Athena In The Odyssey Essay

Athena is the daughter of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. She is one of the 12 Olympians that live on top of Mount Olympus. Athena is the goddess of wisdom, strategy, skill, and justice, and the owl is her sacred bird. In Mandelbaum verse translation of the epic poem the Odyssey of Homer, Athena helped Odysseus by providing guidance, physical, and internal help. Without this help, Odysseus would have to forge the path home by himself and face the challenges that are to come alone. He would be left to face the wrath of both Zeus and Poseidon without another major god’s help. Athena aided Odysseus in the trials he was to face, which gave him the guidance and help he needed to return to his home, Ithaca.

Athena aided Ody in his journey home by providing guidance and advice on difficult obstacles. She gives Odysseus a lot of advice on how to handle perilous obstacles. For example, Athena tells Odysseus to go home in a disguise. This is the reason that she transforms Odysseus back into a poor, shriveled beggar from a godlike man. The new disguise allows Odysseus to get home

When Odysseus was scrubbing his body in the river, Athena made him look like a god so he would be accepted by the king’s wife. As Homer states, “...Athena, the grey-eyed goddess, made him more robust and taller; and she gave him thicker hair, which flowed down from his head in curls and clusters that seemed much like the hyacinth in flower” (6.123). Besides the looks, Athena also gave him massive amounts of strength. During the physical competitions, Odysseus was showing off to the Phaeacians and he threw the largest and heaviest rock the farthest distance out of all of the men. This action awed both the royal family and the spectators, which allowed Odysseus to be even more admirable. Finally, Athena shrouds Odysseus in a mist so he would remain invisible from other people, preventing him from being questioned by