Minerva when amusing herself by playing upon her favourite flute before
Juno and Venus, was ridiculed by the goddesses for the distortion of her
face while blowing the instrument; Minerva convinced of the truth of their
remarks, by looking at herself in a fountain near Mount Ida, threw the
flute away, and denounced a melancholy death to him who should find it.
Marsyas was the unfortunate being, and in the history of Apollo may be
found the fate he experienced through the veracity of her decree.
Minerva was called Athena Pallas, either from her killing the giant Pallas,
or because the spear which she seems to brandish in her hands is called
"_pallein_."
According to the different characters in which she has appeared, has the
goddess been represented. Usually with a helmet on her head, and a large
plume nodding in the air. In one hand she holds a spear, and in the other,
a shield, with the dying head of Medusa upon it.
"With bright wreaths of serpent tresses crowned,
Severe in beauty, young Medusa frowned;
Erewhile subdued, round Wisdom's Aegis rolled,
Hissed the dread snakes, and flamed in burnished gold
Flashed on her brandished arm the immortal shield,
And terror lightened o'er the dazzled field."