Ascension Research Center does not guarantee the accuracy of any content on this site or on any external sites linked to us.
The Word of the Ascended Masters is the ultimate Authority in any question relating to Truth.
Ascension Research Center does not guarantee the accuracy of any content on this site or on any external sites linked to us.
The Word of the Ascended Masters is the ultimate Authority in any question relating to Truth.
A fascinating read simply on the level of storytelling, Athena draws upon rich traditions in ancient history and classical literature to meld the hypothetical "life" of Athena into a single chronological narrative, tracing the parallel unfolding of the goddess's story with the emergence of the Greek mind.
A spirited if sometimes familiar retelling of Athena myth and lore that unveils the goddess as a complex, changing personality and object of worship. Hall, former president of the Rhode Island School of Design and author of a biography of the de Koonings (Elaine and Bill: Portrait of a Marriage, 1993), is not a classical scholar, and her book seems aimed more at a popular than scholarly audience. The opening chapter on Athena's prehistoric origins offers an account of the evolution of religion from hunting ritual and embraces too easily the pleasing story of the ancient Great-Goddess-worshiping matriarchies.
The bulk of the book, however, consists of Hall's vivid retellings of the Athena myth. While not eclipsing Robert Graves or Edith Hamilton, Hall does contribute her own novelistic flair, as when Zeus wakes up "from a snooze" to give birth to his daughter, who is pounding "the inside of the expectant father's cranium." More important, by focusing on Athena, the author transforms the goddess from a supporting character to the star she once was. In some cases, the method falters: The retelling of Homer's familiar epics gets tiresome. But many stories come off as both fresh and revealing, whether they concern Athena directly or indirectly (for example, how Hera's breast spewed out the Milky Way). Given the welter of contradictory myths, the "biographical" approach is at best a conceit: Athena's evolution from crafty, vengeful warrior to emblem of wisdom and justice makes sense not as an account of an individual's development but as a reflection of the changing times in which her worshipers lived. However, Hall succeeds in making those connections clear, right up through the religious practices of classical Athens and Athena's incorporation into Neoplatonic doctrine. Bringing out a full-bodied Athena, Hall leaves one wanting to reread the ancients and think again about the gods.
Kirkus Reviews, 03/01/97
Athena: A Biography
Click here to order, or for price and availability information.
The Temple of The Presence
Access pre-recorded and Live Internet Broadcasts of Discourses and
Dictations from Ascended Masters, Cosmic Beings, & Archangels.
Search Ascension Research Center powered by FreeFind
Ascension Research Center
http://www.Ascension-Research.org
Ascension Research Center is run and maintained
by students of the Ascended Masters, and is not
sponsored by any organization.
Ascended Master Teachings on Facebook
Home Books Contact Us Current Messengers Index Search What's New?
Copyright © 2014 by Ascension Research Center - with the exception of credited quotations. Third party material used on this website is quoted for the purposes of scholarship and research from sources which are either in the public domain, or within the bounds of fair use. Disclaimer: This website has not been endorsed by any author or copyright holder of the works discussed. No connection is implied nor should be inferred.
