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The importance of athena in the odyssey
Athenas importance to the Greeks
Why is athena important to ancient greece
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The Odyssey brought to light many Mythological characters, as important as Odysseus was I don’t believe the poem would have had as much meaning if Athena wasn’t in it. Athena was known for her reasoning and strategic skill. She knew when to sit and watch and when to intervene. With Athena around, many had the ability to be someone they normally weren’t in both good and bad ways. Athena came to Odysseus, Penelope and Telemachus at different times for different reasons. However, Odysseus was her luckiest benefactor.
In the beginning of the poem Athena comes to Telemachus, and tells him to find a ship to go to find news on Odysseus. Telemachus wasn’t sure what to make of this as he didn’t think he was mature enough to make such a voyage, or how he would find a ship as well as people to sail it. Athena comes to him again on his voyage and helped him realize how strong he really was, strong enough to finally stand up for Penelope and his land. Which meant standing up to the rowdy unruly suitors that felt they had all rights to Odysseus’ goods. His strength really came through when dealing with the suitors after Odysseus’ return.
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Every time Athena visited her, she helped her sleep or helped in forgetting her sorrow of Odysseus. I felt like Athena knew she needed to make Penelope that way so the others could do their job without the interference of someone so lost. Athena was also able to make Penelope even more beautiful, someone the suitors wanted all the more, which kept them occupied to allow the suitor’s planned death come to
Even though Odysseus was physically strong, at other times he was weak. When the Phaeacians returned Odysseus home, Odysseus not knowing where he was recounted his jewels and gifts. While doing so the Phaeacians were just turned to stone by Poseidon for helping him return home. Odysseus can practically do whatever any god can do but with the help of them. So speaking, Odysseus says to Athena, "And do you stand beside me, inspiring hardy courage, even so as when we tore the shining crown from Troy"(130). When Odysseus was at war with Troy, Athena gave him guidance.
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
...sion and skill, Odysseus exhibited his full physical capabilities to all the suitors. Odysseus’ strength is one of his greatest qualities that assist him on his long weary journey home. According to Simon Argimate, “ Odysseus embodies such qualities as bravery, physical strength, and supreme cleverness, but he eventually also comes to represent the more mature attributes of endurance, wisdom, and self-control” (1). With these qualities, Odysseus is able to finally return home to Ithaca to his wife Penelope.
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...
...o all guests saved Odysseus and helped him return home to his wife, son, and kingdom. Even though people from many different kingdoms and islands took Odysseus in their home and showed him great kindness on his return home, the individual who helped him most was the goddess Athena. In many occasions Athena assisted Odysseus. One such example is when Odysseus was fighting of the suitors and they threw spears at him. "Re-forming, the suitors threw again with all their strength, but Athena turned their shots, or all but two (p 566)." Another instance which Athena aided Odysseus was when she disguised him as a beggar on his arrival to his homeland. "Would even you have guessed that I am Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus, I that am always with you in times of trial, a shield to you in battle (p 444)." "Your goddess-guardian to the end in all your trials (p 539)."
Penelope is the most important female character in the epic because Odysseus ' homecoming is centered on reconnecting with her. Ten years has past and Odysseus has still not returned from the war and is seemingly dead. Many suitors desire to replace him, by taking Penelope 's hand in marriage and Odysseus ' property. While unsure of Penelope 's attitude towards these suitors, readers are constantly reminded of her faithfulness to Odysseus. Although Odysseus does not know whether Penelope remains faithful to him, he still yearns to come home. “The expectations and limitations of the male and female roles in the Odyssey are accepted and never questioned”. (Whittaker 40) Society expects women in Penelope’s position to remain devoted to their significant other even after all these years and not knowing whether or not he is alive but are more forgiving to men who commit adultery like Odysseus. This situation once again brings up the question of a double standard modeled in The
Homer also makes her seem clever when she gets all of the suitors to bring her gifts before she “chooses one” knowing that they are in a short supply of resources. In another instance, he portrays her as clever in the way that she keeps the suitor away by weaving the tunic for Odysseus and secretly taking it apart every night. The role Penelope plays is very important because she is seen as a person, not a possession. Finally, there are the goddesses. They represent women in all their glory.
