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Athena in The Odyssey acted as a guardian towards Odysseus’ family, ensuring their safety and prosperity in the Homeric Classic. Her actions lead to various points in the play that both exhibit her characteristics as a Greek goddess and emphasize her empathic nature towards humans.
Athena helps Odysseus a final time by preventing a civil war on Ithaca. She gives his father the strength to strike down the leader of the suitors’ families, then commands the people of Ithaca to disperse and accept Odysseus as their returned king.
As goddess of wisdom and battle, Athena naturally has a soft spot for the brave and wily Odysseus. She helps him out of many tough situations, including his shipwreck in Book 5 and the mismatched battle of Book 22. She does not merely impart sense and safety to her passive charge, however.
Athena transforms the appearance of Odysseus when he lands in the land of the Phaecians in order to win the favour from Nausicaa, the daughter of Alcinous, the king of the Phaecians as well as helping him upon his return to Ithaca.
From the very beginning of the Odyssey, Athena is helping Odysseus. Her first act that the readers see is persuading Zeus to send Hermes to Ogygia, Calypso's island, to inform her that it is Zeus’s will that Odysseus continues his journey home.
The epic highlights the capricious nature of the gods, with deities like Athena aiding Odysseus, while others like Poseidon hinder him. This interplay reflects the ancient Greeks' beliefs about divine influence on mortal lives.
Athena appears in Homer’s Odyssey as the tutelary deity of Odysseus, and myths from later sources portray her similarly as helper of Perseus and Heracles (Hercules). As the guardian of the welfare of kings, Athena became the goddess of good counsel, of prudent restraint and practical insight, as well as of war.
In The Odyssey, Athena plays a crucial role as Odysseus's divine protector and guide. She assists him in various ways, such as warding off danger during battles and helping him navigate the...
Athena embodies the role of a mentor, teaching Odysseus the importance of strategy, patience, and wisdom in overcoming obstacles. Teaching Strategy: She emphasizes the need for cunning over brute strength, guiding him to think critically about his circumstances.
Recognized at first only by his faithful dog and a nurse, Odysseus proves his identity—with the aid of Athena—by accomplishing Penelope’s test of stringing and shooting with his old bow. He then, with the help of Telemachus and two slaves, slays Penelope’s suitors.