Lesser known prayers and hymns to Athena

Oh Pallas Athena... In my personal practice, She is chief amongst the Gods. All my life, she has been protectress and as I am preparing to move houses, I call upon Her to fortify its walls and make them impenetrable to everything and all. We all know the Homeric and Orphic hymns to Athena but there are a few lesser known ones you might not be familiar with. I'd like to share those today.

Solon, fr. 4.4-5 (6th Century BCE)

 

“This sort of a great-hearted overseer, a daughter of a strong-father
Holds her hands above our city, Pallas Athena”

 

(τοίη γὰρ μεγάθυμος ἐπίσκοπος ὀβριμοπάτρη
Παλλὰς ᾿Αθηναίη χεῖρας ὕπερθεν ἔχει)

 

 

Euripides, Heracleidae 770-72 (5th Century BCE)

 

“Queen, the foundation of the land
and the city is yours, you are its mother,
mistress and guardian..”

 

(ἀλλ’, ὦ πότνια, σὸν γὰρ οὖ-
δας γᾶς καὶ πόλις, ἆς σὺ μά-
τηρ δέσποινά τε καὶ φύλαξ…)

 

 

Aristophanes, Knights 581-585 (5th Century BCE)

 

“O Pallas, protector of the city,
The most sacred city-
and defender of a land
that surpasses all others
in war and poetry.”

 

(῏Ω πολιοῦχε Παλλάς, ὦ
τῆς ἱερωτάτης ἁπα-
σῶν πολέμῳ τε καὶ ποη-
ταῖς δυνάμει θ’ ὑπερφερού-
σης μεδέουσα χώρας)