Editing Minerva (section)

{{short description|Roman goddess of wisdom}}
{{About|the Roman goddess}}
{{Infobox deity
| type=Roman
| name = Minerva
| member_of = the [[Capitoline Triad]] and the ''[[Dii Consentes]]''
| image = Herculaneum Collegio degli Augustali Ercole sull'Olimpo (cropped).jpg
| caption = [[Fresco]] of Minerva from [[Herculaneum]] (1st century AD)
| god_of = Goddess of poetry, medicine, commerce,  weaving, the crafts, and wisdom
| symbols = [[Owl of Minerva]], [[olive tree]], [[serpent (symbolism)|serpent]] of [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]], the [[Parthenon]], the [[spear]], the [[spindle (textiles)|spindle]], and [[Hellebore]]
| abode = 
| symbol = 
| consort = 
| parents = [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]]{{Clear}}[[Metis (mythology)|Metis]]
| siblings = 
| children = 
| gender = Female
| mount = 
| Greek_equivalent = [[Athena]]
| Etruscan_equivalent = [[Menrva]]
}} 
{{Ancient Roman religion}}
[[File:Minerva-Vedder-Highsmith-detail-1.jpeg|thumb|upright|Mosaic of the ''Minerva of Peace'' in the [[Library of Congress]]]]

'''Minerva''' ({{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|n|ɝ|v|ə}}; {{IPA|la|mɪˈnɛru̯ä|lang}}; {{langx|ett|Menrva}}) is the [[Roman mythology|Roman goddess]] of [[wisdom]], justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]].<ref name="Bulfinch-2010">{{Cite book|last=Bulfinch |first=Thomas|title=The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes.|date=2010|publisher=Neeland Media LLC|isbn=978-1-59625-257-8|oclc=1028955021}}</ref> Beginning in the second century BC, the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] [[Religious syncretism|equated]] her with the Greek [[goddess]] [[Athena]].<ref name="Lar2">''Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia'', [[Book People]], Haydock, 1995, p. 215.</ref> Minerva is one of the three Roman deities in the [[Capitoline Triad]], along with [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]] and [[Juno (mythology)|Juno]].

Minerva is a [[Virginity|virgin]] goddess. Her domain includes music, [[poetry]], [[medicine]], [[wisdom]], [[commerce]], [[weaving]], and the [[craft]]s.<ref name="Candau2">{{cite book|last=Candau|first=Francisco J. Cevallos|url=https://books.google.com/books?isbn=0-87023-886-8|title=Coded Encounters: Writing, Gender, and Ethnicity in Colonial Latin America|publisher=University of Massachusetts Press|year=1994|isbn=0-87023-886-8|page=215}}</ref> Minerva is often depicted with her sacred creature, an owl usually named the "[[owl of Minerva]]".<ref>''[[Philosophy of Right]]'' (1820), "Preface"</ref> which symbolised her association with wisdom and knowledge, as well as, less frequently, the snake and the [[olive tree]]. Minerva is commonly depicted as tall with an athletic and muscular build. She is often wearing armour and carrying a spear. As an important Roman goddess, she is highly revered, honored, and respected.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Fara|first=Patricia|date=2010-03-01|title=Minerva/Athene|url=http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160932710000025|journal=Endeavour|language=en|volume=34|issue=1|pages=4–5|doi=10.1016/j.endeavour.2010.01.001|pmid=20096932|issn=0160-9327|url-access=subscription}}</ref> [[Marcus Terentius Varro]] considered her to be ideal and the plan for the universe personified.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354–430.|title=The city of God.|year=2008|orig-year=1950|publisher=Catholic University of America Press|isbn=978-0-8132-1108-4|oclc=647919892}}</ref>