Athena Relationship In The Odyssey

What makes someone a hero? Most people would say someone who saves the day or has super powers or even characters in books are heroes. Antigone is a young woman in the play Antigone by Sophocles, Antigone is considered a hero by many for giving up her life for her brother and going against the law in 44 B.C. While Terry Malloy is considered a hero in the movie On the Waterfront for also going against rules. Malloy would be considered a rough kid who got into a bad situation with a group of mugs while working on the dock, not only does he save the day for himself but for others that are working on the docks as well. Antigone and Terry both go against rules for what they believe is right and become heroes.

Lauren Diels Mrs. Goodbar Honors English 1 Period 1 22 May 2023 Your everyday basic hero is someone that is big, strong, selfless, maybe has some sort of power. But the Greek had a different meaning of a hero. Heroes in Greek mythology must follow certain archetypes. Not only does Odysseus from The Odyssey follow the archetypes but so does Moana from Moana.

In the first book of the Odyssey, women, mainly the goddesses, played different roles during Odysseus’ adventure to return home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Other than the Muse from the beginning of Book I that told the story of Odysseus that led to him and his crew being captured with Calypso who posed as seductive and predatorily toward him and his men, Athena, Goddess of Wisdom had played a big role in the story. For example, most gods have their own opinions and tend on pitying mortals for their actions however, I felt like Athena had the sense of helping Odysseus get back to his home of Ithaca. She spoke to her father Zeus about Odysseus: “But my heart breaks for Odysseus, that seasoned veteran cursed by fate so long far from his loved ones still, he suffers torments off on a wave-washed island rising at the center of the seas” (Book I, 57-60).

In the odyssey we learn that ten years after he defeats troy that he has still not returned home. A group of suitors who all think Odysseus is dead have taken over his palace, in hopes of marrying Odysseus wife Penelope and eating all of his food, all though that is not the whole story you can imagine with such an epic tittle that this was and still is an epic book. Throughout the epic, woman plays dominant roles in Odysseus’s voyage home. The rules woman can play is very cliche duties of what society would label them; a goddess, a wife or a scandalous seductress, each of these Each of these roles and events to Odysseus is the tale. Making the role of women more cliche.

What is the Role of Females in the Odyssey ODYSSEY is the second Greek epic poem by Homer. It was written about the adventures of a hero named Odysseus during his trip home after the Trojan War. Most of the epic os centered on his wife, Penelope, who was waiting for him in Ithaca. In the epic there were many females that played different roles. Whether if they were written as sirens to lure men to their death or strong females that help them on their way.

Athena was also the goddess of arts and crafts and was an very talented weaver. She shared her knowledge of weaving to many mortals. She had great pride in her own work of art but was happy to watch her pupils master weaving. Achene was one of them. People from all around would come to her small hut to watch her take thin strands of wool and weave them into stunning tapestries that glistened with golds and silvers and the prized scarlet.

In Greek mythology there are heroes who are are courageous, smart, and strong. They fight for the people and for the gods. Most of Greek mythology is based on those stories. Nowadays heroes are rare and uncommon. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. who was a hero down to the bone.

In The Odyssey, by Homer, Athena influences the lives of Odysseus and his family. In Greek mythology, gods challenge and control mortals. Gods also provide support to mortals and thus, mortals depend and act on behalf of the gods and their decisions. Athena, daughter of Zeus, is the goddess of wisdom, and both Telemachus and Odysseus benefit from her power. Athena possesses the ability to disguise herself and others, and this skill allows her to give advice and guidance.

Here, Odysseus tells Athena that she is all he has left and through her immortal powers, she is the only god still on his side who can help him in his time of need. Therefore, through Athena’s encouraging words, she is able to make Odysseus feel uplifted and more useful, especially as Odysseus is, at this point, very hopeless and miserably

In The Odyssey, the Cyclops is a monster because of his key differences from mere human beings, specifically his lack of wit and of morals. Depicting these qualities as monstrous support that cleverness and a general regard for human life were heavily valued in Greek culture. Odysseus easily trick the Cyclops bragging, “I poured him another fiery bowl - three bowls I brimmed and three he drank to the last drop, the fool”(9.404-406). To describe the bowls of wine as fiery foreshadows the demise of the Cyclops. Odysseus was able to use his brain, not strength, to make the Cyclops drink himself into a stupor.

Another time she helped Odysseus was when she protected him from the suitors' arrows. Without the providence of Athena Odysseus wouldn't have survived the events of The Odyssey. In book 1 of The Odyssey it says how "The story of Odysseus begins with the goddess Athena appealing to Zeus to help Odysseus, who has been wandering for ten years on the seas, to find his way home to

Although the word “hero” has transcended time, the definition has not. When modern-day humans go into reading about Greek heroes, expecting them to resemble our current ones, they are unpleasantly surprised to find selfish people who sometimes indiscriminately murder in the name of honor. In comparison, we value the firefighter that puts their life on the line to save others, the person standing up to the bully with pacifism rather than fists, and those that learn to forgive and forget instead of spending their entire lives seeking revenge on those that have wronged them. Thus, Achilles would not be considered a modern-day hero like he was in ancient Greece, because whilst they valued glory, brutal strength, and revenge, today we value selflessness,

Homer includes this to furthermore describe Homer as a quality

Again, the definition of a hero is a person who is courageous and brave in spirit, and they have unique abilities that make people idolize them. Gilgamesh and Achilles both were heroines in their own right, and they were even unique to their people and culture. Knowingly, Gilgamesh and Achilles possess qualities that make them the same, and so different at the same time. Furthermore, Gilgamesh and Achilles were too prideful and foolish which made them alike, but they both were different in their affluence, power, and overwhelming strength, which made them a heroine to people because of their superhuman abilities, high personal relationships, and great influence over

The Iliad also spotlights the individual qualities of a Greek hero or non-hero. Numerous characters in the Iliad demonstrated exceptional qualities of a Greek person that was valued, such as bravery and helpfulness and that was disproved of like selfishness. One trait that is highly appreciated by the greeks in the Iliad is bravery. In battle Hector killed Achilles´s best friend Pactorlos in battle.