§15ὑπερβολὴ τοῦ κράτους ὅτι καὶ τὸ φυτὸν κατεδείχθη νίκης εἶναι σύμβολον, ὡς οὐ μόνον αὐτῇ θεμιτὸν ὂν νικᾶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς νικῶντας στεφανοῦν.
The supremacy of her power is shown in that her plant (the olive) was also declared to be the symbol of victory, as if it were lawful not only for her to win, but also to crown the victors.
καὶ γάρ τοι πάντα μὲν τὰ ἀπορώτατα οἱ ποιηταὶ ταύτῃ προστιθέασιν, ἐπειδὰν πόριμα καὶ δυνατὰ ἀποφῆναι βούλωνται, Ὀδυσσέας τε νηχομένους ἐν μέσοις τοῖς ἐρήμοις πελάγεσι καὶ νέους ἐκ γερόντων καὶ καλοὺς ἐξ οὐ καλῶν γιγνομένους, καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν μνηστῆρας ἀπολλύντας ἀπὸ φαύλου καὶ γελοίου τοῦ ἐπικουρικοῦ μειρακίου καὶ νομέοιν δυοῖν, καὶ ἕτερα τούτων ἀτοπώτερα.
Indeed, the poets attribute all the most difficult situations to her, whenever they wish to show them as solvable and possible: both Odysseuses swimming in the midst of desolate seas, and young men arising from old, and beautiful from not beautiful, and the suitors from the nations being destroyed by a paltry and ridiculous helper youth and two herdsmen, and other things more strange than these.
φασὶ γὰρ Βελλεροφόντην μὲν ἐπὶ πτηνοῦ τοῦ Πηγάσου φέρεσθαι ἐχόμενον τοῦ δώρου τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς καὶ καταπρᾶξαι ἄλλα τε καὶ τὴν Χίμαιραν χειρώσασθαι, ἔξω βέλους ὄντα αὐτῇ τοῦ παρʼ αὐτῆς πυρός·
For they say that Bellerophon was carried upon the winged Pegasus by holding fast to the gift of Athena, and accomplished other feats, and especially subdued the Chimera while remaining out of range of her fire.
Περσέα δὲ αὐτόπτερον εἰς Γοργόνων χώρους κομισθῆναι τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς προπεμπούσης, καὶ οὔτε ἁλῶναι τῇ θέᾳ καὶ ὡς ἀπέτεμε τὴν κεφαλὴν κομίσαντα ὀπίσω τοὺς μὲν σὺν ὕβρει ταῦτα ἐπιτάξαντας καὶ τὸ πολὺ τοῦ δήμου λίθους ποιῆσαι, αὐτὸν δʼ ἀπαθῆ διαφυγεῖν εἰς τέλος, ἀλεξιφάρμακον τὴν τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς ἔχοντα παρουσίαν εἰς ἅπαντα.
And they say that Perseus was carried on his own wings to the regions of the Gorgons under the guidance of Athena, and was not overcome by the sight, and having cut off the head and brought it back, he turned those who had insolently commanded these things and the majority of the people into stone, while escaping unharmed to the end himself, having the presence of Athena as a protective talisman against everything.
ἀκόλουθα δὲ καὶ ἔτι μείζω τούτων τὰ πρὸς Ἡρακλέα.
And following these, and even greater, are the deeds concerning Heracles.
φαίνεται γὰρ αὕτη καταλεξαμένη θεὸν εἰς θεοὺς αὐτὸν, εἰ δὴ καὶ ὅτε ἦν ἐν ἀνθρώποις, εἰς ἅπαντας ἡγεῖτο τοὺς ἄθλους αὐτῷ.
For she herself seems to have enrolled him as a god among the gods, since indeed, even when he was among men, she guided him in all his labors.
