Pallas Athene

3/4 page illustration for the Homeric Hymns. 
Graphite and digital color, stained paper

In hindsight, the twisting perspective makes her look a little too "Rob Liefeld" to me, but that might be me being oversensitive.  Why snakes?  Because if you learned Greek mythology anywhere beyond the borders of Rick Riordan's books (which are admittedly pretty entertaining but far from comprehensive), you know that Athena has a thing for snakes.  The stories are not pretty.


<sub>I begin to sing of Pallas Athene, the glorious
goddess, bright-eyed, inventive, unbending of heart, pure virgin, saviour of cities, courageous, Tritogeneia.

From his awful head wise Zeus himself bare her arrayed in warlike arms of flashing gold, and awe seized all the gods as they gazed.

But Athena sprang quickly from the immortal head and stood before Zeus who holds the aegis, shaking a sharp spear: great Olympus began to reel horribly at the might of the bright-eyed goddess, and earth
round about cried fearfully, and the sea was moved and tossed with dark waves, while foam burst forth suddenly: the bright Son of Hyperion stopped his swift-footed horses a long while, until the maiden Pallas Athene had stripped the heavenly armour from
her immortal shoulders.

And wise Zeus was glad.

And so hail to you, daughter of Zeus who holds the
aegis! Now I will remember you and another song as well.</sub>