ABSTRACT
In the previous chapter, we looked at the qualities that particularly distinguish Athena as an Athenian deity. She was connected with communality and civic identity while envisaged, too, as being committed to the patronage of the city. There was an almost maternal dimension to that protection expressed in her connection with the ancestral hero, Erichthonios. This chapter will examine these qualities further as we move from a largely thematic account to a more chronological approach. We will begin with the tricky question of the earliest evidence, seeking whether her Akropolis cult can be traced as far back as the Bronze Age. From this we will consider how the goddess’ role as protectress of the urban centre came to be extended to the whole of Attica, either in the Dark Ages or in the eighth century . We will move to firmer ground as we turn to the sixth and early fifth centuries when we can begin to trace more confidently her worship and perceptions. The role of the state will be examined in the development of her cult, with a particular focus on the tyrant Peisistratos and his promotion of her cult and image.
