Athena and Odysseus

After being freed by Heracles, Prometheus is put on a magic island call Exafan by the one Godess who pitied him, Athena. She admired his intelligence, and thought making man less ignorant was a step in the right direction. She had covered Exafan in a mist so thick not even Zeus himself could see through it. After putting him on this island she asked Hephaestus to create 2 pairs of googles that could see through the thickest of mist. She gave one of these to Prometheus and he lived on the island in peace. She visited many times, and one day she fell in love with him. She soon was gone from Olympus so much many of the Gods questioned her. She cleverly evaded the subject knowing what would happen if she told them. One day Prometheus was awoken by a splitting headache.

During his journey Odysseus used what he has learned from is mistakes to return home and kill the suitors of his wife. On the island of Cicones,and with his encounter with Polyphemus, Odysseus learned that bragging can bring great misfortune. On Ithaca Odysseus never brags to the suitors and is able to enter his house with the Antinous and the other suitors knowing his real identity. He takes the punishment of Antinous and the other suitors without saying a word and is able to see those who have invaded his house. Odysseus is able to see who is loyal and who is not and take his revenge with the suitors never knowing who

Homer’s The Odyssey is very much an epic tale of a man’s heroic quest. The protagonist, Odysseus, is a cunning, brave, strong, and tenacious character who is given the title of a hero. This “hero”, however, does not always show characteristics of a hero, which leads many to believe that Odysseus, is not a true hero after all. In fact, Odysseus cheats on his wife multiple times, is willing to sacrifice his men in order to get home, and slaughters all his maids even though he did not have to. In The Odyssey, Homer attempts to create a complex portrait of a hero, but fails at his attempt when making Odysseus unforgiving, self absorbed, and a philanderer.

The epic, The Odyssey, centers around Odysseus, whose disposition can be controversial. Like all heroes, Odysseus displays both positive and negative characteristics, which determine whether he is a admirable figure or not. In my opinion, the parts of his character that are commendable outweigh his lesser qualities, making him an honorable role in the poem. Odysseus’s three main favorable attributes are his cleverness, his determination, and his leadership.

In conclusion Odysseus is a true hero even though he was thoughtless, selfish and deceitful. However he had respect for the gods (Athene), a strong sense of duty, (will always go back for his men) showed great honour and was highly regarded by his men and peers. He was a role model for his son Telemachus who wanted to be like him. He also showed great Athleticism which was very important and highly regarded. He was very competitive and tried to be better than anyone else and insured his name lived on forever. This is a sign of a true

The epic poem The Odyssey by Homer is the tale of Odysseus and his men sailing home towards the island of Ithaka from Troy. On the men’s valiant journey home they encounter several curses and diversions that kept them from reaching Ithaka for years. The gods influenced the meeting of several people and places they come across on the trip home from Troy, but of the obstacles they come across that are not god-influenced, they are because Odysseus was selfish. His selfish desire for knowledge and his other inane cravings were the undoing of many of his men. Odysseus also is selfish in the sense that he had relations with several deities and women on his voyage home, showing his lust for women to

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus experiences many ups and downs throughout his journey home. He is throw into peril and there often seems to be no hope for his return home. While he remains victorious in the end, returning to his wife, son, and father, the poem itself is filled with many darker moments filled with doubt and sadness. Odysseus is the hero of the Odyssey, and in order to exist as a hero he must be relatable. His story cannot be one entirely of triumph, it must include a more human perspective. Triumph cannot come without strife, and heroism cannot come without tribulation. Athena and Odysseus’ experiences as divine and human, respectively, and define whether or not they are heroes. By comparing Odysseus to Athena, it is apparent that what makes Odysseus a hero before anything else is his humanity.

To complement his flaws, Odysseus has many qualities which give him his wisdom and skill and earn him the favor of the powerful goddess Athena. Some of these numerous attributes he possesses are pity, his respect of the gods,

Thus far in The Odyssey, Homer has introduced several characters. The Gods discussed what they should do about Odysseus’ struggles as he attempts to get home to his wife and son. Athena then appears to Telemachus as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus’. She convinces him that he should set sail in order to find out if his father is dead or alive and to take back control of his father’s kingdom from his mother, Penelope’s, suitors. Antinous, one of her suitors, then tells Telemachus of Penelope’s deception toward them. After hearing this, they exchanged more words, and then he set sail to find his father. He goes to see King Nester who remembers what it was like during the Trojan War and tells Telemachus to be strong and brave. The Gods met again and discussed Odysseus’ capture by Calypso. Zeus sent his son Hermes, the messenger of the Gods, to tell Calypso that she must release Odysseus. Calypso reacts vividly to this, stating that the gods are unfair in their treatment of gods and goddesses. Calypso then begins to speak to Odysseus. During this conversation in book 5, Homer reveals to us the importance of a person’s wit and the deception of others in order to help yourself, as well as the importance of one’s will power.

