Untitled

Odysseus - God hated or God loved?

God Loved - Especially by Athena

• He is constantly helped by Athene, in Book 4 she convinces Zeus to make Calypso release Odysseus. This shows Odysseus is worthy of Athene’s attention and shows that he is in her favour.
• He prays to Athene on the island of the cyclopes and then manages to escape, because the relationship with the gods was believed to be reciprocal this shows that she is paying attention to him.She again helps Odysseus again as she makes Odysseus appear more attractive in front of Nausicaa with his hair as soft as hibiscus. Odysseus has gained Athene’s support through the use of his metis and being the goddess of wisdom she supports him.Athene gives him the idea of swimming to the mouth of the river on Scherie as there are cliffs that are too dangerous on the shoreline, she doesn’t want him to die and so this shows that he is god-loved.Athene both gives him directions and casts a mist of invisibility on the island of Scherie so that he can enter the city safely with the underlying threat of the people there not liking strangers. Again she is trying to help him succeed although she cannot do this overtly as she cannot oppose Poseidon.