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Parthenos

Parthenos (Ancient Greek: παρθένος, romanized: parthénos, lit. 'maiden; virgin') is a term from ancient Greek language and mythology denoting a young unmarried woman or virgin, and serves as a prominent epithet for the goddess Athena, emphasizing her eternal virginity and role as a protector of the city of Athens.^[1] The epithet Athena Parthenos was central to her cult in Athens, where the iconic Parthenon temple on the Acropolis—constructed between 447 and 432 BCE—was dedicated specifically to her under this title, housing a colossal chryselephantine statue crafted by the sculptor Phidias.^[2]^[3] In ancient Greek religion, the title Parthenos underscored Athena's status among the virgin goddesses, distinguishing her from deities associated with marriage or fertility, and it reflected ideals of purity and independence in Athenian society.^[1] Worship of Athena Parthenos culminated in the Panathenaic festival, a major annual event (with greater celebrations every four years) featuring processions, sacrifices, and athletic contests in her honor, symbolizing Athens' civic and military prowess.^[4] The cult statue, depicting Athena standing fully armed with a Nike figure in her hand and a shield at her side, stood approximately 12 meters (38 feet) tall and was adorned with intricate reliefs, including scenes from myths like the birth of Pandora on its base.^[5]^[3] Beyond Athena, Parthenos appears in mythology as the name of a minor Naxian princess and demi-goddess, daughter of King Staphylus and Chrysothemis (or possibly Apollo), who, along with her sisters, fled their father's wrath by leaping into the sea, only to be rescued and deified by Apollo; she was later associated with the constellation Virgo and worshipped in Bubastus, Caria.^[6] This figure, distinct from Athena's epithet, highlights the term's broader use for maidenly characters in Greek lore, though far less prominent than the Athenian cult.^[7]

Etymology and Definition

Linguistic Origins

The term parthenos (παρθένος) is a feminine noun in Ancient Greek, denoting a maiden or young woman, with its etymology remaining a subject of scholarly debate due to its uncertain origins. One proposed morphological analysis views it as a compound formed from par(a)-, a preposition meaning "beside" or "by", combined with then-, a stem related to the verb tithēmi ("to place" or "to set"), suggesting an implication of "unplaced" or "one who is beside a place", metaphorically referring to an unmarried status as not yet "placed" in marriage.^[8] This breakdown aligns with the word's semantic evolution to emphasize youth and marital eligibility rather than strict virginity. The earliest attestations of parthenos appear in the Homeric epics, the Iliad and Odyssey, dating to around the 8th century BCE, where it consistently describes young women of marriageable age, often highlighting their beauty, vulnerability, or social role. For instance, in the Iliad (2.514), the term is used for Astyoche, a noble woman and mother, underscoring its primary association with youth and nobility rather than sexual inexperience alone; similar usages in the Odyssey (e.g., 19.518) portray maidens in domestic or ritual contexts, reinforcing the word's focus on pre-marital status.^[9] These epic examples represent the term's foundational role in early Greek literature, predating classical prose. Regarding dialectal variations, parthenos exhibits minimal phonetic differences between Attic and Ionic forms, maintaining the standard par-then-os structure across both, though the Ionic dialect—prevalent in Homeric Greek—influences its epic pronunciation and usage with smoother vowel transitions compared to the sharper Attic rendering in later Athenian texts. This consistency facilitated its widespread adoption in classical literature, with Attic writers like Euripides employing it without significant alteration, implying a shared Ionic-Attic heritage that standardized the term's morphology by the 5th century BCE.^[10] The lack of major dialectal divergence highlights parthenos's role as a pan-Hellenic word, evolving uniformly to denote unmarried youth in diverse regional contexts.

