Tormenting mankind is no difficult feat; given sufficient power, any person or entity that has power over another can abuse it to inflict substantial harm and torment on other people. Dictators do this; tyrants do this as well. In terms of Greek mythology, the closest analogue to these terrible people are the gods – capricious, spiteful entities who often treat mankind like their own, personal playthings. All too often in Greek myth, mankind will fall victim to the whims of the gods, who perform terrible acts of spite or capriciousness on them for their own selfish reasons. The Greek gods are particularly cruel, tormenting entities, particularly where mankind is concerned.
Odysseus’ long, arduous journey home in The Odyssey, while eventually successful and happy, is beset with problems created by many different gods. While Athena and Zeus in particular are supportive of his journey home, Poseidon carries a particular grudge against Odysseus for making his son, the Cyclops, blind; as a result, he destroys Odysseus’ ship using a particularly nasty storm. Like many acts of vengeance against a man by a god, Odysseus did not mean to slight Poseidon; he was merely acting in self-defense, as the Cyclops meant to devour him and his crew. Instead of understanding why Odysseus did what he did, Poseidon seeks to take his vengeance on someone for doing what they had to do (Homer, The Odyssey, Book 9).
However, the most intriguing relationship by far has to be between Odysseus and the god Athena, sister of Apollo. The daughter of Zeus, Athena is responsible for Odysseus' journey in the first place - she had sent him to wander in order to punish him for the events in Troy - the temple was desecrated by one of his warriors. However, Odysseus finds a friend in Athena throughout the course of the book, as she steps in repeatedly to intervene on Odysseus' behalf and help him get home and save his life. Given that most, if not all, of the other gods do everything they can to hinder Odysseus in his journey, Athena's choice to help him is curious. Why does she favor Odysseus above all others? The answer, surprisingly, may lie in their common ability to disguise themselves. While Odysseus disguises himself with lies, Athena constantly appears to others as a different person - Odysseus' ability to manipulate and lie allows him to act as someone that he is not, something that Athena respects very much. This lies at the heart of her decision to aid him throughout The Odyssey.
Odysseus is a skilled warrior and hero, but one of his most interesting qualities is his ability to manipulate - to lie, cheat and deceive. For the majority of the book, this is how he manages to evade capture or death, and accomplish his goals. In the cave of Polyphemous, he tells the Cyclops that his name is "Nobody," figuratively blinding him as to Odysseus' true identity. Later, while escaping, Odysseus literally blinds Cyclops, making physical what he uses his wits to figuratively accomplish - when he is disguised through trickery, no one can 'see' Odysseys for who he truly is, and that is something that Athena respects greatly. The sea nymph Ino gives him a veil that he uses to infiltrate the Phaeacians on the island of Scherie, this disguise becoming a bit more literal.
Athena's respect for cunning is evident, as she feels a kinship with Odysseus for his ability to mask his identity and lie to aid himself in his quest. Athena says herself in Book 13 of The Odyssey: "We both know tricks, since you are by far the best among all men in counsel and tales, but I among all the Gods have renown for wit (metis) and tricks" (Homer, Book 13, 296-299). In this way, it is clear that Odysseys is Athena's favorite, and favors him above all men (and much of the gods). In the beginning of the book, Athena begs Zeus to allow her to help him - "My own heart is broken for Odysseus" (Homer, 3). Once he relents, she convinces him to get Hermes to send the message to Calypso that Odysseus should be released and continue on his journey back to Ithaca.
Athena's ability to disguise herself is part of her motif throughout the story, but she also manages to manipulate the appearance of others and the environment to suit her goals. In order to get Odysseus home, Athena also alters his appearance to make him more attractive to the Princess Nausikaa. In order to get her to help him, Athena comes to Nausikaa in a dream to inspire her to go to the river, and give her the strength to help the grimy and naked Odysseus. With this enhanced look, Nausikaa approves of him and helps him get home (Homer, 105). Meeting with Nausikaa's parents, Arete and Alkinous, Odysseus manages to disguise himself further by not revealing his name right away, as they simply do not ask him for it.
Athena continues to assist Odysseus long after she gets him the favor of Nausikaa. She "pours a sea fog" around Odysseus to guard him after he gets to the city where Nausikaa has guided him. She then changes herself into a little girl in order to get him to the palace (Homer, 111-112). She finally gets to speak to Odysseus directly after turning herself into a shepherd boy (Homer, 238). Once she reveals herself as Athena and congratulates him on making it home, she declares herself as "I that am always with you in times of trial, a shield to you in battle" (Homer, 240). This fondness comes from their shared love of trickery, and their cunning metis that they share.
