Odysseus in undoubtedly an epic hero, and has many qualities of one, but being both divine and mortal is most prevalent in the tenth book of Homer's The Odyssey. Although he is a mortal man himself, he has many interactions with the gods that shape his journey.
To begin, the wind god, Aiolos, gifts Odysseus with a bag of winds to take him home. Unfortunately, his crew lets the winds escape, so he returns to Aiolos' island. Instead of helping him again, Aiolos refuses and drives Odysseus from his land. "…a man the gods detest…Your voyage here was cursed by heaven!" (X 84-85). This is an example of the many divine presences in Odysseus' life. Many of the gods care about the outcome of Odysseus' journey, and would intervene if they did not weigh the risks of Poseidon's wrath to be too great. Odysseus is only a mortal man and does not have the strength or powers required to return home without assistance–unless he receives divine help, he will fail.
…show more content…
Eurylokhos, a loyal member of Odysseus' crew, warns him against her after their crew is transformed into pigs. Odysseus does not heed this warning, and recklessly leaves to rescue them. The messenger god, Hermês, cautions him again of Kirkê's power, and offers protection against her enchantments and tricks. "But I can tell you what to do to come unchanged from Kirkê's power…" (X 318-319). If Hermês had not intervened and informed Odysseus what to do, Odysseus would have been transformed into a pig with the rest of his men, because he was too reckless, and intended to confront a goddess without any sort of proper