καὶ τοῦτο μὲν εἰς Ἅιδου ζῶντα κομίσασα ζῶντα ἐξήγαγε, κρατήσαντα τοῦ Κερβέρου, καὶ τοσοῦτον παρὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἐξελθόντα, ὥστε καὶ ἕτερον τῶν ἐπιτηδείων πρὸ ὥρας αὐλιζόμενον αὐτόθι λῦσαι καὶ συνεξαγαγεῖν μεθʼ ἑαυτοῦ, τοῦτο δʼ ὁσαχοῦ τοῖς ἀντιπράττουσι τῶν δαιμόνων ἐναντίον ἔδει τὸ τόξον ἄρασθαι, τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς παρούσης ἐθάρρει.
And on the one hand, having brought him alive into Hades, she led him out alive after he had mastered Cerberus, and his exit was so contrary to expectation that he even released another of his friends who was lodged there before his time and brought him out along with himself; on the other hand, wherever he had to lift his bow against opposing deities, he took courage because Athena was present.
ὥστʼ ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐκ τούτων ἢ γνώμην εἰπεῖν Ἀθηνᾶ δοκεῖ πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς, Ἡρακλέα θεὸν εἶναι ψηφίσασθαι· οἱ δʼ ὥσπερ ἂν εἰ ὁ Ζεὺς αὐτὸς εἰσηγεῖτο, δέξασθαι.
So that to me, from these things, Athena seems to have done nothing else than to express her opinion to the gods and vote for Heracles to be a god, and they, as if Zeus himself were introducing the motion, accepted it.
φαίνεται τοίνυν Ἀπόλλωνος μὲν καὶ Ἀρτέμιδος προνοηθεῖσα ὅπως ἔσονται, §16Ἡρακλέους δὲ ὅπως ἔσται θεός·
It appears, then, that she exercised foresight for Apollo and Artemis so that they would exist, and for Heracles so that he would be a god.
ταῦτα δὴ καὶ ὁ Ἀπόλλων συνειδὼς τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις αὐτός ἐστι προπύλαιος, αὑτοῦ δὲ τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν πεποίηται.
Apollo, being well aware of these things, is himself the guardian of the gates for others, but has made Athena the guardian of his own.
ἀλλὰ γὰρ τίνι τῶν πάντων οὐ λυσιτελὴς ἡ θεός;
But indeed, for which of all people is the goddess not beneficial?
ἢ τίς ἀσφαλεστέρα κοινωνός;
Or who is a safer companion?
ἢ ποῖον πῦρ ἄφυκτον ταύτης οὐχ ἑπομένης, ἀλλʼ ἡγουμένης;
Or what fire would be inescapable when she is not following, but leading?
ἣ μόνη μὲν ἁπάντων θεῶν, ὁμοίως δὲ πασῶν, οὐκ ἐπώνυμος τῆς νίκης ἐστὶν, ἀλλʼ ὁμώνυμος.
She alone of all gods, and likewise of all goddesses, is not named after victory, but shares the very same name.
μόνη δʼ ἐργάνη καὶ πρόνοια κέκληται, τὰς τοῦ σώζειν ἅπαντα τὸν θεσμὸν ἐπωνυμίας ἀνῃρημένη.
And she alone is called the Worker and Foresight, having assumed the titles that belong to the preservation of the whole order of things.
προφῆται δὲ καὶ ἱερεῖς καθάρσιον αὐτὴν ἐπικαλοῦνται καὶ ἀλεξίκακον καὶ τῶν τελεωτάτων ἔφορον καθαρμῶν· εἰκότως.
Prophets and priests call her the Purifier and averter of evil, and the overseer of the most perfect purifications, and with good reason.
εἰ γὰρ δεῖ καταλύσαντα τοὺς μύθους εἰπεῖν εἰς τὸ μέσον τὰ τῆς θεοῦ, ἥδʼ ἐστὶν ἡ τοὺς ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ κοινοὺς πολεμίους ἡμῶν ἀπείργουσα, καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον ἑκάστου πόλεμον εὖ τιθεμένη, τοὺς συνεχεῖς καὶ συμφύτους ἐχθροὺς ἀπαλλάττουσα, ὑφʼ ὧν καὶ οἶκοι καὶ πόλεις ἀνάστατοι γίγνονται πρὶν σάλπιγγος ἀκοῦσαι, φαίη τις ἂν, καὶ τὴν ἀληθῆ καὶ κυρίαν νίκην ἑκάστῳ διδοῦσα πολὺ τῆς Καδμείας κεχωρισμένην καὶ τῷ ὄντι Ὀλυμπικήν.
