This is an outline for anyone that wants to celebrate Tritogenia which takes place on the third day of the month in the Attic Calendar. However, if you wish to celebrate it on the third day of the month in your calendar of choosing, that is also fine. As long as it’s the third day of the month, it is okay!
This is the celebration of Athena’s birth. We see this epithet (also related to Trito and Tritogenes) given to Athena in the Iliad, Odyssey, Homeric Hymns, and the Theogeny. There is no definite answer to what it exactly means, but the main premise was to celebrate the birth of Athena. There are a few interpretations of what Tritogenia means.
Being born of the Three: Sky, land, and sea.
Being born of Zeus’s head: Trito (head in Athamanian dialect) and Genia (born of).
Some might say this is also her status of being the third child of Zeus after Artemis and Apollo, but some say she is the first child.
Being born of or near Triton(is): Of Lake Tritonis in Libya or near the river Triton in Boeotia.
In myth and cult Athena is related back to her father, Zeus. However, Tritogenia relates her back to Poseidon and Triton, as well as Zeus. Pausanias notes that Libyan tradition saw Athena as a daughter of Poseidon and (Lake) Tritonis. However, this could also be related back to her upbringing with Triton. This is a matter of parentage. Most will follow the belief of Zeus being her father and some of those people will follow the idea of Triton raising Athena.
In the end, these all encompass the prior: being born of the sky, land, and sea, being born of Zeus’s head, and being born of or near Triton(is). This plays into who she is as a being as well as attributes in the long run. That is the significance of lineage, as well as her plausible North African origins. Tritogenia also arguably connects with other poetic and cult titles (depending on which meaning you interpret the name), Bright-eyed (glaukopis), Parthenos, Pallas, and Hippia.
We do not have a basis of how this was necessarily celebrated, besides commemorating her birth…which we celebrate because we’re thankful for that person to be alive, in this case thankful that Athena exists.
I put these here for easy access and reading for those that need it.
“I begin to sing of Pallas Athene, the glorious goddess, bright-eyed, inventive, unbending of heart, pure virgin, saviour of cities, courageous, Tritogeneia. From his awful head wise Zeus himself bare her arrayed in warlike arms of flashing gold, and awe seized all the gods as they gazed. But Athena sprang quickly from the immortal head and stood before Zeus who holds the aegis, shaking a sharp spear: great Olympus began to reel horribly at the might of the bright-eyed goddess, and earth round about cried fearfully, and the sea was moved and tossed with dark waves, while foam burst forth suddenly: the bright Son of Hyperion stopped his swift-footed horses a long while, until the maiden Pallas Athene had stripped the heavenly armour from her immortal shoulders. And wise Zeus was glad. And so hail to you, daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis! Now I will remember you and another song as well.”
“Revered Pallas, you alone great Zeus bore by himself,
noble and blessed goddess, brave in the din of war.
Renowned and cave-haunting, you may and may not be spoken of.
Your domain is on wind-swept hilltops
and shaded mountains, and dells charm your heart.
Arms please you, and you strike men’s souls with frenzy, O maiden vigorous and horrid-tempered.
Slayer of Gorgo, blessed mother of the arts, you shun the bed of love
and, O impetuous one, you bring madness to the wicked and prudence to the virtuous.
Male and female, begetter of war, counselor,
she-dragon of many shapes, frenzy-loving, illustrious,
destroyer of the Phlegraian Giants, driver of horses,
Tritogeneia, you free us of suffering, O victorious goddess.
Day and night– ever into the small hours–
hear my prayer and give me a full measure of peace,
of riches, and of health accompanied by happy seasons,
O gray-eyed and inventive queen to whom many pray.”
Similar to the Homeric Hymn #28, there is mention of the epithet and birth from Zeus. Both show praise and grace for her, both very fitting to choose to read out loud as a devotional act or offering. Choose the one that resonates the most.
“Of Pallas Athene, guardian of the city, I begin to sing. Dread is she, and with Ares she loves deeds of war, the sack of cities and the shouting and the battle. It is she who saves the people as they go out to war and come back. Hail, goddess, and give us good fortune with happiness!”
This is more short and simple with a gracious praise and request, very fitting for celebration or for those who wish for something quick and easy.”
We have the obvious choice of leaving physical offerings. Olives, olive oil, milk of some sort, honey, smellgood items (incense, perfume, florals), however this is on the more traditional side. Leave what you think is right or what you’re able to leave, if you wish to do a physical offering.
There is also, as briefly mentioned, doing a devotional act. This can be anything you deem, but it would be best if it could fall under her domain. Think making a craft like weaving, knitting, jewelry, or even rekindling something of the sort, even if it’s something like drawing. There are also things like studying, researching…perhaps researching her? If you end up making something it can also act as an offering, two birds with one stone. However, similar to offerings, do what you can do and what feels right to do. These are just ideas.
Similar to hymns, there is also prayer. This you can make yourself or there are ones already outlined online.
The name Tritonis is mentioned a lot, whether it be Tritonis or Triton(is). Tritonis was a nymph of the Libyan lake, Tritonis. Also, we see the eye color changing from gray to blue, this is because of the word glaukopis. This connects her to the likeness of the small owl. Essentially, it’s the color of the sea, blue/green, but arguably gray, so we see the colors switching. I note this because this connects to her statue in Athens on the Acropolis and because this signifies her as a daughter of Poseidon with either Tritonis or Polyphe. Polyphe is where the epithet Hippia comes into play as mentioned earlier, which Athena Hippia was worshipped in Athens, Olympia, and Tegea as said by Pausanias. Eye color was also used to determine who might the father be, hence the emphasis regarding it as well.
Pausanias, Description of Greece
Philostratus the Elder, Imagines
Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca Rigoglioso, M. The Cult of Divine Birth in Ancient Greece
