Reflection About Hermes

Athena has a great interest in Odysseus and tells him everything he should know on his journey home so he can come back alive. For instance, when Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors, she makes their spears miss him while they are in a fight. “But Athena made their shots all come to nothing, one man hitting the doorpost, another the door, another’s bronze-tipped ash spear sticking into the wall. ”(Book 22, lines 272-275). She also releases him from being trapped on an island for seven years, and she influences his son to keep faith that his father is still alive.

In Greek Mythology, Hermes is a great example of the trickster archetype. Hermes was a Greek god and also son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia. Hermes is known mainly as the messenger of the gods on Mount Olympus. He is known for using his tricks to both help and hurt people throughout Greek history and mythology. Author Ron Leadbetter contends that Hermes took some of his brother Apollos cattle and brought them to a small grotto where he hid them. (Leadbetter)

Athena is helping Odysseus in every way she can. She even eases Penelope's distress about the suitors, and aids Telemachus in his journey to find his father. She is trying very hard to reunite the family safely. Poseidon, however, is acting as the antagonist in this situation. He has a grievance with Odysseus because he injured the Cyclops, who called upon Poseidon to curse his homeward journey. Curse him he did. Poseidon conjures up terrible storms and rough sees to throw Odysseus off track and get him further away from his destination, even going so far as to toss him onto Kalypso's island for seven

They sent Hermes, the messenger god to convince Calypso to let Odysseus get back to his wife and son. His problems were not over yet once he left the island, however, because he had made Zeus an enemy. Zeus sent a terrible storm to rip apart Odysseus 's raft with the intentions that he be lost at sea forever. Gods saved him from this fate, though, when Ino and Athena give him a veil to keep him from drowning and changing the wind to make sure the waves carried Odysseus home. It was very important that Odysseus was so reverent towards the gods; otherwise he never would have made it home from the Trojan War.

Odysseus influenced and empowered the people of Ithaca with his words and actions. He was a strong leader who could spread positivity throughout the region and people believed and followed his orders. Odysseus was on Calypso’s island for seven years, but eventually he had to tell Calypso that he had to continue on his journey. Calypso said, “Now I am willing, heart and soul, to send you off at last” (Fagles 5.178). Calypso sent Odysseus off after he influenced her to allow him to leave. Odysseus used his words and actions to finally leave the island of Ogygia. It took him several years, but after talking to the gods, he finally made his journey back to Ithaca. Odysseus used his actions in book nine by saving his crew members because they were being held hostage by the Cyclops... “Now, at last, I thrust our stake in a bed of embers to get it red-hot and rallied all my comrades: Courage-no panic, no one hang back now!’ (Fagles 9.420-422). This quote explains how Odysseus interacted with his crew and would sacrifice his life for his shipmates. Odysseus was a hero to the people of Ithaca because of his powerful words and bold

Odysseus is the leader of his men and it is his job to return them home safely. They look up to Odysseus and follow him, whether they believe he has made the right or wrong decision. When Odysseus and his men are stuck with the cyclops it is Odysseus that comes up with the plan to save them. Odysseus is smart and is favored by Athena and as such, Athena helps him devise a plan. One time when Odysseus’ men do not seek his advice they make a mistake and it costs them on their journey. “While Odysseus is sleeping the men open the bag, thinking it contains gold and silver. The bad winds thus escape and blow the ships back to Aeolus’ island.” “Book Ten, Page 916.” The quote shows that the men need Odysseus there to help them and that without him Odysseus men make stupid decisions. Because the men opened the bag Aeolus did not help them again, he believed that their voyage was cursed.

