The Odyssey. When Odysseus comes to Athena and asks her for directions to the home of Alcinoos, the goddess (who has already protected him with a thick mist) confronts him “Likening herself to a virginal young girl with a pitcher,/she stood in front of him” (Homer, VII, 20-21). It is not too far of a stretch to read into this depiction that Odysseus was so god-like in form and demeanor that Athena herself is not able to resist his charms. Odysseus is a model of arete, a concept meaning virtue that was of the highest importance to Greek life and culture in ancient times. Both Odysseus and his loyal wife Penelope are models of ancient Greek virtue, or arete.
Athena herself represents the goddess of wisdom, and she plays the primary function in the book of helping intervene with the other gods in order to persuade Poseidon to forgive his grudge against Odysseus for blinding his Cyclops son, Polyphemous. Being the god of the seas, Poseidon is a formidable enemy considering Odysseus’ travels occur via ship. From the outset of the poem, Athena comes to the aid of Odysseus. She first petitions her father, Zeus, to help bring Odysseus home. Odysseus is being held captive by Calypso, a nymph who wants him for her husband, when the story opens. After petitioning her father to help free Odysseus, Athena disguises herself so she can inform Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, that his father is not dead and will return home. She urges Telemachus to assume his responsibility as the man of the house in his father’s absence and tells the suitors who are trying to usurp Odysseus’ relationship with Penelope to leave, “Come now, pay attention and take note of my words:/Tomorrow call the Achaian warriors to assembly;/Make a declaration to all. Let the gods witness it./Order the suitors to disperse to their own affairs./And your mother, if her spirit urges her to marry” (Homer I, 271-275). Of course, while Athena is doing this to pro...