Call Me By Your Name: Athena and Pallas, Apollodorus 3.12.3

Call Me By Your Name: The Origin of Pallas Athena

Name: [Pseudo]Apollodorus Date:   1st – 2nd century CE Region:    Unknown Citation:    Library 3.12.3

They say that when Minerva was born, she was raised by Triton, [1] who had a daughter named Pallas. Both women eagerly trained in battle, and at one time, competed with one another in a sparring match. When Pallas almost wounded Minerva, Jupiter freaked out and revealed the Aegis [2].  Pallas looked upon it, terrified, and fell by Minerva’s attack. Minerva became very upset about her death. She built a statue [3] that looked like her, and dressed it with the Aegis breastplate that had caused her so much fear. She placed it in Jupiter’s presence and revered it.

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[1]  Triton is a water god associated with Lake Triton in Libya [northern coast of Africa; et Pallas, Libycis Tritonidos edita lymphis, Silvius, Punica II.296].

[2] The Aegis is a breastplate that depicts a gorgon head.

[3] A xoanon is an archaic, roughly carved statue of a divinity.

ἱστορία δὲ ἡ περὶ τοῦ παλλαδίου τοιάδε φέρεται: φασὶ γεννηθεῖσαν τὴν Ἀθηνᾶν παρὰ Τρίτωνι τρέφεσθαι, ᾧ θυγάτηρ ἦν Παλλάς: ἀμφοτέρας δὲ ἀσκούσας τὰ κατὰ πόλεμον εἰς φιλονεικίαν ποτὲ προελθεῖν. μελλούσης δὲ πλήττειν τῆς Παλλάδος τὸν Δία φοβηθέντα τὴν αἰγίδα προτεῖναι, τὴν δὲ εὐλαβηθεῖσαν ἀναβλέψαι, καὶ οὕτως ὑπὸ τῆς Ἀθηνᾶς τρωθεῖσαν πεσεῖν. Ἀθηνᾶν δὲ περίλυπον ἐπ᾽ αὐτῇ γενομένην, ξόανον ἐκείνης ὅμοιον κατασκευάσαι, καὶ περιθεῖναι τοῖς στέρνοις ἣν ἔδεισεν αἰγίδα, καὶ τιμᾶν ἱδρυσαμένην παρὰ τῷ Διί.

Huiusmodi de Palladio narratur historia. Aiunt natam Minervam, apud Tritonem, cui filia Pallas erat, educari coepisse: utrasque autem fuisse rei bellicae studiosas, et in contentionem aliquando devensisse: Palladi iamiam vulnus illatum (Minervae) Jovem pavefactum Aegidem opposuisse: Palladem vero territam respexisse: atque ita a Minerva vulneratam concidisse. At Minervam eius de causa summo dolore affectam simulacrum illi simil confecisse, ac thoraci, pectorique eius, quam pertimuerat Aegidem, accommodasse, et apud Jovem honoris ergo constituisse.  Translated into Latin by Thomas Gale

Apollodorus [1st – 2nd century CE] is the name of the author of a famous collection of myths called the Bibliotheca / Library. Little is known about the author’s background or history.