Homers epic poem The Odyssey, written in Ancient Greece, focusses on Odysseus struggle to get home 10 years after the Trojan war while his son, Telemachus, seeks information on his father, Odysseus. With their many attempts to find or leave, they face many dangers leaving the gods no choice but to pity them and help or make their situation worse and make them suffer.
Homer’s The odyssey shows this positive and negative intervention of gods through the many disguises and actions the gods take/do.
Homer portrays the positive intervention of gods through Athena’s many disguises and actions that come from them. Telemachus is sitting in the beach, praying to Athena, after being called crazy by the suitors. Athena disguised as Mentor, talks to Telemachus with encouraging words
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She says, “Telemachus you’ll lack neither courage nor sense from this day on, … the journey that stirs you is not far off, not with the likes of me, your fathers friend and yours.”
(2.302-319). Athena’s words, like “you’ll lack neither courage nor sense …”, show how she encourages him from feeling inferior to the suitors but stronger and much smarter. Athena also offers her help through disguising herself as Mentor and stating, “the journey that stirs you is not far…not with the likes of me, your fathers friend.” which shows that Mentor will help
Telemachus find his father with his skills of guidance (guide him personally or guide his ship).
Odysseus is sleeping by a river in some bushes after his “raft” wreck. Athena goes to the palace of the island and disguises herself as Nausicaa’s friend (Dymas’ Daughter). Athena whispers to her while she is sleeping. “Come let’s go wash these clothes at the break of day – I’ll help you
lend a hand, and the work will fly! You won’t stay unwed for long.” (6.34-37). Athena’s
Hector, acting on Helenus’ advice, told the Trojan women to make offerings to Athena, hoping she’d pity them and thus stop Diomedes from massacring any more of his soldiers.
The ancient Greeks have brought upon numerous ideas, inventions, and stories to the world. Greek mythology influences modern day literature and life. The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer, which tells the story of Odysseus's journey home after the Trojan War. Odysseus does not achieve his goal of reaching home so easily; monsters and gods come in his way and hinder him. The Odyssey expresses Greek values of hospitality from the customs of Ithaca, humility from Odysseus’s reform, and loyalty from Odysseus’s family.
To whom does Athena refer when she says: They all would find death was quick, and marriage a painful
She later sparks a flame inside of Telemachus to embark on his journey to find his father. At the first destination Telemachus arrives at, Athena appears once again in the court of King Nestor. She appears in the form of an eagle to represent that she is beside Telemachus in his righteous journey to find his father. When hearing of her son’s departure, Penelope becomes extremely distraught. In an attempt to reassure and comfort her, Athena appears as a “glimmering phantom” and says these comforting words, “Take heart, and don’t be so afraid. The guide who goes with him is one many men pray for to stand at their side, a powerful ally- Pallas Athena. And she pities you in your grief, for it is she who sent me to tell you this” (Homer 342). There are many motivators for Athena in The Odyssey. Some could argue she relates with Penelope, and provides protection for her household throughout the years. Others may say she is enamored with Odysseus because of their relating character traits. Athena basically takes on the motherly role of watching over both Telemachus and Odysseus. She monitors both of the men’s journeys, and allows them to go through tribulations in order to grow emotionally and spiritually. Brian Lower a literature professor from Union College wrote,” Athena allows Odysseus to experience the storm, but not die. She knows that it will make him stronger for it. There is an
Life in Greece was heavily influenced by the mythological gods and goddesses. These twelve all powerful gods and goddesses were thought to control every aspect of existence, from things like nature and pleasure to death and destruction. The Greeks gave sacrifices and prayed to these gods. The divine intervention of these gods was thought to bring great fortune or horrible destruction. In Homer’s, “The Odyssey”, the divine intervention of the Olympian gods both benefited, and hurt Odysseus’ journey home.
In every journey the hero also has a mentor. In this story Athena, the gray-eyed goddess of wisdom, has taken on this role for both Odysseus and Telemachus. Athena was by Odysseus’ side as a guide for much of the beginning of his Journey. Athena also is a guide to Odysseus when he’s not even aware o...
The Greeks relay the their beliefs through the stories they tell, such as the Odyssey. The Odyssey exemplifies how the Greeks believe that divine intervention is needed in order to solve conflict. Demonstrated in the excerpt of the Odyssey, the Greeks highlight the irrationalism of men, and the only way to overcome that is through the interference of the gods.