He has loyalty, bravery, and courage. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is very loyal toward his men and will protect or rescue them if necessary. He’s brave and courageous when it comes to fighting and won’t hesitate to act. He’s also very clever. For example, Odysseus outwitted the Cyclops, Polyphemus, by giving a false name to disguise his identity. Amid all these qualities, there are still kinks in Odysseus’s character. His pride becomes evident after his confrontation with the Cyclops, where, after a narrow escape, he wished to bother Polyphemus again. His men had to plead to him, saying, “Godsake, Captain! Why bait the beast again? Let him alone!” Odysseus also struggles with selfish actions. For example, he feasts with Circe instead of rescuing his men first. The temptations got the better of him and in turn led him down the wrong

For instance, once Odysseus arrives home Athena disguises him as a beggar and states, “...This time has come: tell him how you together will bring doom on the suitors in the town” (Homer 596). Athena’s disguise helped Odysseus create a clever plan that would later fool all the suitors. Without Athena’s powers to conceal Odysseus’ appearance he possibly could not have defeated the vast amount of suitors. A strong relationship between Odysseus is indicated when Telemachus helped his father in battle, “He caught up four light shields, four pairs of spears, four helms of war high-plumed with flowing manes, and ran back, loaded down to his father’s side” (Homer 612). Although, Telemachus grew up without his father, his ability to adapt to crucial times during a battle shows how similar him and Odysseus are. While, Odysseus was assisted by Athena, Zeus, and Eumaeus, Telemachus was apart of the original strategy and without him the end result could have been different. Odysseus needed the support in order to be

Athena, in this scene pleads to Zeus to let Odysseus go home after being trapped on the island for so many years. She even states “ But my heart breaks for Odysseus, that seasoned veteran cursed by fate for so long” (Homer 79.57). She loves Odysseus and praises him because of his wisdom and how he’s cunning. Coming from the Goddess of Wisdom, she loves the wisdom that Odysseus has in him because it reminds her of her own wisdom. Its why she’s able to be concerned with Odysseus continues by stating, “far from his loved ones, still he suffers torment off on a wave, washed island rising at the center of the seas” (Homer 1.79-59). She visualizes the suffering that Odysseus is going through with Calypso and it worries her, as Odysseus is a hero who has doing nothing wrong to the gods. To her Odysseus should be allowed to go home and reclaim his Glory that is rightfully his. This scene shows that Athena has a soft spot when it comes to Odysseus, wanting to help him return, even if it means pleading to Zeus to let her take action. This soft spot is what allows her to head to Prince Telemachus who is the son of Odysseus to convince him to save his

Oedipus and Odysseus are both considered heroes.   They are extremely similar in their actions as well as their personalities.  For example, Oedipus and Odysseus are both extremely suspicious of others for fear of their own lives.  Their suspicious nature is not unprovoked.  When Odysseus visits Hades, Agamemnon tells him, "Never be too trustful even of your wife, nor show her all that is in your mind" (Homer 172).    Agamemnon had lost his life by the hand of his own wife, Clytemnestra.  In the Greek story, Agamemnon, written by Aeschylus, after Clytemnestra murders Agamemnon she says, " …I feel no shame…for me, I have had long enough to prepare this wrestle victory, it has come at last" (Aeschylus 44).   Clytemnestra was happy that her premeditated murder of her husband succeeded.   Agamemnon does not want Odysseus to face the same consequences he faced.   Odysseus is following this advice even before Agamemnon gave it to him.  Odysseus never told a stranger who he really was.  He always made up a story of where he was from and who is.  Then he would bring up the name Odysseus to see what they really thought of him.  He did not want to put himself in danger if the person did not like him.  When he returns to Ithaca he also did this to his wife, Penelope.  Athena turned him into a beggar.  Penelope approached him in this form and asked about her distant husband.  When Odysseus said, "He is still alive," a tear fell down

One of the issues in Homers The Odyssey is understanding the role and function of the goddess Athena. The problem is most pronounced when examining Athena’s duality. She provides Odysseus both her counsel and assistance throughout the story yet she’s also the entity that keeps him exiled from his home. Athena’s role, similar to the other gods, is to correct apparent injustices. “Oh father Zeus and gods and bliss forever let no man holding scepter as a king think to be mild the fatherhood and mercy through his reign. Meanwhile he lives and grieves upon the island of the nymph…” Book 5 lines 9-21. These lines show that Athena is concerned about the injustice that surrounds Odysseus and his son. This suggests that gods can become active in the role of mortals and may aid them to correct inequity through their fate. This paper will explore the obligations Athena had to ensure Odysseus’ voyage home safely as well as the thematic importance of fate in The Odyssey and the intervention and the power of the gods and goddesses. Fate is one of the occurring themes throughout the Odyssey, where the intervention of the gods and goddesses is common due to the triumphs of men and women.

Homer's epic tale The Odyssey is a story of the triumphs and downfalls that are in store for one warrior's long pillage home.  Odysseus, the hero from the Trojan wars, has led his people of Ithaca and other Achaean soldiers to victory and now wishes to return home to his wife and family of Ithaca.  Through his twenty year journey Odysseus is often tested not only of his physical strength, but his wits as well.  The many accomplishments he achieved earned him great status and recognition throughout ancient Greece.  The mistakes he made caused the deaths of many men.  Consequently, we as readers are able to see the many personas that Odysseus carries with him.