Whether if it is through Athena’s words of wisdom that lead him to the correct direction, or in this particular scene, Hermes’s instructions for overpowering the dreadfully beautiful witch, the gods continue to favor Odysseus and make him an outlier of men, forever exempt from death and failure. He is “Odysseus, great Laertes’s son, known for [his] cunning throughout the world, and [his] fame reaches even to the heavens”(9.21-23) He is a man whose abilities are given by the gods and his life is blessed by Zeus himself. In some essence, Odysseus is sculpted to become the leader he is today, a respected and charismatic hero who is welcomed by his men with tears of joy and cries of relief, even before his birth and the start of the trojan war. Odysseus is predestined to be the hero blessed by the gods.
I chose this passage because it shows the power and strength that Athena possessed from the moment this book began. Homer was making sure it was clear that women, especially Athena, had huge roles in this story. Athena is described as “seizing” the staff and “storming against” she is not described as gentle or quiet. She is given strong adjectives to describe her actions. At this point in the story, the gods are trying to figure out what to do with Odysseus and Athena is willing to step in and intercede for him.
Athena, is a very important goddess of many things. She is goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill. Facts about Athena 1.Athena was the Goddess of War, the female counterpart of Ares. 2.She was the daughter of Zeus; no mother bore her. She sprang from Zeus’s head, full-grown and clothed in armor.
Odysseus has grown from the man he was before, as now he finds comfort and safety in obeying the gods when in the past he did not consider their wishes. Odysseus has only returned due to Athena and he has recognized that and his compliance is founded in his appreciation and respect for her. Odysseus is now a hero due to the obedience he now has to the gods, founded in a sense of humility. Through Odysseus’ experiences on his journey, he learns the value of obedience and dangers of arrogance and ultimately, become a hero through the lessons learned.
Athena is a major character throughout the book of The Odyssey and is known as the goddess of wisdom and battle. Throughout the course of the book, it is evident that Athena has a weak spot for the main character, Odysseus. Odysseus is trying to return home after the Trojan War, as the other Greek hero’s have already done, however he faces multiple challenges a long the way. Fortunately, for Odysseus, Athena was there to guide him through a few of these troubling situations.
She is portrayed as the average Greek woman, but in reality is very cunning. Though both these women are two different characters, their roles are similar, and they both are equally powerful. They are cunning; teach Xenia; develop Odysseus’ character; and an important role in their families. Athena is the cunning Goddess who guides Odysseus back to Ithaca for his family and countrymen without letting him know her reality – she disguises herself every now and then to help him by testing him and his knowledge.
Odysseus is talking to Athena when she tells him he has arrived at Ithaca. Odysseus is shell-shocked and come back saying, “But now I beg you by your almighty Father’s name…/for I can’t believe I’ve reached my sunny Ithaca,/ I must be roaming around one more exotic land–/ you’re mocking me, I know it, telling me tales/ to make me lose my way. Tell me the truth now, have I really reached that land I love?” (13. 367-373).
Athena: Plot Twister In The Odyssey, Athena is the most influential god and does a lot to change the story. If it weren’t for her, the book would be completely different and probably about Ulysses’s tragic death when he was on his way home instead of him making it home and slaying the suitors. In the chapter, Of What Happened in Ithaca, Athena appeared in the story in the form of Mentes and told Telemachus that he should go seek out his father.
In The Odyssey, by Homer, Athena influences the lives of Odysseus and his family. In Greek mythology, gods challenge and control mortals. Gods also provide support to mortals and thus, mortals depend and act on behalf of the gods and their decisions. Athena, daughter of Zeus, is the goddess of wisdom, and both Telemachus and Odysseus benefit from her power. Athena possesses the ability to disguise herself and others, and this skill allows her to give advice and guidance.
Athena, knowing that she set up everything perfectly, helps Oddyseus finally get the help he needs from King Alcinous and his people in order to bring him closer to home. Another way Athena shows her cunning strategies is in Book 7 as she covers Odysseus in a mist and disguises herself as a little girl as they go into town to see the king and queen of Scheria. …says, “Pallas Athena, harboring kindness for the hero, drifted a heavy mist around him, shielding him from any swaggering islander who’d cross his path” (7.15-17). Athena, drifting the mist around Odysseus, helps him traverse smoother and easier into town. This allowed him to concentrate on how he is going to present himself to King Alcinous instead of
Athena oversaw the useful crafts of man as well as agriculture and sailing. She also looks out for women’s sewing and weaving. (Bulfinch 37) Through her cleverness, Athena happens to be constantly favored by Zeus, Athena is fond of Earth and its people; she often gave them skills useful for crafting. Athena looks out for and greatly cares for people. The Athenians are forever grateful for Athena’s gifts, they honor her through many sacrifices and feasts.
Upon Odysseus arrival to Ithaca, Athena hides his identity to help him defeat the suitors. She turns him into a very old beggar to conceal his identity from everyone, most importantly the suitors. Odysseus reveals himself to his son Telemachus, cowherd and the swine herd. The nurse Eurycleia recognizes him because of a scar he got years ago by a boar’s white tusk. Penelope doesn’t recognize Odysseus at first sight because of the disguise.
Even after this, Athena feels like she deserves more credit for Odysseus’ journey home than he gives
This was shown when Athena helped Odysseus with a wise plan to win the war with the suitors by changing Odysseus’s appearance. When Odysseus returned to Ithaca, Athena disguised him by turning him into an old beggar. Through this Odysseus gathered information on what is going on in the palace. Athena does not want to do the work for him, as he can learn and grow also through the process. When it was appropriate, she change him back but also enhanced him to be more built, taller and
In the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer portrays Greek gods and goddesses as possessing human qualities and faults. Through their actions and emotions, Homer emphasizes the detrimental effects of lust, envy, wrath, and greed in ancient Grecian society. He also never fails to remind readers of the importance of respect for holy figures because of their powerful abilities to create chaos and wonder". Homer wants to prove that gods and humans share a variety of traits, and the only difference is that god don’t allow these flaws negatively to impact their society. To help further his argument, we can compare Greek gods and goddesses to that of Christianity.