Core Meanings and Usage

In ancient Greek, the term parthenos primarily refers to a virgin or maiden, denoting an unmarried woman of marriageable age who has not engaged in sexual intercourse, typically post-puberty but pre-marriage. This definition underscores a liminal status between childhood and full adulthood, where the young woman's physical maturity is acknowledged yet her sexuality remains strictly controlled to ensure eligibility for legitimate marriage.^[9]^[11] The word carries secondary connotations of purity and chastity, central to social status in classical Greek society, where parthenoi were often confined to the household's women's quarters (gynaikon) under the authority of a male guardian (kyrios), such as a father, to safeguard their virginity and prevent illegitimate births. This seclusion reflected broader cultural expectations of female vulnerability and the need for male oversight, with parthenoi playing protected roles in domestic life or religious rituals, such as serving as pure attendants in sacrifices due to their untainted status. Although the term evokes a sense of reserved potential, like a treasured resource awaiting marriage, it highlights limited autonomy rather than independence, as any breach of chastity—through seduction or assault—disrupted family honor and lineage.^[9]^[11]^[12] Literary usage illustrates parthenos as a transitional life stage, marking the shift from girlhood to womanhood. In Hesiod's Works and Days (lines 60–83), Pandora is crafted as a parthenos-like figure, adorned by the gods in maidenly attire before her union with Epimetheus, symbolizing the initiation into marital roles and the origins of womankind's social duties. Similarly, Pindar's odes employ the term to evoke this precarious transition, as in Olympian 6.31, where Pitana conceals her "maiden's birth pains" to preserve her status, or Pythian 3.34, depicting Coronis as a parthenos even amid pregnancy, emphasizing secrecy and the societal pressure to maintain the facade of virginity until formal marriage. These examples highlight parthenos not as a static identity but as a phase fraught with ritual and moral significance.^[13]^[9] Gender-specific nuances distinguish parthenos as predominantly feminine, tied to expectations of seclusion and minimal formal education focused on domestic skills like weaving and household management, in contrast to males who enjoyed greater public exposure and structured training. The related adjective parthenikos, occasionally applied to young unmarried men in later Greek contexts, denotes a similar state of virginity but without the same emphasis on confinement, reflecting divergent societal norms where female parthenoi were groomed for subservient marital roles while males prepared for civic participation. This contrast underscores the term's role in reinforcing gender hierarchies, with parthenoi idealized as passive guardians of purity yet perpetually at risk in a patriarchal framework.^[11]^[14]

Mythological Significance

Athena Parthenos

Athena's epithet Parthenos, meaning "virgin" or "maiden," underscores her eternal virginity and embodies her identity as a warrior maiden who embodies purity, wisdom, and strategic prowess in battle. This title highlights her independence from traditional female roles, such as motherhood, positioning her as a divine protector unencumbered by domestic ties. The epithet first gains prominence in the Homeric Hymn 28 to Athena, a sixth-century BCE composition, where she is invoked as a "pure virgin" (parthenos), "saviour of cities" (erysipolis), and "valiant" (alkidemos), emphasizing her role as a fierce guardian emerging fully armed from Zeus's head.^[15]^[16] In ancient Greek iconography, Athena Parthenos is consistently portrayed as an armed virgin goddess, blending martial attributes with symbols of chastity to reinforce her dual nature as both warrior and wise counselor. She appears on Attic red-figure vases from the sixth and fifth centuries BCE wearing a crested helmet, aegis emblazoned with the Gorgoneion, spear, and shield, often in dynamic poses that highlight her strategic intellect over brute force. These depictions, influenced by Homeric and Hesiodic traditions, emphasize her virginity through youthful, unadorned features and avoidance of erotic motifs, distinguishing her from other goddesses like Aphrodite.^[17]^[15] Cult practices devoted to Athena Parthenos prominently featured parthenoi—human maidens—as acolytes, symbolically mirroring the goddess's virginal essence and integrating young women into civic religious life. In the Panathenaea festival, held annually and on a grander scale every four years from the mid-sixth century BCE, selected parthenoi known as Arrephoroi, aged seven to eleven, wove the sacred peplos garment offered to Athena's cult statue, participating in processions that reenacted her protective role over Athens. These rituals not only honored her chastity but also instilled values of purity and communal service in the participants, linking divine and human maidenhood.^[18]^[19] The epithet Athena Parthenos evolved from Mycenaean precursors, where she likely originated as a palace protectress associated with household crafts and royal guardianship in Bronze Age Linear B texts (ca. 1400–1200 BCE), to her fully developed classical form in fifth-century BCE Athens. This transformation reflects a shift from potential mother-goddess traits in early cults to an emphasis on virginity and martial independence, aligning with Athens's democratic ideals and imperial identity. By the classical period, the epithet symbolized civic protection and moral purity, as seen in her patronage of the city against invaders and in poetic invocations like Solon's, portraying her as a "great-hearted guardian" under Zeus.^[15]^[20]

