Pallas was a Naiad Nymph of Lake Tritonis in Libya. Best known for being a childhood friend of Athena, who accidentally slayed her.
Genealogy and Family[]
She is the daughter of Triton, the god of waves, calm seas and the messenger of Poseidon with an unknown mother, however some accounts list her parents as Poseidon and Tritonis. She was the foster sister of Athena.
Story[]
After her birth from Zeus' head Athena was raised by Triton alongside his daughter, Pallas, Triton taught both girls the art of war. One day Athena and Pallas competed in a friendly battle at an athletics tournament, where whoever managed to disarm her opponent would be the victor. At the beginning of the fight, Athena got the upper hand, until Pallas took over. Before she could win, Zeus, who was in attendance, fearing to see his own daughter lose, distracted Pallas with the Aegis, which she had once shown interest in. Pallas, stunned in awe, stood still as Athena, expecting her to dodge, impaled her accidentally. Out of sadness and regret, Athena created the palladium, a statue in the likeness of Pallas, and wrapped the aegis, which she had feared, about the breast of it, and set it up beside Zeus and honoured it. Later, Athena took on the title Pallas as tribute to her late friend.
Role and Significance[]
As a Naiad Nymph she would have been tasked with taking care of and maintaining her lake- Tritonis.
The story of Athena and Pallas inspired a yearly festival in Libya dedicated to her:
"Next to these Machlyes are the Auseans; these and the Machlyes, separated by the Triton, live on the shores of the Tritonian lake. The Machlyes wear their hair long behind, the Auseans in front.
They celebrate a yearly festival of Athena, where their maidens are separated into two bands and fight each other with stones and sticks, thus (they say) honoring in the way of their ancestors that native goddess whom we call Athena. Maidens who die of their wounds are called false virgins.
Before the girls are set fighting, the whole people choose the fairest maid, and arm her with a Corinthian helmet and Greek panoply, to be then mounted on a chariot and drawn all along the lake shore.
With what armor they equipped their maidens before Greeks came to live near them, I cannot say; but I suppose the armor was Egyptian; for I maintain that the Greeks took their shield and helmet from Egypt."
- A passage by Herodotus
Trivia[]
Pallas' official Greek name is Παλλας, it means brandishing spear.