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Minerva Facts & Worksheets

Minerva was the Roman goddess and patroness of the arts, commerce, and strategy, as well as the giver of knowledge, justice, and the law.

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The Roman goddess Minerva is the patroness of the arts, commerce, and strategy, as well as the giver of knowledge, justice, and the law. Unlike Mars, who is a patron of violence, Minerva is a supporter of strategic war.

See the fact file below for more information on Minerva, or you can download our 25-page Roman Goddess Minerva worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BIRTH OF MINERVA

  • Roman mythology places a lot of importance on Minerva’s birth. Similar to the Greek tale of Athena‘s birth, Minerva is said to have been born from her father’s head, signifying her role as the goddess of wisdom. 
  • In the story, Minerva’s father, Jupiter, discovers that his wife Metis will give birth to a child who will someday overthrow him, just as he did with Saturn, his own father.
  • Jupiter fooled Metis into transforming into a fly during a game in order to stop this, and Jupiter then rapidly swallowed her.
  • Jupiter thought he had already found a solution to his dilemma, but Metis was already expecting a child and had started making armor for it. 
  • When Jupiter’s son Vulcan broke open his head to relieve his excruciating headaches from the hammering and scraping, Minerva, a fully grown woman wearing gleaming armor, emerged from Jupiter’s head.

ROLE OF MINERVA

  • Of all the Roman gods, Minerva may be the most emblematic of Roman culture. Unlike Jupiter and Neptune, who were directly derived from Greek deities, Minerva was created from the Menrva of the Etruscans; she was initially an Italian goddess. 
  • Throughout the fourth and third centuries BCE, as the Romans adopted more aspects of Greek culture, she progressively became Hellenized and began to resemble Athena more.
  • The Etruscan goddess Menrva, or maybe Menerw, served as the model for the Roman name “Minerva.” 
  • Minerva’s name shared its foundation with Manasvini, a Hindu deity connected with virtue, intelligence, and the moon. 
  • The Etruscan name was itself derived from an older Italic deity called Menesw or Menes-wo, which means “she who remembers,” “she who knows,” or “she who measures.”
  • It is also believed that Minerva had invented numbers, and it is added that the law respecting the driving in of the annual nail was attached to the temple of Minerva for this.
  • Minerva is the goddess of wisdom beyond all else, and she represents many lofty aspirations and ideas. 
  • Furthermore, Minerva is a prominent figure in the contexts of education, civics, and the state in ancient Rome since she is the goddess of philosophy, music, medicine, and law in Roman mythology.
  • The goddess was revered as a member of the Capitoline Triad, or trinity, along with Jupiter and Juno. The Aventine Hill was home to a temple dedicated solely to Minerva. 
  • The guilds of actors, writers, and artisans all gathered at this sanctuary. This goddess was revered by doctors as their patroness, Minerva Medica.
  • Furthermore, Minerva was considered a symbol of bravery, cunning, and victory in Roman mythology, and she was also connected to battle and conquest.
  • Due to the numerous military victories and strategic brilliance of the Romans, Minerva soon overtook Mars as the main deity of war as the Roman Republic expanded across numerous regions to become the Roman Empire. 
  • Because Minerva was connected with higher ideals of strategy and victory, in contrast to Mars, who was associated with bloody violence and wrath, Minerva became a key emblem for battle in imperial Rome.
  • Minerva was also often seen as the protector of both future scholars and the skilled laborers they would become. Mars, the god of battle, participated in Minerva’s festivities. 
  • She was frequently compared to Nerio, the Sabine goddess who married Mars.

RELATION TO OTHER GODS

  • According to Roman mythology, Minerva was the child of Metis, a titan or giant, and Jupiter, the king of the gods. 
  • Minerva had a large number of half-siblings through the lusty Jupiter, including Mars, Bellona, Vulcan, and Juventus. 
  • Minerva’s other half-siblings included Venus, the goddess of love and sexual desire; Mercury, the messenger goddess of trade, seafaring, and travel; and Proserpina, the young goddess whom Pluto kidnapped.
  • In Roman legend, Minerva was one of three “virgin goddesses.” These three goddesses made a pledge not to wed but to devote their lives to their work. 
  • As a result, Minerva was a virginal goddess who never had her own offspring or a husband.

SYMBOLISM AND POP CULTURE

  • The goddess Minerva was frequently depicted with a helmet and chiton, an old Greek robe. She is frequently shown in statues wielding a spear and a shield to signify her interest in combat. 
  • But she frequently appears reaching out to the defeated. In battle, Minerva was a gracious victor who felt empathy for the foes her forces defeated.
  • Minerva is frequently depicted holding her holy animal, typically an owl known as the “Owl of Minerva,” which represents her connection to learning and understanding.
  • She is commonly portrayed as a stunning female with an athletic, muscular physique who frequently appears with a spear in her hand while wearing armor.
  • The Roman Calendar noted two occasions honoring Minerva. The first was known as the Quinquatria, and it was observed by students and craftspeople from March 19–23, immediately following the Ides of March, which were made famous by Julius Caesar‘s assassination and the accompanying play by William Shakespeare.
  • Since 1849, Minerva has been prominently featured on the California state seal. 
  • She was pictured on the symbol in military attire, looking out over San Francisco Bay as ships cruise across its waters and gold miners work nearby.
  • Today, Minerva serves as an appropriate emblem for several colleges and universities as a source of knowledge and a representation of patience. 
  • The University of North Carolina in Greensboro and the State University of New York in Albany both have Minerva on their seals. 
  • Minerva could also be seen on the seal of Wells College in New York, as well as her statue, wherein students ceremoniously decorate it to welcome the new academic year each fall.

MINERVA AND ARACHNE

Numerous Roman myths involve Minerva in some way. 

  • One of the most popular stories was of how Minerva was supposed to be envious of the lowly human Arachne‘s talent for creating objects out of wool. 
  • In the Roman poet Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Arachne proclaimed her skill was better than that of the goddess. Offended by this, the goddess disguised as an old woman to persuade her to take back the challenge.
  • The human disregarded her advice, so Minerva revealed herself, and they agreed to the contest. Outspun, the angry goddess tore Arachne’s cloth to shreds and hit her opponent repeatedly. Arachne, frightened by Minerva’s reaction, tried to hang herself in despair, but her opponent took pity on her.
  • She used a magic herb to convert Arachne into a spider, vowing that she and her offspring would always hang and always weave. Because of this misconception, spiders are now referred to as “arachnids.”

Minerva Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Roman Goddess Minerva across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets about Minerva, who was the Roman goddess and patroness of the arts, commerce, and strategy, as well as the giver of knowledge, justice, and the law.

Complete list of included worksheets:

  1. Minerva Facts
  2. Minerva Summarized
  3. Symbols of Minerva
  4. The Warrior Goddess
  5. Minerva and Athena
  6. Deities of War
  7. Minerva in Space
  8. Be Strategic
  9. Goddess of Law and Justice
  10. Story in Pictures
  11. A Great Woman

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Minerva symbolize?

Minerva is a goddess of wisdom and justice. She supports commerce, artistry, and strategic warfare. Minerva helps people win by using their brains instead of fighting. She is still one of Rome’s most celebrated deities.

How did Minerva get her name?

Minerva, long considered a connection between Italian handicrafts and the Greek goddess Athena, is now believed by many scholars to have been an indigenous deity native to the Romans. Her name likely derives from meminisse, which means “to remember,” stemming from her Etruscan predecessor Menrva.

What are Minerva’s powers?

She was revered as a deity of music, poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, and artistry.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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