Athena's father is Zeus, the supreme Greek god and ruler of the sky and Earth. Zeus had an affair with Metis (possibly involuntarily) , a Titan associated with intelligence. When an oracle predicted that the son of Metis and Zeus would dethrone Zeus, he swallowed her to prevent it from happening. Soon after, Zeus suffered from a terrible headache. His son, Hephestus, split his head open and Athena sprang out. She is often considered to be motherless.
Athena is considered Zeus's favorite child. She is often depicted with his aegis (protective cape), buckler (small hand shield) and thunderbolt.
Athena is almost always depicted in full armor. According to mythology, this is how she sprang from Zeus's head.
Athena was considered commander of Athens. Her tree is the olive tree and her bird is the owl.
The earliest account of Athena comes from the Illiad, an epic poem by Homer.