wisdom goddesses
Virgin goddesses
Textiles in folklore
Capitoline Triad
Dii Consentes