Athena, Hephaestus and Erichthonius
Despite the fact that in classical mythology, Athena is a virgin, there are references to the child's birth, has been associated with Athena and Hephaestus. The first part of this story contained only later sources. According to them, Zeus swore to fulfill any wish of Hephaestus (by Lactantius, as a reward for making weapons of the gods by Huygens, a reward for what Hephaestus released Hera from the shackles, and Poseidon persuaded him to ask his wife Athena, by Lucian, a reward for care at birth), and Hephaestus asked for his wife in Athens. Zeus could not break the oath, but advised her daughter-Maid defend.
On the main legend (coherently set forth Pseudo-Apollodorus), Athena came to Hephaestus for weapons, and he tried to possess her, and she began to run away. Hephaestus gave chase and caught up with the goddess in a certain place (later named Hephaestus), but Athena defended with weapons in hand and wounded him with a spear. Hephaestus spilled seed on the leg Athens, after which the goddess wiped his coat and buried in the ground (in a simpler version, he put the seed directly into the ground), then Gaia, the earth gave birth to a baby.
Therefore Erichthonius named as the son of Hephaestus and Gaia, and the son of Hephaestus and Athena, as interpreted by the name "Erion" - wool (or "Eris" - discord) and "Chthon" - the land. In the Chronicle of Eusebius "Erichthonius identified with Erehteem mentioned by Homer, and his birth dated back to 532 a year from Abraham (1485 BC. E.). Homer in the Iliad mentions education Athena Erehteya born Gaia, in her church (II 547-551), and in the Odyssey - House Erehteya who goes Athena (VII 81). Image escaping from Hephaestus Athens was in Spartan temple Athens Mednodomnoy.
Athena raised Erichthonius secretly wanting to make immortal (as Nonna, the goddess of weaned him) and gave a casket (or basket) to preserve Pandrosus, daughter Kekropa (or three daughters: Aglaulus, Gers and Pandrosus), prohibiting open. These three daughters were dancing in the meadow in front of the temple of Pallas. Euripides tells us that Athena Erichthonius appointing one to two snakes, since the Athens gilded serpents put on the neck of children. Such an amulet of a pair of dragons mentioned in the stage of recognition in the tragedy of "Ion".
Pandrosus sisters Herse and Aglaulus opened the casket and saw the child, garlanded with a dragon (for an earlier version, snake-like baby or baby-snake). They were either killed the dragon, or Athena plunge them into a frenzy, and they ran from the top of the acropolis in the abyss. After the death of sisters Erichthonius was brought up in the temple of Athena. When he grew, he began to reign, erected on the Acropolis of Athens and established ksoan Panafinei, first held a procession in honor of Athena on the Acropolis. Erichthonius was buried on the sacred site of the temple Athens polyads.
As described by Euripides, in the carpet for the tabernacle of the Athenians at Delphi was woven, as before daughters Kekropa "swirled body." According to the hypothesis of Pausanias, the serpent, depicted by the statue of Athena in the Parthenon - it Erichthonius. Myth also mention Lucian and Pausanias.