In Greek mythology, Minerva was the Roman counterpart of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare.
Athena was also associated with crafts, courage, justice, and civic protection. She was born fully armed from Zeus’s head after he swallowed her mother, Metis, according to a famous myth. Her unusual birth symbolizes wisdom emerging directly from the mind of the king of the gods.
The Romans identified Athena with Minerva, who was part of the Capitoline Triad alongside Jupiter and Juno. Minerva shared Athena’s associations with wisdom and skilled crafts, although Roman religious practice gave the figure its own traditions and festivals.
Athena’s sacred city was Athens, which myth said she won after giving the city the olive tree. Minerva should not be confused with Diana, the Roman counterpart of Artemis, who was associated with hunting and the wilderness.