Metis, << may TEES >>, a minor goddess in Greek mythology, was the first wife of Zeus and the mother of the goddess Athena. Metis was the daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, who belonged to an early race of gods called the Titans. Like many minor Greek gods, Metis represented an abstract idea or force of nature. The Greek word metis means intelligence.
The primary myth of Metis involved the birth of Athena. Zeus was warned in a prophecy that Metis would give birth to a daughter as strong and wise as her father. However, her second child would be a son who would rule over gods and humans. Zeus feared being overthrown by a son. Zeus had overthrown his own father, Cronus, and Cronus had overthrown his father, Uranus. To escape the prophecy, Zeus swallowed the pregnant Metis whole. He soon suffered a terrible headache. Zeus begged Hephaestus, the blacksmith of the gods, to split his head open with an ax to ease the pain. Hephaestus obeyed, and Athena sprang out from Zeus’s head fully grown, with a suit of armor and weapons.
The myth provided an explanation for the intelligence that was characteristic both of Athena, the daughter of Metis, and of Zeus, who continued to carry Metis inside him. Metis herself was not prominent in other Greek myths. However, many myths emphasized the quality of intelligence and cunning that she represented. In Greek epic poetry, the hero Odysseus was revered for his intelligence and cunning. He was often referred to as polymetis Odysseus. This name means Odysseus of much cunning intelligence.
