Athena, Pallas

The third painting shows her contemplating a new level of challenge. She stands with downcast eyes in front of the Grand Maitresse, who wears an owl-adorned helmet like that of Pallas Athena and points to a horde of androgynous witches waiting in the path. These are both sexual temptresses and monsters of depravity. 

Palladium was named in honor of the asteroid Pallas, which was discovered in 1802. Pallas was the Greek goddess of wisdom (also known as Pallas Athena). William Hyde Wollaston (1766-1828) discovered palladium in a sample of ore from South America. Although palladium is used in jewelry (white gold contains palladium), its most important commercial use is as a catalyst in pollution-control devices. Its ability to absorb hydrogen may make it an important element for hydrogen fuel technology. 

The lines above are perhaps the most important philosophical statement in all Shakespeare s works. Portia is just Pallas Athena in another guise. In Greek myth, Athene always displayed great mercy in a criminal trial at the Areiopagus. When the judges votes were equal, she always cast her vote to liberate the accused. 

Occasionally, too, Poe offered suggestive allusion-to mythology ( Pallas -Pallas Athena, the goddess of wisdom Plutonian - related to Pluto, god of the underworld) and to the Bible ( is there balm in Gilead drawn from the biblical Is there no balm in Gilead is there no physician there why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered [Jeremiah 8 22]). 

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