Alison's Window

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Parthenon, as in Parthenogenesis

I just ran across the word "parthenogenesis" or virgin birth (i.e. without mating) and got to thinking that that implies that "partheno" means virgin. So why is that Greek building called the Parthenon? Sure enough, it was built in honor of Athena, who was born fully formed from the head of Zeus, which I guess is a painful sort of virgin birth. But get this, she was the goddess of, among other things, fertility! Go figure.