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Final Paper

Question 4

Athena’s Intervention

Athena requests her father, Zeus, to allow Odysseus to return to Ithaca after spending a

decade at the sea. Poseidon seeks to intervene but Athena saves Odysseus life by bringing him to

those who would offer the necessary help. The reason behind Athena’s constant help for

Odysseus is to help him regain the throne for himself. From the Greeks perspective, this could be

associated with the probability of Odysseus deriving his authority from Athena. That is why the

goddess intervenes on his behalf to ensure that he eventually gets to Ithaca. Athena intervenes

whenever Odysseus is in trouble to help him out. She intervenes by petitioning on behalf of

Odysseus to the other Gods or by disguising him into a form that will help him escape trouble.

Athena plays a significant role in the story of Odysseus homecoming. She protects him with her

shield on his journey from Troy to Ithaca. Besides, she tries to make the suitors give up on

Penelope. Athena helps in changing the appearance of Odysseus so that he can gain the

necessary information from people to succeed in his plan. For instance, she disguised Odysseus

to a beggar when he got to Ithaca. Therefore, Athena is on the side of Odysseus and she uses all

means such as mentoring to see him succeed in the journey back to Ithaca.
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Athena provides divine intervention and social advice to Telemachus and Odysseus. The

first five books of Homers epic involves the story of Telemachus mission of searching the truth

about his father who left him at a tender age and disappeared on his way back from the Trojan

War. Athena intervenes on behalf of Telemachus and approaches Zeus and the Olympian Court.

She persuades them to free Odysseus so that he can reunite with his family and especially his son

Telemachus. At the time when Athena was carrying out her plans to intervene on behalf of

Telemachus, Poseidon, a god whom Odysseus has angered was away and could not counter her

argument (Lombardo and Murnaghan, 78). Athena was determined to help Odysseus because she

knew he yearned for home. She states that her heart breaks for Odysseus, the seasoned veteran

who had been cursed by fate for too long (Lombardo and Murnaghan, 79). Athena convinces

Telemachus to find the Truth about his father’s whereabouts. She inspires Telemachus and

encourages him that his father is still alive, held captive somewhere in the wide world and that

the only way to find him is by searching for him personally (Lombardo and Murnaghan, 84).

The other way that Athena intervenes is by providing social advice to Telemachus which

will help him find his father. She advices him to approach King Nestor who may know about his

father’s whereabouts. However, Telemachus is nervous because he had never left Ithaca before.

He asks Athena, “How can I greet him, Mentor, even approach the king? I am hardly adept at

subtle conversation” (Lombardo and Murnaghan, 108). Athena, full of wisdom reassures him

that gods have made it so and therefore he will have words inside him; some words will be

within himself and others, he will get inspiration from his powers. Telemachus, on visiting King

Nestor gains important information about his father which could not be possible without

assistance from Athena. Besides, Athena shows her support when she accompanies Telemachus
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to King Nestor’s Palace where it is revealed that Odysseus have been held captive on the

Calypso’s island and is yearning to get back to Ithaca.

Roles of Athena in Odysseus Homecoming

Athena plays a significant role in Odysseus homecoming. Upon visiting King Nestor, it is

revealed that Odysseus is trapped in the Calypso’s island. Athena appears in from of the

Olympian Court and requests Zeus to send Hermes to Calypso. Hermes delivers a message that

instructs Calypso to release Odysseus from prison and that his journeys home –exile must come

to an end (Lombardo and Murnaghan, 153). Therefore, Athena plays a significant role in the

release of Odysseus from Calypsos. However, Poseidon, the god who Odysseus had angered

spots him and sends a storm to destroy his ship and make him stranded in the middle of the

ocean. Once again, Athena intervenes and encourages Odysseus to keep swimming till he gets to

the Phoenician coast (Lombardo and Murnaghan, 164). Athena’s role is motivated by the idea of

bringing Odysseus home and reuniting him with his son, Telemachus and Penelope, his wife.

Were it not for Athena’s mentorship, guidance and assistance, Odysseus would never return back

to Ithaca

Throughout the epic, Athena plays a role of providing Telemachus and Odysseus with

supernatural powers. She also speaks on their behalf on Mount Olympus in a council of gods.

She appears disguised as an old friend to Odysseus, mentor and family friend. He advises and

instructs Telemachus in the absence of his father. Besides, she is capable of changing the

appearance of human beings. For example, when Odysseus gets to Ithaca and need to gather

information without revealing his true identity, Athena disguises him into an old beggar. She

changes his appearance by taking the fire out of his eyes and wrinkling the skin. Sometimes,
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Athena makes him look taller, shorter, and young and renews his vigor whenever appropriate.

Athena’s intervention is essential because she allows humans to get to their destinies. For

instance, in the battle between Odysseus and the Suitors, she intervenes by encouraging and

helping him to return the tides. She allows victory to the mortals.

Relationship between Athena and Odysseus

The relationship between Athena and Odysseus is of mutual respect. It is founded on

their shared skills and schemers. Athena does not help Odysseus because he is a unique man but

because they share similar characteristics such as cunning and schemer. Athena says that

Odysseus is crafty and even a god would have to be a good lying cheat to get past him

(Lombardo and Murnaghan, 330). Besides, their relationship is that of a god and a mortal.

Athena guides and offer assistance to Odysseus because he is mortal and have no power over the

gods. She pleads with gods on behalf of Odysseus. Such depicts some form of restrictions that

prevents Odysseus from talking directly to the gods and have to go through an immortal like

Athena. For instance, she convinced Zeus to send Hermes to deliver a message about the need

for Odysseus release from the Calypsos Island (Lombardo and Murnaghan, 153). Their

relationship reveals the features of an ideal hero in the Greek culture. A hero should have similar

characteristics to attract the interest of gods. Sharing similar characteristics with a god boosts and

individual relationship. Such gives them the privileges of getting divine power from the gods

which brings them victory in wars. Besides, the god’s gains control decisions through

mentorship which determines their fate.

Representation of Athena in the Miller’s Circe Novel

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The Miller’s novel changes the representation of Athena’s role from the Homer’s epic.

In Miller’s novel, Athena is represented in a negative manner. Circe encounters various trials

including the conflict with Athena. She is portrayed as god of vengeance and brings suffering

and misery in the life of Circe. For instance, she loves Odysseus too much and want to revenge

on his behalf by killing his son whom he had sired with Circe, Telegonus (Miller, n.p). Besides,

Athena is represented as a character who should be feared unlike in the Homer’s epic where he is

friendly, offer assistance and mentorship. Circe fears that Athena will target Telegonus on his

journey to see Odysseus. To protect her son, Circe makes a deal with Poseidon who provides a

weapon to kill the god. However, Odysseus dies in the hand of Telegonus through the same

weapon that Circe had given his son. Perhaps, if Athena was not a threat to Telegonus, Odysseus

would not have died out of the same weapon that was supposed to protect his son, Telegonus.
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Works Cited

Lombardo and Murnaghan,. The Odyssey Of Homer.. America Hackett Publishing Company.

2000, pp. 44-178.

Miller, Madeline. Circe. Little, Brown And Company, p. n.d.