Athena, the adored patroness of Athens, was the goddess of wisdom, reasoning and intelligence. A beautiful Olympian goddess and the adored patroness of the city of Athens. The Parthenon served as her temple. She also became the goddess of crafts and was the patroness of spinning and weaving. The owl is considered Athena's sacred animal, the source of her wisdom and judgment. It is telling, too, that the animal most associated with her has such exceptional night vision, symbolizing Athena's ability to "see" when others cannot.