Other Mythological Figures

In Greek tragedy, Iphigenia exemplifies the parthenos as a figure of sacrificial purity. In Euripides' Iphigenia at Aulis, she is portrayed as a noble virgin maiden whose willing acceptance of sacrifice to Artemis enables the Greek fleet to sail to Troy, underscoring themes of communal necessity overriding personal innocence.^[21] The Danaides, fifty sisters and daughters of Danaus, represent parthenoi whose commitment to chastity leads to violent retribution. Fleeing forced marriages to their cousins, the sons of Aegyptus, they seek sanctuary in Argos; in Aeschylus' Suppliants, they invoke their status as virgins to appeal for protection, but in the myth's continuation, forty-nine murder their bridegrooms on their wedding night to preserve their virginity, resulting in eternal punishment in Hades where they futilely attempt to fill leaking vessels with water.^[22] A lesser-known figure named Parthenos appears in variant myths as a young maiden associated with Apollo. In one account (Hyginus), she was the daughter of Apollo and Chrysothemis who died as an infant and was immortalized by her father in the heavens as the constellation Virgo, symbolizing eternal maidenhood. In another (Diodorus Siculus), she was a Naxian princess, daughter of King Staphylus and Chrysothemis, who, along with her sister Hemithea, fled their father's wrath by leaping into the sea, only to be rescued, deified, and worshipped by Apollo in Bubastus, Caria.^[6] In heroic myths, parthenoi often function as symbolic elements tied to chastity, serving as protected innocents or narrative challenges for protagonists. For instance, in the legend of Theseus, seven parthenoi—young Athenian maidens—are part of the tribute sent to feed the Minotaur in Crete's labyrinth, prompting Theseus's quest to rescue them and end the cycle of sacrifice, thereby highlighting the hero's role in safeguarding communal purity.^[23]

Religious and Cultural Contexts

Biblical and Christian Interpretations

In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible produced in the third to second centuries BCE, the Hebrew term "almah" (meaning "young woman") in Isaiah 7:14 is rendered as "parthenos," a word that primarily denotes a virgin but can also imply a young unmarried female.^[24] This choice has sparked ongoing scholarly debate, with some arguing that "parthenos" intentionally emphasized virginity to highlight a miraculous sign, while others contend it simply conveyed youth without necessitating sexual inexperience, aligning with the original Hebrew's ambiguity in ancient Near Eastern contexts.^[25] The term "parthenos" appears 15 times in the New Testament, often carrying connotations of purity and chastity.^[26] In Matthew 1:23, it directly quotes the Septuagint's Isaiah 7:14 to affirm the virgin birth of Jesus, stating "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel," applying the prophecy to Mary as evidence of divine incarnation.^[27] Other instances include the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1, 7, and 11, where "parthenoi" symbolizes prepared believers awaiting the bridegroom (Christ), and Luke 1:27, describing Mary as a "parthenos" betrothed to Joseph, underscoring her virginal state at the annunciation.^[28] Early Church Fathers interpreted "parthenos" in these texts to emphasize Mary's perpetual virginity, contrasting with Jewish exegeses that viewed Isaiah 7:14 as referring to a contemporary young woman without miraculous implications. Origen (c. 185–254 CE), in his Contra Celsum, defended the Septuagint's use of "parthenos" against the pagan critic Celsus, arguing it prophesied a true virgin birth and extending this to Mary's lifelong chastity as a sign of her consecration to God. Other patristic writers, such as Ignatius of Antioch (c. 35–107 CE) and Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 CE), similarly invoked "parthenos" to affirm Mary's virginity before, during, and after Jesus' birth, seeing it as fulfillment of prophetic purity rather than mere youth.^[29] This interpretation profoundly shaped Marian theology, establishing doctrines like the Theotokos (God-bearer), affirmed at the Council of Ephesus in 431 CE, which linked Mary's virginal motherhood to Christ's dual nature as divine and human. The emphasis on "parthenos" also contributed to the Immaculate Conception, dogmatically defined in 1854, positing Mary's preservation from original sin to fittingly serve as the sinless vessel for the Incarnation, thereby reinforcing her perpetual virginity as integral to salvation history.

