One of the principal Olympian deities, Minerva (in Greek myth, Athene) was goddess of wisdom and war, but, unlike Mars (Ares), she fought in defence of justice. The owl of wisdom was sacred to her. She possessed a noble beauty and is usually shown in armour, carrying a lance or halberd and a shield, which may bear the image of Medusa. The daughter of Jupiter (Zeus), she often gave him counsel. She was born from his head, because Jupiter had been told in a prophecy that his first wife, Metis, would give birth to one who would surpass him, so when she became pregnant he swallowed her. As a result he suffered so much pain that he had to beg Vulcan (Hephaestus) to split open his head - and Minerva issued forth.

Minerva competed with Neptune (Poseidon) for the region of Attica, which was promised as the prize for whichever of them gave the most useful present to its inhabitants. Neptune hit the ground with his trident and brought forth a spring or, in some accounts, a horse; Minerva created the olive tree, a symbol of peace, and the land was awarded to her. The olive tree was cultivated by Cecrops, who founded Athens, capital of Attica. Minerva became the city's patroness, her temple being built on the Acropolis.

Minerva was the goddess of crafts, particularly spinning and weaving; she invented the flute, and was invoked by those in pursuit of reason, learning and the civilized arts.

The name of a self-aware computer in Robert A. Heinlein's Time Enough For Love, who eventually has her consciousness transferred into a human body (leaving behind many of her data memories which wouldn't fit into a human brain, which served as a starter for the consciousness of her "sister" computer Athene).

A level for the game Descent, later ported to Descent 2 and Descent 3, originally created by someone by the name of Spaz.

Minerva, after its creation, would go on to be the single most-played level in the history of the game Descent. It would also spawn a variety of versions which mixed up the texture and weapon selections, as well as a variety of knock-offs.

After its insane rise to power, a sizeable portion of the online Descent community started to utterly loathe the level, and shunned it. It is also said that Spaz himself didn't like the level much, and couldn't understand why it was so popular.

What follows is the text of the original readme file found with the level, a file which found its way into most of the versions of the level:


                                  Minerva
                                     by
                                    Spaz

     I created this level due to the response I got to my level Tribute. 
I had several people asking for another fast moving level that had the same 
"able to get out of anywhere" feel of most of my levels. So....I created this 
level. I added some areas and features that I found were really fun in some
of the other levels that I have created. This level should run REALLY smooth
on any machine and should be a blast with only two players and total and 
absolute chaos with 3 or more.....I hope you like it.
                                HAVE FUN!!!!!

Thanks, as always, to Argon*Paladin for his kindness and patience. Thanks to  
the whole KALI crew.....you know who you are! Thanks also to PooterMan for
posting my levels and taking the time to maintain such a great page filled 
with neat stuff.

This level was created using beta version 0.9a of the Descent Mission Builder 
for Windows.

PS. I love Jennifer.

As a sidenote, I created a version of this level for the Half-Life engine, much to the chagrin of many of the good people at Kahn. It can be found at www.ipdink.com/minerva.

Minerva
Artist: Deftones
Album: Deftones
Running Time: 4:18

The lead Single released off Deftones' 4th album, their self-titled masterpiece. The centerpiece of the album, Minerva emits the type of emotion you wouldn't get from most other bands polluting the airwaves. From that first boom, it catapults itself above and beyond disposable radio-freindly acts such as Linkin Park and Nickleback, and destroys them all with some of the most emotive music ever made.

Don't bother to try and pigeonhole it, because it doesn't work. Deftones have always tried to push the boundaries of modern metal, often called metal's Radiohead (they aren't the only ones, with Tool getting it as well). Minerva is a new milestone in the Deftones' career, and modern metal. Deftones have officially shed their nu-metal origins and have grown into someting much more.

The finest moment from a band that relentlessly charts it's own musical path. Kerrang! could not have put it better:

"Louder than war. Uplifting like a drug. The best band in a genre of one."

Words Simply Cannot Describe It.


http://www.deftones.com

Mi*ner"va (?), n. [L.] Rom. Myth.

The goddess of wisdom, of war, of the arts and sciences, of poetry, and of spinning and weaving; -- identified with the Grecian Pallas Athene.

 

© Webster 1913.

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