Who is Athena in the Odyssey? Athena, like the other characters in Homer's epic, comes from a rich and vivid cultural tapestry of ancient Greek myth. Athena is a goddess born directly from Zeus. While the specifics of her conception differ from source to source, they all agree on the events leading up to her birth. Zeus was afflicted with a splitting headache and, in order to alleviate it, asked for his head to be split open. Upon doing so, Athena leaped forth from Zeus' skull fully armed and armored. Within the Odyssey, Athena is the primary godly patron of both Odysseus and his son Telemachus, interceding on their behalf in matters both mortal and divine.
What did Athena look like? The answer slightly differs when comparing the Homeric epics to the wider Greek mythology. Homer consistently applies the epithets "stormy-eyed" and "bright-eyed" to Athena's name in both the Odyssey and Iliad. As such, following artists typically depicted her with lively grey eyes. Furthermore, just as she was when she was born, Athena is dressed in a full set of armor. In wider Greek mythology, Athena wields a spear and possesses the shield Aegis, upon which Medusa's head is embossed.
The particular appearance of Athena rarely becomes relevant in the Odyssey‐she consistently shows herself in a series of disguises. Like other Olympians, Athena can shift shape at will. Unlike the other gods, however, Athena commonly uses her shapeshifting to take a variety of human forms and deceive others.
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Athena's role in the Odyssey is quite indirect. While she supports the endeavors of both Odysseus and Telemachus, she can rarely do so directly. She approaches Telemachus in disguise, hiding her identity, while her early attempts to assist Odysseus are commonly mediated by other gods. For Odysseus, Athena takes the role of a divine patron who can promote his concerns on Olympus. For Telemachus, she serves as a mentor and inspiration.
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Athena is the most consistent aid to Odysseus on his journey. Despite this, her ability to dampen his troubles is very limited early on. She helps him out of sight, or approaches him in disguise. Odysseus provoked the wrath of Poseidon on his journey home, and Poseidon is one of the few gods Athena is unwilling to directly work against. The final lines of Book VI best express her apprehension:
So he prayed and Athena heard his prayer
but would not yet appear to him undisguised.
She stood in awe of her Father's brother, lord of the sea
who still seethed on, still churning with rage against
the great Odysseus till he reached his native land. (Book VI)
Despite her apprehensions, Athena is described as having "compassion" for Odysseus on multiple occasions. It is this compassion that causes her to consistently aid him on his journey.
Athena consistently smooths the challenges Odysseus meets in a variety of ways. The following is a chronological list of Athena's helpful actions:
Only towards the end of the epic does Athena make her assistance known to Odysseus. She mostly intervenes in disguise or from afar, without the knowledge of mortals, as befits her clever and scheming nature.
Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, craft, and battle. As such, she is renowned for her cleverness or—as Athena herself puts it—"cunning wiles." Athena deserves her reputation, as her many interventions in the mortal realm showcase. The goddess rarely acts directly, instead provoking others to action while in disguise or placing glamours to deceive others. Furthermore, Athena seems quite willing to adopt the faces of other, very real individuals, as demonstrated by her willingness to appear in the form of the Phaeacian herald to sway crowds. When compared to the actions of other divine entities—namely Poseidon, whose expressions of power consist of potent storms and fleet-shattering waves—Athena's attempts at misdirection and illusion in the Odyssey paint her as an incredibly patient figure who doesn't always care to have her name associated with her deeds.
What does Athena represent? Outside of her domains of craft, wisdom, and battle, Athena mirrors Odysseus within the Odyssey. When first unveiling herself to Odysseus in all her divine splendor, she tells him this:
"Any man—any god who met you—would have to be
some champion lying cheat to get past you
for all-round craft and guile! You terrible man, foxy, ingenious, never tired of twists and tricks—
so, not even here, on native soil, would you give up
those wily tales that warm the cockles of your heart!
Come, enough of this now. We're both old hands
at the arts of intrigue. Here among mortal men
you're far the best at tactics, spinning yarns,
and I am famous among the gods for wisdom,
cunning wiles, too." (Book XIII)
Narratively, Athena and Odysseus possess many of the same positive traits, yet Athena's traits are amplified in a manner that befits a deity. They are both clever and prone to cunning stratagems. However, Athena's schemes are backed by more power and are ultimately more successful. These shared traits create a certain kinship between her and Odysseus (or, if kinship is too strong a word, compassion.) Because Athena's presence is consistently positive for the primary characters, with Athena providing a great deal of assistance to Telemachus, Penelope, and Odysseus, she takes on a guiding role and appears much more compassionate than other deities in the poem. This is partially misguiding—Athena is just as capable of being petty and vengeful as other deities, as the Odyssey mentions temporarily:
"Ajax, now, went down with his long-oared fleet.