The reader first finds the character of Telemachus sitting among the suitors in his father’s palace. This seemingly unimportant detail yields information regarding his temperament. The suitors, whom Homer portrays as malicious usurpers, continue to take advantage of Telemachus’ hospitality. Instead of defending his home, his mother, and his belongings from these men, Telemachus numbers among them. This lack of assertiveness displays his frailty and his helplessness given the overwhelming circumstances. At this point, Athena, disguised as Odysseus’ old friend Mentes, visits Telemachus in order to “inspire his heart with courage” (I.105). The two share a meal and engage in a lengthy conversation. The goddess discusses how Telemachus should handle the troublesome suitors and suggests a journey to try to ascertain the whereabouts of Odysseus. The conversation appears to immediately galvanize the young man’s resolve. In fact, immediately after her departure, he summons the courage to confront the suitors, demanding that they are to leave his house at once. The assertiveness that Telemachus displays in this instance is a dramatic departure from ...
The Odyssey, an epic poem by Homer, was written towards the end of the 8th century. It follows the epic hero, Odysseus, and his twenty year voyage home to Ithaca. After helping Greece win the Trojan war, he faces many challenges before returning to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. Throughout the story, Homer captures many different concepts of the human being. He presents the universal life lesson that that not all circumstances one must face in life are exactly how they seem, no matter how they appear physically, and being unaware of this deception can bring pain and loss. The Sirens, the Lotus Flower, and Odysseus in disguise are all symbols of the daily deceptions we all face, as a way to teach readers that even if something or
Early on in both of their stories, Odysseus and Telemachus learn to practice strong will in initiating their own journeys. Even though Telemachus reaches the cusp of his childhood, the individuals around him plague him into believing he remains a boy. In the Odyssey, gods are considered to control vast things such as fate or choose to intrude in the lives of mortals. One of these goddesses, Athena, desires to aid both Odysseus and Telemachus in their journeys. In disguise, she gives Telemachus inspiration to initiate the steps to adulthood by saying, “you’ll never be fainthearted or a fool, /Telemachus, if you have your father’s spirit; /he finished what he cared to say,” (Homer 27). With this he commences the hardship of finding his father by immediately calling an assembly and defying the men around him who thought him incapable. Meanwhile, Odysseus has already faced trials testing his determination. He evades the many temptations of immortals su...
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.
Finally, Pallas Athena stood up and in her armor, went before her father out of whole own head she was born and his wife, Hera. She said: “ Oh mighty Zeus, my king and my father, and beautiful Hera of the white arms hear me and see you in all your bickering have called storm down upon our mother Gaia. She is in great terror, and the waters of her teas may soon overrun the earth in yet another flood. Please, hear my wisdom and let this madness end.”
In Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, gods play a very important role to the plot of the story. They are the one deciding if someone can survive or not according to the sacrifice that the person made for them. In the book 1, Athena said to Zeus her father, “Didn’t Odysseus please you with sacrifices beside the Greek ships at Troy?” (Homer 65, book1). In this part Athena was trying to plead with her father Zeus in favor of Odysseus because she wants to help him to go home, while others are trying to provoke his death. This love that Athena has for Odysseus and his family is revealed throughout Homer’s epic. Although Athena supported Odysseus throughout his voyage, other gods including Poseidon, Calypso, and Circe made it difficult for Odysseus to return home, such in our real life, some people will make your life hard, but you have a good faith as Odysseus, you should always find your way out. Our God is omnipr...
...a, escaping Calypso and the island of Ogygia, and Telemachus from Ithaca to Pylos and Sparta in search of his lost father. While The Odyssey tells of the courage both men demonstrate during their respective travels, their quests are the results of the intentions and desires of gods. Odysseus is trapped in exile on Ogygia by the will of Poseidon, whose anger Odysseus attracts when he blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, and by the love of Calypso, who wishes to make Odysseus her husband. He is released from Ogygia and permitted to return to Ithaca only by the command of Zeus, as delivered by Hermes. Telemachus, rather than being trapped physically, was detained emotionally, feeling helpless to repel the suitors wooing Penelope. Only through the motivation of the goddess Athena did Telemachus find the will and courage to embark in search of Odysseus.
Greek mythology has systematically included the intervention of gods and goddesses in matters of the mortal world, and Homer’s The Iliad is no different. The story is littered with divine intervention, with both positive and negative outcomes for the humans involved.