One of Odysseus's many privileges was having the trust of many gods. The book says, “Yet all gods pitied Lord Odysseus, all but Poseidon,” (Pg 3). Odysseus used the gods’ feelings to his advantage. Whenever he needed help to look better or get off of Calypso's Island the gods helped him. This leads the reader to believe that Odysseus would not have survived

One of the phases in Athena’s plan involves getting Odysseus off of Calypso’s island. In order to do so, she argues in front of the Olympian court, convincing Zeus to send Hermes to Calypso. Following Zeus’s orders, Hermes delivers a message to Calypso that instructs, “… Zeus commands you to send him off with all good speed: it is not fate to die here, far from his loved ones, reach his high-roofed house, his native land at last” (Homer 156). With Athena’s help, Calypso grants Odysseus freedom from her tropical prison. Without Athena’s loyalty and determination, Odysseus would have never left Calypso’s and Polyphemus’ island to continue on his journey

Odysseus didn’t have any powers but he was crafty, and wise, a great liar and story teller. He was smart strong and courageous. With these skills Odysseus is able to fool his enemy’s and win wars. In the story of “The Odyssey” he is able to use his skills to return home.

Overall, Odysseus went from being imprisoned to the gods allowing him to be set free and return home. The gods believed that he waited long enough and deserved to go home after many years. Hermes being sent was what allowed him to gain enough courage to take the journey home. Hermes also made sure that Calypso let him free so that Odysseus is able begin his journey home. The heroic cycle begins to develop because Odysseus is finally able to return to Ithaca, after ten years in captivity. Without the first step of the heroic cycle, the call, Odysseus never would have gotten back to Ithaca or developed as a hero.

Hermes helps him out and gives him a plan to help save his men. So our hero is saved by the god Hermes from a horrible fate. Still Odysseus is not content to sail on and leave the goddess behind (Odyssey 10:269-532). Here Odysseus lost sight of his goal, thinking he was in full control of the situation. Only after a full year has past does he even ask Circe to help them on their way and only at the urging of his crew. He forgets that it was only by the gods help that he was able to triumph over Circe. There was no other way he could have survived her magic. In a sense he is beat by her because he forgets his voyage home and wastes a year in tarring there. By forgetting the voyage he denies himself, a hero, and forgets his family and subjects in Ithaca. Exactly the same threat that the lotus eaters posed to Odysseus and his men. The temptation that Circe offers is a life of pleasure. Anything you desire: food, sport, beautiful women, anything at all. For a time Odysseus is taken in my her offer but thanks to his men he is able to break free of it and remember his home and family.

Odysseus arrives on Calypso’s island alone, after the loss of his men and ship. Calypso rescues him and loves and cares for him in her cave. At first, it seems like Odysseus doesn’t seem much to mind her taking care of him, but over time it is plainly evident that he is unhappy with her. When Hermes arrives on Calypso’s island to give her the message from Zeus to release Odysseus, he is bawling on the beach a day-long activity for him. Calypso is holding him with her by force; she has no companions to help him back to Ithaka, nor has she a ship to send him in. Athena pleads with Zeus to give Odysseus good fortune, saying that "he lies away on an island suffering strong pains in the palace of the nymph Kalypso, and she detains him by constraint, and he cannot make his way to his country, for he has not any ships by him, nor any companions who can convey him back

Hermes (called Mercury in Roman mythology) was considered the messenger of the Olympic gods. According to legend, he was the son of Zeus, king of Mount Olympus, and Maia, a nymph. As time went on, he was also associated with luck, shepherds, athletes, thieves, and merchants.

Odysseus had lots of supernatural aid that had helped him through his story and the journey he went on . The fundamental point of supernatural aid in the story is that Odysseus has help from the goddess Athena, who “ disguised Odysseus as a beggar” ( Homer 569 ). Odysseus’s role was helped by Athena's cleverness towards Odysseus . She was able to help him by using her god like powers was that gave him a boost to do what is right and get back home to be with his family again. Athena disguises him because Athena appears “ and informs him of the situation at home “ ( Homer 568 ). This part of the story is important because. Supernatural Aid helps the excursionist in a way that makes his or her adventure easier, but it also makes it harder for the aid to help after a while this gives Odysseus another reason to come back home to Ithaca is to fight the suitors trying to kill his son and trying to seduce his wife even though she thinks he is dead , as well. This

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