Connections to the Parthenon

The name Parthenon derives from the ancient Greek word parthénos (παρθένος), meaning "maiden," "girl," or "virgin," signifying the temple as the chamber or dwelling of Athena Parthenos, the virgin goddess to whom it was dedicated.^[30] This etymological link underscores the structure's role in housing the colossal chryselephantine statue of Athena crafted by the sculptor Phidias, emphasizing her epithet as protector and patron of Athens.^[31] Constructed between 447 and 432 BCE under the direction of the statesman Pericles, the Parthenon was designed by architects Iktinos and Kallikrates using Pentelic marble, replacing an earlier temple destroyed by the Persians in 480 BCE.^[30] The project, funded by tribute from the Delian League, featured a Doric exterior with Ionic elements, including a continuous frieze depicting the Panathenaic procession—a grand festival honoring Athena that culminated at the temple.^[31] This procession involved citizens of all ages and statuses, including parthenoi (unmarried girls) who carried sacred hydriai (water jugs) and other vessels, symbolizing communal piety and the integration of youth in civic rituals.^[30] Symbolically, the Parthenon embodied Athens' democratic ideals, imperial power, and cultural preeminence, with its refined proportions and sculptures portraying the goddess as a guardian of the city's purity and sovereignty.^[31] Following antiquity, the temple was converted into the Church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians around 500 CE, adapting pagan spaces to Christian worship and prompting alterations like the removal of the Athena statue.^[31] After the Ottoman conquest in 1458, it became a mosque, with a minaret added; in 1687, a Venetian bombardment exploded stored gunpowder within, collapsing the roof and much of the interior.^[31] Restoration efforts commenced in 1833 upon Greek independence, evolving into systematic programs by the Acropolis Restoration Service since 1975, focusing on structural stabilization, marble conservation, and removal of non-original additions to preserve it as a global heritage site. As of October 2025, scaffolding was temporarily removed from the Parthenon for the first time in over 15 years during a transition in restoration phases, with work continuing until early 2026 to refit ancient stones and further stabilize the structure.^[32]^[33]

Modern and Symbolic Interpretations

Contemporary Usage

In modern Greek, the term has persisted as parthéna (παρθένα), primarily denoting a virgin or chaste individual, distinct from words for unmarried status like lefthéri (ελεύθερη). This linguistic evolution reflects a narrowed focus on sexual purity compared to ancient usages.^[34] The word's influence extends to scientific terminology, particularly parthenogenesis, coined in the 19th century from Greek parthenos ("virgin") and genesis ("birth"), describing asexual reproduction where an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg.^[35] This process occurs naturally in numerous species across arthropods, with over 700 documented cases in haplodiploid groups alone, including aphids, and in some vertebrates like certain whiptail lizards, providing a model for studying reproductive isolation and genetic diversity.^[36]^[37]^[38] In contemporary literature, the parthenos concept informs reinterpretations of virginity tropes, especially in feminist works that challenge patriarchal constraints on female sexuality. For instance, modern adaptations of Greek myths, such as those in Natalie Haynes's A Thousand Ships (2019), reexamine maiden figures to emphasize agency over purity.^[39] In young adult fantasy, Rick Riordan's The Heroes of Olympus series (2010–2014) features the Athena Parthenos statue as a pivotal artifact symbolizing divine independence, drawing on classical motifs to explore themes of unity and empowerment. Pop culture often evokes parthenos through associations with classical purity, as in the Virgo zodiac sign, which derives from the Greek maiden archetype and represents meticulousness and innocence in astrology.^[6] In role-playing games and fantasy media, character names like Parthenos appear to connote ethereal or supportive roles; for example, in the light novel A Wild Last Boss Appeared! (2017–present), Parthenos is a high-level healer embodying restorative magic.^[40]

Symbolic Representations

Culturally, parthenos manifests in enduring symbols of purity and vigilance, such as the Virgo constellation, depicted as the eternal maiden Astraea, the Greek goddess of justice who fled humanity's corruption and was placed among the stars as a celestial emblem of moral integrity and harvest renewal.^[41] In heraldry and civic iconography, this symbolism ties to ideals of unassailable protection, evident in Athens's emblematic use of Athena's owl and olive branch, which evoke the virgin goddess's role as guardian of the city's wisdom and sovereignty, projecting an image of collective purity and democratic resilience.^[42] Globally, the Greek ideal of sacred virginity finds parallels in the Roman Vestal Virgins, priestesses sworn to chastity for 30 years to safeguard the state's spiritual welfare, mirroring parthenos through their role as embodiments of communal purity and ritual inviolability that ensured Rome's prosperity.^[43]