Athena's help for Odysseus does not extend just to him; she also aids his family in their troubles. When Penelope is dealing with the many suitors that have come to take her hand in marriage, she urges Penelope to manipulate the suitors into an archery competition to win her hand. This allows Odysseus to win, as the contest is performed with his own bow. This is one of the ultimate examples of Athena's love for Odysseus' disguises; working together after having been through so much, Athena and Odysseus effectively collaborate with dual disguises to show each other their craft. Odysseus disguises himself as a wandering beggar, with the help of Athena, in order to infiltrate his house and find out what the situation is with the suitors. Taking his physical disguise (granted by the godlike powers of Athena), he plays the part well, using his own gift of lying to manufacture a story about his childhood in Crete, his role fighting with the Greeks in the Trojan War, and then the seven years that he spend in the Egyptian king's court. Finishing the story with a shipwreck in Thesprotia and eventual landing in Ithaca, Odysseus weaves a tale that is worthy of Athena's godlike disguise. He even pulls this disguise on his wife Penelope, testing her love by mentioning Odysseus and gauging her reaction. By working together so closely in this way to collaborate on a disguise, Athena and Odysseus share their mutual respect for trickery and their abilities.
Once Odysseus reveals himself, Athena joins him and his son in the slaughtering of the other suitors by turning the tide of the battle; at the same time, she permits the mortals to enjoy the fruits of their battling. After the battle, Athena herself effectively renews their vows, rewarding him for his hard work and strife in his quest to return home: "Then for all time to come a solemn covenant between the two was made by Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus, who bears the aegis, in the likeness of Mentor both in form and in voice" (Homer, Book 24, 547).
Athena also helps Telemachus in much the same way that she helps Odysseus. Not wishing to reveal herself as the goddess Athena, she takes many shapes when aiding Telemachus, most notably the Taphian captain Mentes. Flying to him, Athena as Mentes urges Telemachus to look for Odysseus, bringing more forces to his aid. She is very jovial with him, speaking and engaging in conversation with him (Homer, 415). This is an obvious attempt to aid Odysseus and get to know him better through the behavior of his son. Furthermore, she also speaks to Telemachus in the form of the Mentor, offering him aid and counsel. Near the end of the book, when Laertes is going to be reunited with Odysseus, Athena makes Laertes look better for his son's return (Homer, Book 24). Once everyone is bickering, she appears as the Mentor again to calm everyone down.
Athena is constantly aiding Odysseus and helping him in his travels, for the sake of the kinship mentioned previously. Like Odysseus, Athena is a being of action, preferring to do instead of ruminate, and they possess substantial initiative. Odysseus is always obsessed with winning glory through significant accomplishments, and that inspires his constant desire to move, to act, and to do. After he is tempted to spend the rest of his life with Calypso, he eventually makes his way out because he cannot stand to be without adventure and movement. Often, he will delay his journey home to further his adventures, as when he ransacks the Cicones or raids the cave of Polyphemus. His inventiveness and resourcefulness attract him to Athena, who constantly works behind the scenes to help him accomplish his ends. However, one of the most important distinctions to make is that Athena does not simply spirit him home, as it is presumably in her power to do. Instead, she helps him just enough to make him earn the ability to get home, and his own glory and strength takes him the rest of the way. In this way, Athena shows respect to Odysseus by permitting him to demonstrate his wiles for her, of which she is constantly impressed. "Would that bright-eyed Athena should care to love you as once she cherished mighty Ulysses in the land of the Trojans, where we Achaeans suffered woes -- for I never saw the Gods showing such open affection as Pallas Athena stood by him for all to see" (Homer, Book 3, 218-222).
One may wonder why the gods besides Athena behave so irrationally and impetuously. It could be argued that, because the gods start out as children, grow up to a certain point, and then stay immortal, that they are perpetually stuck in adolescence or young adulthood. Artemis and Apollo, for instance, are still both teenagers, making it quite dangerous for them to be granted supreme powers. Emotions still run high, and they are never truly granted the power of wisdom to temper their emotions and behave rationally. The Greeks used these negative myths about the gods to explain away terrible things; therefore, the gods would have to be tyrannical and spiteful, in order to explain the often arbitrary and random nature of floods, plagues, disease and war (Powell, 2008). In the case of Athena, however, the Greeks likely found solace in knowing that there was one protector god that could find favor with them, particularly in the case of Odysseus. With both of their trickster natures, it is easy to see just how infatuated Athena could be with him; finally, she sees a mortal man that has a noble cause and is as able to shift himself and his identity as she is.
Works Cited
Homer. The Odyssey.
Powell, B. B. Classical myth (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall. 2008.
