[caption id=“” align=“alignright” width=“175”] 
Louis
Comfort Tiffany, “Window of St. Augustine” (Lightner Museum,
St. Augustine, Florida; photo credit: Wikipedia)[/caption]
Citing Varro as “a most learned man among the [pagans], and [a man]
of the weightiest authority” on paganism ( Civ. 4.1 [ NPNF1
2:64]), Augustine summarizes Varro’s account of the naming of Athens
( Civ. 18.9 [ NPNF1
2:365]):
Athens certainly derived its name from Minerva, who in Greek is
called ᾽Αθηνη [Athena], and Varro points out the following reason why it
was so called. When an olive-tree suddenly appeared there, and water
burst forth in another place, these prodigies moved the king to send to
the Delphic Apollo to inquire what they meant and what he should do. He
answered that the olive signified Minerva, the water Neptune, and that
the citizens had it in their power to name their city as they chose,
after either of these two gods whose signs these were. On receiving this
oracle, Cecrops convoked all the citizens of either sex to give their
vote, for it was then the custom in those parts for the women also to
take part in public deliberations. When the multitude was consulted, the
men gave their votes for Neptune, the women for Minerva; and as the
women had a majority of one, Minerva conquered. Then Neptune, being
enraged, laid waste the lands of the Athenians, by casting up the waves
of the sea; for the demons have no difficulty in scattering any waters
more widely. The same authority said, that to appease his wrath the
women should be visited by the Athenians with the three-fold
punishment—that they should no longer have any vote; that none of their
children should be named after their mothers; and that no one should
call them Athenians. Thus that city, the mother and nurse of liberal
doctrines, and of so many and so great philosophers, than whom Greece
had nothing more famous and noble, by the mockery of demons about the
strife of their gods, a male and female, and from the victory of the
female one through the women, received the name of Athens; and, on being
damaged by the vanquished god, was compelled to punish the very victory
of the victress, fearing the waters of Neptune more than the arms of
Minerva. For in the women who were thus punished, Minerva, who had
conquered, was conquered too, and could not even help her voters so far
that, although the right of voting was henceforth lost, and the mothers
could not give their names to the children, they might at least be
allowed to be called Athenians, and to merit the name of that goddess
whom they had made victorious over a male god by giving her their
votes.
...
