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I have seen many books and papers reference Athena breathing life into the man Prometheus molded out of clay, but I couldn't find any primary sources of this happening, and I couldn't find any good explanations. Why did Athena breathe life into the man Prometheus created?

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Athena never did.

There was also an account, stating that Prometheus had created men out of earth and water, at the very beginning of the human race, or after the flood of Deucalion, when Zeus is said to have ordered him and Athena to make men out of the mud, and the winds to breathe life into them (Apollod. i. 7. § 1; Ov. Met. i. 81; Etym. Mag. s. v. Promêtheus).

Theoi

So she was the one creating them with Prometheus, not breathing life into them.

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  • Someone please add a citation for the "Apollod."
    – bleh
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 22:37
  • Apollod. i. 7. §1 is this paragraph of Apollodorus' "Library", stating that Prometheus created men out of earth and water.
    – plannapus
    Commented Mar 31, 2016 at 6:45
  • Yes she did! Prometheus went to Athena for her to breath her wit and her love of art into them, because he did not want his god like figures to be like animals. I am not sure if she also gave them life, or if Prometeus did that, but I atleast was able to explain to you why he went to seek for her, before he presented the present to Zeus.
    – Guest User
    Commented Jan 5, 2022 at 18:28

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