For if one must put aside the myths and speak openly of the goddess’s nature, she is the one who keeps away our true and common enemies, and settles well each person’s domestic war, ridding us of continuous and innate foes—by whom, as one might say, both households and cities are ruined before hearing the trumpet—and giving to each the true and authoritative victory, far removed from a Cadmean victory and truly Olympian.
διʼ ἣν ἀφροσύνη μὲν καὶ ἀσέλγεια καὶ δειλία καὶ ἀταξία καὶ στάσις καὶ ὕβρις καὶ ὑπερηφανία θεῶν καὶ πάνθʼ ὅσα τοιαῦτʼ ἂν εἴποι τις ἐκχωρεῖ· φρόνησις δὲ καὶ σωφροσύνη καὶ ἀνδρεία καὶ ὁμόνοια καὶ εὐταξία καὶ εὐπραγία καὶ τιμὴ θεῶν τε καὶ ἐκ θεῶν ἀντεισέρχεται.
Through her, folly, licentiousness, cowardice, disorder, faction, insolence, and pride towards the gods, and all such things, depart; while wisdom, temperance, courage, concord, good order, prosperity, and honor both to and from the gods enter in their place.
ὡς δʼ εἰπεῖν ἐν κεφαλαίῳ, τὸ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς μέρος ἡ θεῶν ἀγορὰ πάντʼ ἐστὶ τὰ πράγματα.
To speak in brief, Athena's share in the assembly of the gods is the whole sum of affairs.
ταῦτʼ ἄρα καὶ τοῦ Διός ἐστιν ἐγγυτάτω καὶ περὶ παντὸς ἀεὶ ταυτὸν ἐν ἀμφοῖν δοκεῖ.
Therefore she is closest to Zeus, and on every matter the same opinion always seems to hold in both.
κἀμοὶ πεπαῦσθαι καλὸν ἐνταῦθά που.
And for me, it is good to cease somewhere here.
ἀνελήλυθε γὰρ εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν ὁ λόγος, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐλήλυθε πρὸς αὐτὸ τὸ ἔσχατον.
For the speech has returned to its beginning, or rather, has reached its very limit.
σχεδὸν γὰρ δύναμιν τοῦ Διὸς εἶναι λέγων τις αὐτὴν ἐκ τούτων οὐκ ἂν ἁμαρτάνοι.
For anyone saying from these things that she is virtually the power of Zeus would not err.
ὥστε τί δεῖ μικρολογεῖσθαι τὰς ἐν μέρει πράξεις αὐτῆς διηγούμενον, ὁπότʼ ἔξεστι τὰ τοῦ Διὸς ἔργα κοινὰ τοῦ Διὸς εἶναι φῆσαι καὶ §17τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς.
So why is there any need to be meticulous in describing her individual deeds, when it is possible to say that the works of Zeus are common to Zeus and Athena?
ἀλλʼ ὦ τῶν βασιλείων πρόδρομος μελάθρων, Αἰσχύλῳ χορὸς ᾖσε, τῶν τε οὐρανίων καὶ πατρῴων καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ μεγίστων, ἃ νύκτωρ μοι προὔφαινες, δίδου μὲν τιμὰς παρʼ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν βασιλέων, δίδου δὲ ἄκρον εἶναι φρονεῖν καὶ λέγειν.
But, O herald of the royal chambers, as the chorus sang in Aeschylus, O greatest of the heavenly, ancestral, and domestic blessings which you showed to me by night, grant me honors from both kings, and grant me to be supreme in thought and speech.
ὅστις δʼ ἐμοὶ τἀναντία λέγοι, τούτῳ μεταμέλοι.
And whoever says the opposite to me, may he regret it.
νικῷμι δὲ ὅσον βούλομαι· ἐν αὐτῷ δʼ ἐμοὶ πρώτῳ νικῴη τὰ βελτίω.
And may I win as much as I wish; and within my own self, first of all, may the better things win.