Minerva
Minerva
the name of a Roman goddess, identified by the later Grecizing Romans with the Greek Athene, whom she greatly resembled, though, like all the old Latin divinities, there was nothing anthropomorphic in what was told concerning her. Her name is thought to spring from an old Etruscan word preserved in the roots of mens (the mind) and monere (to warn or advise); and the ancient Latin scholar and critic, Varro (ap. August. De Civ. Dei, 7:28), regarded her as the impersonation of divine thought the plan of the material universe, of which Jupiter was the creator, and Juno the representative. Hence all that goes on among men, all that constitutes the development of human destiny (which is but the expression of the divine idea or intention), is under her care. She is the patroness of wisdom, arts, and scienices, the personification, so to speak, of the thinking, inventive faculty-and was invoked alike by poets, painters, teachers, physicians, and all kinds of craftsmen (Ovid, Fast. 3:809, etc.; August. 1.c. 7:16). She also guides heroes in war; and, in fact, every wise idea, every bold act, and every useful design, owes something to the high inspiration of this virgin goddess (Livy, 45:33; Virgil, AEn. 2:615). Popular tradition accounted for her origin as follows: She was the offspring of the brain of Jupiter, from which she issued in full armor. She was always represented as a virgin. In war she was contradistinguished from Mars (the god of brute force) as the patroness of scientific warfare, and hence, according to the ancient poets, was always superior to him. The favorite plant of Minerva was the olive, and the animals consecrated to her were the owl and the serpent. As she was a maiden goddess, her sacrifices consisted of calves which had not borne the yoke or felt thesting (Fulgentius, page 651). She had many temples and festivals dedicated to her. Her oldest temple in Rome was that on the Capitol. Her most popular festival was held in March, and lasted five days, from the 19th to the 23d inclusive. Minerva was popularly believed to be the inventor of musical instruments, especially wind instruments, the use of which was very important in religious worship, and which were accordingly subjected to an annual purification, which took place during the festival just alluded to (Ovid, Fast. 3:849).