She is faithful to Odysseus for twenty years, devoted, and loving. Yet she is also strong, clever, and crafty. Penelope is so faithful, that she would rather die than never see Odysseus again, "How I wish chaste Artemis would give me a death so soft, and now, so I would not go on in my heart grieving all my life, and longing for love of a husband excellent in every virtue.” While some might consider this problematic, Penelope is faithful out of her Penelope devises brilliant plans to buy herself time for Odysseus to come home, such as her scheme with the loom and the contest she creates, which she knows only her husband can accomplish. Despite everything, Odysseus and Penelope have a strong relationship. When Odysseus is captured and tempted by Calypso in book five, he decides to go back home with Penelope. Calypso tries to change his mind, yet he says, “Don't be angry with me, please. All that you say is true, how well I know. Look at my wise Penelope. She falls far short of you, your beauty, stature.” This illustrates that Odysseus is truly in love with Penelope. He loves her for more than her looks and he doesn't mind if she isn´t more beautiful than Calypso or if she has gotten
From all the above we see that Penelope reflects successfully the faithful wife, the strong woman, the responsible woman the woman who cares about herself. She is loyal both to the principles of the palace and the principles of those times. During Odysseu's absence she continued to perform the duties expected of her very well and that is the reason, I believe that she managed to achieve the best reputation for Odysseus and herself, even though woman's role was restricted at that time. Like I always say behind evey great man there stands a greater woman.
... those phaeacians who have helped Odysseus to return home. And for Calypso, she tried to offer Odysseus the immortal life and promising him to be his eternal wife, but Odysseus’s love for his wife Penelope pushes him to fight for his return
She is a testament to women of this era in that she is not pushed around by men. The unknown writer for a website that analyzes the role of women in the art of ancient Greece writes this about Penelope,” One of the points that can be made of the story is that even though women are weaker than men there are tools available to keep them from being overpowered. The main tool is the rule of law, but even before laws customs could be used” (rwaag.org). Her tactics finally pay off in the end of the epic, when Odysseus returns from his voyage and she once again proves her intelligence by hosting the archery contest to prove Odysseus is
She waits patiently for her husband to return home even though it is highly likely that he is dead and she rejects all of the other offers that the suitors have given her. She remains fiercely faithful to Odysseus for twenty years while he is off at war. However, Odysseus fails to remain monogamous with Penelope and he sleeps with “several women on his way home” (Barnes 137). Even though Penelope is cherished by Greek society more than the other seductresses, she is still considered an untrustworthy woman because of her weaving scheme to trick the suitors. Odysseus is valued by Greek society, yet he has all of the characteristics that make most of the female temptresses hated by society.
Penelope's role as women in The Odyssey shows how she could easily overpower men with her beauty and could immediately manipulate the suitors with her looks. It was clear that Penelope’s beauty and ability to deceive was her suitor’s weakness. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, was known to be faithful but deceiving at times of need and to keep her from getting married to any man that was not her husband. Penelope loved Odysseus religiously; she would do anything possible so that she would not be forced to marry one of the suitors that claimed to be the rightful and perfect next husband. The excuse that Penelope used was that she would marry one of the suitors as soon as she finished weaving the burial shroud for Laertes, which she would then unweave at night, in order to extend the timeframe in hopes of her husbands, Odysseus’, return.
...145).” This is a physically demanding thing to do, as he was responsible for turning the large wooden bar in order to drill it into the eye of Polyphemus. Finally, Odysseus’ slaying of all his wife’s suitors display his great strength. Odysseus and Telemachus were able to kill the dozen suitors with the help of the gods. In these instances, Odysseus does actions which most men would find physically difficult, which only proves that strength is one of his heroic characteristics.
She warns Odysseus that the Sirens will sing, and it will be irresistible to his men. She also created a potion with evil potions for Odysseus and his men, it didn’t work on Odysseus. As Odysseus makes his way back to Ithaca he is helped by the female character, Athena. Athena is smart, kind, and loyal.