At his daughter’s request, the king of the gods orders Calypso to release Odysseus from her island.Īfter seven years with the nymph, Odysseus is sent away on a raft. When Poseidon, who had a long-standing grudge against the Ithacan king, is absent Athena petitions Zeus to allow Odysseus to return home. By this point the hero has been traveling for almost a decade and Athena finally intercedes on his behalf. As his journey nears its end, however, she begins to take a more personal role in shaping his actions.īecause the Odyssey is told out of chronological order, Athena’s intervention on behalf of Odysseus occurs in Book 5. While she appears to have softened toward Odysseus, however, she remains at a distance.Īthena occasionally appears to Odysseus in dreams and indirectly helps him through his voyage. While she rarely makes herself known early in the travels of Odysseus, by the time he reaches Ithaca she proves to have played a major role in his story.īefore the journey of Odysseus began, he and the other Greek commanders had earned the ire of the goddess by desecrating her temple in Troy. In this, she seemed particularly favorable toward Odysseus.Īthena is an almost constant source of inspiration and assistance in the Odyssey. While she was a warrior, however, Athena’s greatest gifts were for those who used cunning and intelligence to win their fights. Legendary figures such as Heracles and Perseus often received aid from the goddess on their quests. The goddess of wisdom and war, Athena, was also considered the patroness of heroes. How important was Athena’s aid in the Odyssey? Without the goddess, Odysseus may never have made it home to Ithaca, and he certainly would not have regained his throne! Athena as the Hero’s Patron The goddess of wisdom and war plays a vital role as a mentor, advisor, and source of strength. The notable exception to the distant gods in the Odyssey is Athena. Zeus, too, does not make himself directly known to the lost hero. While Poseidon’s anger toward Odysseus drives the story, the god himself rarely appears. By and large, they seem to have distanced themselves from the affairs of men. The Odyssey shows the gods as involved, but in a much more indirect way. They are present in many battles and their influence is apparent throughout the Trojan War. In the Iliad, the gods have prominent and constant roles.

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