Athena, from "Twelve Muses and Goddesses" 1537 - 1550

This engraving of Athena was made by Léon Davent around the mid-16th century, and shows the goddess of wisdom and warfare seated with her spear, arrows, and helmet. The globe beneath her alludes to her command over the earthly realm, a classical attribute adopted from antiquity. Athena's attributes appear again and again through the ages. In ancient Greece, her owl symbolized knowledge, a motif that later found its way into Renaissance emblems of learning. Her military accoutrements echo in countless depictions of strength and justice, from Roman statues to modern allegories. Consider how the spear, a symbol of power, transforms across cultures. From a tool of survival to a sign of leadership, its form and significance evolve, yet it continues to stir something primal within us. The collective memory of the spear as an instrument of defense, passed down through generations, resonates deeply. Such recurring images are never truly lost, but undergo a restless migration, constantly reborn in new contexts, reminding us of the enduring power of symbols.