Which Titaness is Athena's mother?

Study for the Newman Myth Test. Explore myths with multiple choice questions, hints, and detailed explanations. Get prepared effectively for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which Titaness is Athena's mother?

Explanation:
Athena’s parentage in the traditional mythic story centers on Metis, a Titaness who was Zeus’s first wife. Zeus feared a prophecy that a child born from Metis would surpass him, so he swallowed Metis while she was pregnant. Later, Athena sprang fully grown from Zeus’s head, making Metis the mother in the mythic sense. The other Titanesses listed—Gaia (the Earth mother), Mnemosyne (mother of the Muses), and Hera (queen of the gods)—are not described as Athena’s mother. So Metis is the best answer.

Athena’s parentage in the traditional mythic story centers on Metis, a Titaness who was Zeus’s first wife. Zeus feared a prophecy that a child born from Metis would surpass him, so he swallowed Metis while she was pregnant. Later, Athena sprang fully grown from Zeus’s head, making Metis the mother in the mythic sense. The other Titanesses listed—Gaia (the Earth mother), Mnemosyne (mother of the Muses), and Hera (queen of the gods)—are not described as Athena’s mother. So Metis is the best answer.

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