In ancient literature, poets often write about the God either tormenting or assisting a mortal in their life, similar to marionette controlled by a higher power. The Odyssey is not different as Athena assists Odysseus on his journey home from the Trojan War. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus would have been unsuccessful returning home to Ithica without the aid of Athena who chose Odysseus as her mortal equivalent as they both shared similar values.
Athena was immediately drawn to Odysseus after proving himself in the Battle of Troy with the invention of the Trojan horse which gave the Greeks victory over the Trojans. She had admired his cunning trickery to build a horse which was “inspired by Athena- the ambuscade Odysseus filled with fighters and sent to take the inner town of Troy” (140). This creation showed that Odysseus was “inspired by Athena” therefore Odysseus had felt more connected to the goddess prior to her becoming aware. Since
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The most crucial one in which Athena assisted Odysseus the most was helping him escape from Kalypso following Poseidon’s wish for him to live there forever. At Poseidon’s absence, Athena pleads to Zeus to assist Odyssey as “he cannot stir, cannot fare homeward, for no ship is left him, fitted with oars- no crewmen or companions [are there] to pull him on the broad back of the sea” (81). Athena had begged for his mercy from Kalypso in order to return home to his family in Ithika. Without Athena brining awareness to Odysseus’s struggle, he would have forever stayed upon the island with Kalypso with no aid from the Gods. In this setting, Homer has once again established Athena’s loyalty to Odysseus by assisting him off the island and watching over the remainder of his journey home. Furthermore she goes on to prepare for his battle against the