References

[1]
https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Pers...
No information is available for this page. · Learn whyMissing: parthenos | Show results with:parthenos
[2]
ATHENA TITLES & EPITHETS - Ancient Greek Religion
PA′RTHENOS (Parthenos), i. e. the virgin, a surname of Athena at Athens, where the famous temple Parthenon was dedicated to her. (Paus. i. 24, v. ii. § 5 ...
[3]
Naos | The Parthenon
Her title, Athena Parthenos, refers to her status as a virgin goddess. “The Parthenon” translates into English as “the house of the virgin.”
[4]
PANATHENAEA FESTIVAL (Panathenaia) - Ancient Greek Religion
The Panathenaia was an Athenian festival celebrated every June in honour of the goddess Athena. The Lesser Panathenaia was an annual event, while the Greater ...
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Statue of Athena Parthenos (the Virgin Goddess) - MFA Collection
The iconic image of Classical Athens was the Athena Parthenos, the cult statue that once stood within the Parthenon on the Akropolis. Designed by the master ...<|control11|><|separator|>
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PARTHENOS - Greek Demi-Goddess of Bubastus
ENCYCLOPEDIA. PA′RTHENOS (Parthenos), i. e. the virgin, a surname of Athena at Athens, where the famous temple Parthenon was dedicated to her.<|control11|><|separator|>
[7]
Parthenos | Facts, Information, and Mythology - Encyclopedia Mythica
May 5, 1997 · "The virgin." A daughter of Staphylus and Chrysothemis, and sister of Molpadia and Rhoeo. Molpadia and Parthenos jumped into the sea to escape ...
[8]
(PDF) Etymology of greek parthenos, maiden, girl< par(a)+ then+ os
In this item, we propose to see the noun parthenos as a compound, built with the shortened form of para, and a stem then, that we find in eutheneo, ...
[9]
Chapter 1. Where the Girls Are: Parthenioi and Skotioi
The illegitimate child born to a parthenos is called after the status of his mother in the word parthenios. And because the parthenos is herself pictured in an ...
[10]
Ionic dialect | Ancient Greek, Attic-Ionic, Homeric - Britannica
Sep 20, 2025 · Ionic dialect, any of several Ancient Greek dialects spoken in Euboea, in the Northern Cyclades, and from approximately 1000 bc in Asiatic Ionia.
[11]
None
Summary of each segment:
[12]
[PDF] Analyzing the Role of Greek Women in Athenian Religious Festivals
Select women and girls were chosen to serve as priestesses in some cults. Other girls were chosen to act as parthenoi in sacrificial rituals. A parthenos ( ...
[13]
None
### Summary: Pandora as Parthenos in Hesiod’s Works and Days and Its Transitional Implication
[14]
Late Antique Christianity: The Rise of the Ideal of Being Single
The same also applies to the Greek parthenikos/παρθενικός and parthenike/παρθενική. A specific category are the virgins dedicated to God, the so-called virgines ...
[15]
Ch. 9. The City Goddess of Athens - The Center for Hellenic Studies
In terms of myth, Erechtheus was transformed from Athena's consort, who together with her received sacrifices relating to fertility and procreation, to a ...
[16]
(PDF) The many Epithets of Athena - Academia.edu
A blog on the contradictory role of Athena through a selection of her epithets, exploring a deity who breaks social and gender specific boundaries.
[17]
Athena: The creation of an iconography, and its representation on ...
Athena's iconography evolved from oral traditions and literary sources, particularly Homer and Hesiod. Red-figure vases allowed for greater artistic freedom and ...
[18]
The Panathenaic Festival
### Summary of Panathenaic Festival, Parthenoi, and Athena Parthenos
[19]
Weaving for Athena: The Arrhephoroi, Panathenaia, and Mundane ...
This article examines the young girls aged between seven and eleven year old who are elected to serve in the cult of Athena Polias, patron deity of Athens, ...Missing: parthenoi | Show results with:parthenoi
[20]
[PDF] Breaking the Marble Ceiling: The Construction of Athena in Greek ...
So, there was a difference between the Athena Parthenos ... the way back to the proto Indo-European peoples, it is clear that Athena is an ancient goddess,.
[21]
Achilles and the Apobates Race in Euripides' Iphigeneia in Aulis
Mar 26, 2018 · There is a parallel drawn between Praxithea and Iphigeneia, each of whom, particularly in Euripides' dramas, portrays a parthenos willing to be ...
