Athena's Favoritism Between Heroes In The Iliad

In Homer’s epic poem the Iliad, gods and goddesses play an important role in influencing the lives of humans, and Athena is an important part of the war. The goddess Athena is written mostly as a mortal, where she signifies the personification of war. Both sides of the war know that with Athena, they will not lose. This is probably why she is the most significant minor character. Athena is the most significant minor character because she is brave, wise, and she is a warrior. Athena plays a significant role in the unfolding drama, because both the Greeks and the Trojans know that her favor, they cannot be defeated.

In the book The Odyssey, a general from Ithaca, named Odysseus, has gone through a long journey to get home from the war in Troy. He and his crew have faced many rigorous unexpected challenges on their way home. On this journey, Odysseus has tried to be the hero and have everyone come out alive, but he was not successful. The actions of Odysseus, during his journey, does not qualify him as a hero. He is dishonest to his crew and friends and he takes them for granted.

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and the main character in homer’s The Odyssey, was gone for twenty years before finally returning to his family and his homeland. He struggled through many hardships and lost many loyal companions. The King of Ithaca would not have made it home without the assistance of the Greek gods. Despite all of the help and advice that Odysseus receives from the gods, he is a very brave man because his courage and daring in the cave of the Cyclops, his inability to give up and abandon his men on Circe’s island, and his flawless following of the gods instructions are acts of bravery that is uncommon in most men.

Athena herself participates in the judgement not as an unbiased arbiter of justice, but as a participant in the conflict who compromises and gains advantage from the consequences of her judgment just as Apollo, Orestes, and the Erinyes did. Athena judges with the interest of Athens, her city, in mind. When her judgment releases Orestes, he promises that "if they [his descendants] always honor this city of Pallas with the spear of allies,

Athena was the Greek Goddess of many ideas, but she was famous mostly for her superior wisdom, her cunning skills in times of war, and her implausible talent for household tasks, such as weaving and pottery. She was celebrated more than any other God in ancient mythology, was the supposed inventor of countless innovations, and her figure gave reason for Greek woman to gain rights long before others of their time. The goddess of war, the guardian of Athens, and the defender of Heroes; Athena’s impact on the lives of Ancient Greeks is outstanding.

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.

By taking the wife of Menelaus, he had dishonored him. While his brother is described as a great warrior, Paris is a described by Homer as a pretty boy that has success with women due to his charm. However, none of those traits seem to matter because he shies away from battle and he is mainly the object of disdain. In chapter 3, Paris didn’t have the courage to fight Menelaos for his own wrong doing. In chapter 6, as Hector arrives back to the city to make a sacrifice he sees Paris whom is not involved in the fighting. Another character that is depicted as dishonorable is seen in Book 2. Agamemnon decides to test the desire and courage of his soldiers by suggesting a retreat. The results were definitely counter to what Agamemnon intended, his troops quickly prepared their ships to depart. Odysseus quickly rallies the troops and reminds them of Calchas prophecy. However, one soldier Thersites whom is described as deformed and ugly (perhaps a metaphor because of his dishonor) argues that the war isn’t worth fighting. Odysseus quickly scolds Thersites and infers that Thersites has no honor because he does not wish to continue to fight. Odysseus then goes on to hit Thersites with a scepter and the Achaeans agree to fight again.

Odysseus is the main character in an epic poem called the Odyssey. In the poem Odysseus has had some bad luck getting home, with some of the gods helping him and some hindering him; his journey towards home is a constant struggle. In this poem we see a man being broke and rebuilt, through constant irony his faith was damaged and without the help of Athena he probably would have given up on his journey. Through his hard work and wise spirit he finally does achieve his goal.

The Odyssey is an epic poem that showcases the heroic actions contrasted with the grave disasters of Odysseus, a tragic hero on his way home from the war in Troy. The author, Homer, shows through Odysseus’ actions that even a hero such as he, has flaws. Flaws that if not acknowledged and learnt from, can spell grave disaster in the journey yet to come. Many Greeks recognize Odysseus as the most renowned hero of the Trojan war, thanks to his own accounts of his years away from Ithaca. Following the Greek beliefs, many believe that Odysseus couldn’t have kept himself away for so long, for only the gods can do something like this, and Odysseus can’t be the cause of the crew’s deaths, only the gods could be so cruel. While

Athena and Aphrodite have similar myths about their births. According to GreekMythology.com “Athena is the daughter of Zues; her birth is unique in that she did not have a mother. Instead, she sprang full grown and clad in armour from Zeus ' forehead.” Aphrodite’s birth was similar, according to Micha Lindemans of Pantheon.org “She was born when Uranus was castrated by his son Cronus. Cronus threw them into the ocean. From the sea foam arose Aphrodite, and the sea carried her to Cyprus.” Athena and Aphrodite both have strange and similar beginnings to their lives. Neither myth mentions them having a mother, Athena arose from Zeus’ split skull after he complained of headache and Aphrodite arose from the sea foam on a sea shell. Another

Athena shows sympathy for the agony mortals suffer through in life. Athena exposes the reader to this idea by confessing her concerns to Zeus in the beginning of the story, “but my own heart is broken for Odysseus” (book 1 line 67). We learn from this line that the gods are more than beings of vengeance,

Goddesses may help less able heroes in battle by removing them from the field, or disguising them. Aphrodite rescues Paris [p74] and Aeneas [p100] from the field when they are having difficulties. Goddesses physically influence the weapons being used in battle. In the case of Pandarus breaking the truce between the two sides, Athene stops the arrow fired at from being fatal by deflecting it. Another means by which goddesses help humans is by making people appear more fearful or more beautiful. When Achilles ventures out to the Greek wall in Book 18 [p342] to raise a battle cry, he is joined by Athene, and together they terrify the Trojans.

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.

In various encounters throughout the book, Athena, the goddess of wisdom influences the lives of Odysseus’s family in order to improve their fate due to her favoritism for the persistent mariner attempting to return home and respect of his cleverness. Her preference to Odysseus is seen in the beginning of Book 1 stating to her father, Zeus that she is concerned of the whereabouts of Odysseus and pleads for support to deliver him

This does not lessen his own responsibility for his treachery - He is a fool to