Palladium
conceptA sacred wooden image of Pallas Athena believed to have fallen from heaven, whose possession guaranteed the safety of Troy and later Rome.
The Myth
The Palladium was an ancient wooden statue of Athena, said to have fallen from Olympus to the citadel of Troy as a gift from Zeus to Dardanus, founder of the Trojan royal line. An oracle declared that Troy could never fall while the Palladium remained within its walls. During the Trojan War, Odysseus and Diomedes undertook a daring night raid into Troy to steal it, guided by information extracted from the captured seer Helenus, son of Priam. Some accounts say Odysseus alone carried it out, others credit Diomedes. The theft removed Troy's divine protection, allowing the stratagem of the Wooden Horse to succeed. Multiple cities later claimed to possess the real Palladium, most notably Rome, where it was kept in the Temple of Vesta tended by the Vestal Virgins.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The chemical element palladium (Pd, atomic number 46) was named in 1803 after the asteroid Pallas, itself named after Athena's epithet. Today palladium is worth more than gold per ounce and is essential in catalytic converters — meaning every car on earth carries a trace of Athena's protective magic in its exhaust system.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Diomedes (Aristeia)
conceptThe extended battle sequence in Iliad Books 5-6 where Diomedes wounds both Aphrodite and Ares, the...
Trojan Horse
conceptThe hollow wooden horse used by the Greeks to infiltrate and destroy Troy. Devised by Odysseus, it...
Trojan War
conceptThe Trojan War was the central event of Greek mythology — a ten-year siege of Troy by a Greek...
Athena
godGoddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, born fully armored from the head of Zeus. Patron deity of...
Athena Promachos
godAn epithet of Athena meaning "the Champion" or "who fights in front," represented by a colossal...
Diomedes
heroDiomedes was the only mortal in the Iliad to wound two Olympian gods in a single day.
Pallas (Titan)
titanPallas was the Titan god of warcraft and battle — father of Nike (Victory) and the patron of...
Wooden Horse (Construction)
conceptThe hollow wooden horse built by Epeius on Athena's design that concealed Greek warriors and ended...
Athena (Warrior)
godAthena was the goddess of wisdom, strategic war, and craftsmanship — born fully armoured from...
Helen
heroThe most beautiful woman in the world, daughter of Zeus. Her elopement with Paris of Troy triggered...
Helen of Troy
heroHelen was the most beautiful woman in the world, daughter of Zeus and Leda, whose abduction by...
Odysseus
heroThe cleverest of the Greek heroes, whose ten-year journey home from Troy is one of the greatest...