First Poseidon drove him onto the cliffs of Gyrae,
looming cliffs, then saved him from the breakers—
he'd have escaped his doom, too, despite Athena's hate,
if he hadn't flung that brazen boast, the mad blind fool." (Book IV)
While her grudge against Ajax is arguably more justified than many other deific grudges, as some versions of events have Ajax assaulting a priestess of Athena in one of her own temples, she is just as capable of causing the deaths of mortal heroes. Her vengeance against Ajax caused the initial shipwreck of Odysseus, thereby sparking his future misfortune. Athena's sneaky, oftentimes-biased actions are perhaps best noticed in the Iliad, in which arguably the most moral hero in the poem, Hector, is slain after Athena adopts the guise of Hector's dead brother and promises to assist him in battle. However, as the narrative follows characters that Athena protects, she appears remarkably hospitable and compassionate.
Out of all of the Olympians, Athena is most likely to take the role of mentor in Greek mythology. While other gods descend to protect their progeny and favored champions, few intervene so frequently or directly as Athena. This is particularly obvious within the Odyssey, in which Athena constantly manipulates events to the benefit of Odysseus and his family. However, she approaches each member of Odysseus' family differently.
While Athena takes the role of mentor with Telemachus most strongly, she strives to enable each member of Odysseus' family. Instead of solving problems herself, she grants those in her favor the tools to achieve their own goals, thereby pushing them to be their best. In doing so, Athena acts the part of mentor to all of them.
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The following are a selection of Athena's quotes from the Odyssey:
"Oh yes, sir, good old stranger," the bright-eyed goddess said,
"I'll show you the very palace that you're after—
the king lives right beside my noble father." (Book VII)
Athena says this in the guise of a young girl who leads Odysseus through Phaeacia. This brief moment showcases Athena's adroit comfort with disguises—no one would guess that these humble words were being uttered by a goddess.
"Come, enough of this now. We're both old hands
at the arts of intrigue. Here among mortal men
you're far the best at tactics, spinning yarns,
and I am famous among the gods for wisdom,
cunning wiles, too." (Book XIII)
These lines showcase what Athena most prizes about herself, and, similarly, in what ways she surpasses the other gods. Athena is the cleverest and wiliest of the Olympians, and she sees Odysseus as the cleverest and wiliest mortal.
"I never had doubts myself, no, I knew down deep
that you would return at last, with all your shipmates lost.
But I could not bring myself to fight my Father's brother,
Poseidon, quaking with anger at you, still enraged
because you blinded the Cyclops, his dear son." (Book XIII)
In contrast to the quote before, this line shows something of a weakness in Athena. While she may be the cleverest, she cannot match the raw power of Poseidon. In matters dealing with other Olympians—or at the very least Poseidon, second only to Zeus—Athena is forced into cleverness and wiliness.
"Royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, old campaigner,
now is the time, now tell your son the truth.
Hold nothing back, so the two of you can plot
the suitors' doom and then set out for town.
I myself won't lag behind you long—
I'm blazing for a battle!" (Book XVI)
Despite her calm and calculating actions, Athena is a goddess of battle. She views schemes as pleasurable and valuable in and of themselves. So, too, is battle. While Athena doesn't possess the same battle lust as her brother Ares, god of war, Odysseus achieving his throne through violence is nevertheless enjoyable. At the same time, Athena is the one guiding Odysseus towards the end. Though much of the cunning calculations at the end are of Odysseus' own making, he follows a wider strategy determined by Athena.
Athena is the Greek goddess of wisdom, craft, and battle. Greek myth holds that she was born directly from Zeus, springing from his head fully armed and armored. Within Homer's Odyssey, Athena is the primary benefactor, patron, and mentor of the hero Odysseus and his family. She assists him through a variety of subtle measures, leaning on her penchant for strategy and cleverness. In order to hide her involvement from the mortals (and the god Poseidon, who is much stronger than her,) she oftentimes works through a series of clever and disarming disguises that bear testament to her strategic ability. She shares this cunning wiliness with Odysseus, and for that reason (and the many sacrifices Odysseus made her in the past,) assists him in his venture home and subsequent battle with the suitors.
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Athena is the primary deity present in the epic. While other gods do make appearances and the watchful eye of Zeus hangs over the proceedings, Athena constantly supports Odysseus both directly and indirectly.
Athena consistently manipulates events around Odysseus to receive him more favorably, such as taking the form of the Phaeacian king's herald and drumming up the support of a crowd. On multiple occasions she places glamours around Odysseus, making him appear stronger and more handsome, or more dirty and diminished.
Homer commonly applies the epithets "stormy-eyed" or "bright-eyed" to Athena. The eyes are a frequent focus in more casual descriptions, too—they sparkle, flash, gleam and blaze.
Ignoring eyes completely, Athena is oftentimes referred to as "watchful," or "daughter of Zeus," or (more rarely) "whose shield is storm and thunder." Because of her variety of disguises, her physical appearance or garb is rarely mentioned.
Athena is the divine patron of Odysseus, projecting his affairs into the heavens and protecting him from (or dampening) the malicious influence of other deities. She also guides him through many situations or provides solid advice, thereby taking a mentorly role.
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