[22]
AESCHYLUS, SUPPLIANT WOMEN - Theoi Classical Texts Library
The sequel was contained in the Egyptians and the Danaïdes. Danaüs, forced to acquiesce to the demands of his nephews, enjoins upon his daughter the duty of ...
[23]
Classical Inquiries | Eight glimpses of Marathon in Scroll 1 of ...
... [parthenoi] and seven boys [paides] to the Minotaur, who was said to dwell [oikeîn] in the Labyrinth [laburinthos] at Knossos. But, later on, Theseus is said ...
[24]
Almah in Isaiah 7:14 - Bible Interpretation - The University of Arizona
The theological problem comes up because Septuagint translates Isa 7:14 with parthenos, which is the Greek word for virgin.
[25]
[PDF] A Study of Isaiah 7: 14
meaning of parthenos in the LXX translation of Isaiah 7:14. Conclusion. Although at first the Greek word perthenos meant generally 'young woman'. without ...
[26]
Strong's Greek: 3933. παρθένος (parthenos) -- 15 Occurrences
15 Occurrences. Matthew 1:23 N-NFS · GRK: Ἰδοὺ ἡ παρθένος ἐν γαστρὶMissing: New Testament
[27]
https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/1-23.htm
[28]
https://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/25-1.htm
[29]
What the Early Church Believed: The Perpetual Virginity of Mary
Writings that prove Early Christians knew, through Scripture and Tradition, that Jesus was Mary's only child and that she remained a lifelong virgin.
[30]
The Parthenon, Athens - Smarthistory
Harris: [2:47] Although it has Ionic elements, which we'll get to. Dr ... At that point, the temple of Athena Parthenos was turned into an Early ...Missing: variations | Show results with:variations<|control11|><|separator|>
[31]
An introduction to the Parthenon and its sculptures | British Museum
Jan 11, 2018 · Inside the building stood a colossal image of Athena Parthenos, constructed of gold and ivory by Pheidias and probably dedicated in 438 BC.
[32]
Parthenon - YSMA
### Summary of Restoration Efforts for the Parthenon
[33]
Parthenogenesis - Etymology, Origin & Meaning
From Greek parthenos "virgin" + -genesis "birth," parthenogenesis means reproduction without fertilization or sexual union, highlighting its origin and ...Missing: usage | Show results with:usage
[34]
Parthenogenesis Definition and Examples - Biology Online Dictionary
Jun 16, 2022 · Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction by self-impregnation resulting in the production of a zygote from an unfertilized egg.<|separator|>
[35]
Parthenogenesis - Evolutionary Biology - Oxford Bibliographies
Jan 13, 2014 · Parthenogenesis is the development of an unfertilized egg into a new individual. Coined by Carl Theodor Ernst von Siebold (b. 1804–d. 1885) in 1871.
[36]
(PDF) Contemporary feminist adaptations of Greek myth
This project primarily addresses why there has been such expansion of interest among women writers in adapting and retelling classical mythology.Missing: parthenos | Show results with:parthenos<|control11|><|separator|>
[37]
Parthenos | A Wild Last Boss Appeared! Wiki - Fandom
Parthenos is a level 800 human. She was a master of recovery and support-type divine magic. Her combat power was among the weakest of the Twelve Stars.
[38]
Female Duality in Athenian Myth and Cult - Classics@ Journal
The present paper revisits the problem and advances an answer by examining other female figures of Athenian mythology and cult.
[39]
Star Tales – Virgo - Ian Ridpath
The Greeks called the constellation Παρθένος (Parthenos), which is the name Ptolemy gave in the Almagest. She is usually identified as Dike, goddess of justice, ...
[40]
Athena Parthenos by Phidias - World History Encyclopedia
Jan 25, 2015 · The magnificent temple on the Acropolis of Athens, known as the Parthenon, was built between 447 and 432 BCE in the Golden Age of Pericles, ...
[41]
Fantasies of Gender and the Witch in Feminist Theory and Literature ...
The unacknowledged matricide, followed by "the burial of women in madness," institutes the new model of the virgin/goddess, one "born of the father and ...
[42]
Why Were the Vestals Virgins? Or the Chastity of Women and the ...
Aug 10, 2025 · The first section of this paper will discuss the semantic field of the Greek words parthenos (virgin), and parthenia (virginity). More ...