Athena
Athena is the daughter of Zeus and often referred to in The Odyssey with the epithet “the grey-eyed goddess Athena.” She is one of the most important characters, as she consistently and discreetly assists both Odysseus and Telemachus in their journeys. In book 14, she reveals to Odysseus that he is her favorite among mortals.
Athena’s interventions on behalf of Odysseus take many forms. In book 5, she stills the waters Poseidon has whipped into a frenzy in his attempt to destroy Odysseus’s ship, and Odysseus and his crew are able to reach the shore. Later, on Ithaca, Athena comes to Odysseus’s aid to conspire with him in overthrowing the suitors and to disguise him as a beggar. Though she doesn’t fight the suitors herself, she urges Odysseus on, reminding him of his deeds at Troy, and deflects the suitors’ spears.
In her guise as Mentor and Mentes, Athena is equally supportive of Telemachus. She encourages him to stand up to the suitors, assuring him that his father is indeed alive; and she sends him to Pylos and Sparta to establish hospitable relationships with their ruling families, helping him to grow in confidence and experience.
In addition to being the goddess of wisdom and war, Athena is goddess of the arts traditionally associated with women, such as weaving. Penelope’s work at the loom reflects the dreams Athena brings her, which encourage Penelope to believe that Odysseus will return.
Expert Q&A
How does Athena reveal her goddess status when departing from Telemachus and Nestor?
2 Educator Answers
After Nestor, the King of Pylos, invites Telemachus to stay in his palace in Book Three, Athena, disguised as Mentor, tells Nestor and Telemachus that she will go back to the ship. Then, "With that the bright-eyed goddess winged away/in an eagle's form and flight" (lines 415-416; Fagles translation). In other words, she turns into an eagle and flies away in front of Nestor and Telemachus. Nestor seizes Telemachus's hand and tells him that he, Telemachus, will never be a coward or "defenseless" because he is protected by the gods. Nestor immediately knows that Mentor was really Athena, and he makes a sacrifice to her right away, as mortals are supposed to do. The next day, Nestor orders the slaughter of a heifer, and he summons a goldsmith to coat the heifer's horns in gold. He then makes a sacrifice to Athena, who attends the ritual.
How does Athena reveal her divinity when leaving Telemachus and Nestor?
In the early sections of the Odyssey, Athena appears to Telemachus in disguise as Mentor. As Mentor, she gives Telemachus the confidence to speak to Nestor about his father, Odysseus. Nestor relates what he knows (which is little), but bids Telemachus seek his father with the same zeal Orestes took in avenging Agamemnon’s death. Nestor sends Telemachus to Sparta to seek information about his father, and the wise old king sends his son, Pisistratus, as a companion. Athena departs following these events.
When Athena departs from Telemachus and Nestor, she reveals herself to be a goddess by putting off her disguise and flying away in the likeness of a vulture (or eagle, depending on your translation). As the Richard Lattimore translation relates in Book 3, lines 371-377 (the spellings in his translation differ from some spellings in other translations):
So speaking, gray-eyed Athene went away in the likeness
of a vulture, amazement seized on all the Achaians,
and the old man was amazed at what his eyes saw. He took
Telemachos by the hand and spoke a word to him and named him:
‘Dear friend, I have no thought that you will turn out mean and cowardly
if, when you are so young, the gods go with you and guide you
thus.
Athena's Disguises in The Odyssey
6 Educator Answers
Summary:
In The Odyssey, Athena frequently uses disguises to aid Telemachus and Odysseus. She first appears as Mentes, an old friend, to encourage Telemachus to seek information about his father. Later, she disguises herself as Mentor to accompany him and as Telemachus to recruit a crew. In Book 8, Athena takes the form of a Phaeacian man to praise Odysseus, boosting his confidence. These disguises allow her to guide and protect them without revealing her divine nature.
What three disguises does Athena use to aid Telemachus in The Odyssey Books 1 and 2?
Odysseus has not returned from the Trojan war. He has been gone twenty years now, and his wife Penelope and son Telemachus still believe he will return. They are slowly beginning to think that maybe he has perished. Men have come to Penelope's house trying to woo her and gain control of Odysseus' kingdom. Athena sees this happening, so she gets permission from Zeus, and is allowed to go to Telemachus to give him some advice. The gods have been watching out for Odysseus and know that he is still alive.
Athena is the goddess of wisdom, courage and justice, so she is the perfect one to advice Telemachus. She first comes to him in the disguise of Mentes, one of Odysseus' old friends. She tells Telemachus that he needs to make the men leave the kingdom and leave his mother. Athena tells him that Odysseus is still very likely alive and will return to Ithaca. She advises Telemachus that he must make the journey to Pylos and Sparta to ask for news concerning his father. Telemachus does as Athena says. Although Athena is disguised, Telemachus believes that it is a god coming to help him, he has all the confidence that all will be well, because he now believes that he has the gods on his side.
The next disguise that Athena uses is that of Mentor, another old friend of Odysseus. She goes to Telemachus before he leaves for Pylos and Sparta. She gives him encouragement about his trip. She tells him that the trip will be fruitful. She then sets out of town in the third disguise, this one as Telemachus himself. She goes and finds the most loyal crew to man his ship. This way she knows that he will be safe and his crew will be loyal to him. Telemachus sets out on his journey, feeling confident and knowing the gods are on his side and watching out for him, the way they are watching out for his father.
Who does Athena disguise herself as in Book 8 of The Odyssey and why?
In Book Eight, Odysseus continually refuses to take part in the games that his new hosts, the Phaeacians, are holding. Broadsea and Laodamas, two Phaeacian princes, begin to tease and bully Odysseus. Initially the teasing appears to not be meant in a mean spirited way, but after Laodamas tries to get Odysseus to take part in the competition, Broadsea starts to mock Odysseus cruelly. Angered, Odysseus takes a discus and throws it farther than anyone else in the competition.
Athena, disguised as a random Phaeacian man, applauds Odysseus' efforts and this actually serves to assuage Odysseus' anger. In a better mood now, Odysseus offers to take on anyone who wants to challenge him, with the exception of Laodamus, since he doesn't want to insult his host or his host's friends. Athena's brief appearance reminds readers (and listeners) that the goddess is still looking out for Odysseus and, true to form, that she is pleased whenever he takes matters into his own hands. This type of "wait and see" behavior is repeated when Odysseus finally takes on the suitors at the end of the text. Athena refuses to involve herself in the final battle until Odysseus proves himself.
Who does Athena disguise herself as when visiting Telemachus in The Odyssey?
Athena visited Telemachus disguised as Mentes, son of Anchialus, and the leader of the Taphians. She claimed that she was on a voyage to Temesa for purposes of trade. She further informed Telemachus that Anchialus and Odysseus, Telemachus’s father, were old friends.
And Athena answered, “I will tell you truly and particularly all about it. I am Mentes, son of Anchialus, and I am King of the Taphians. I have come here with my ship and crew, on a voyage to men of a foreign tongue being bound for Temesa with a cargo of iron, and I shall bring back copper.
She visited Telemachus when his family was going through much trouble because of the disappearance of Odysseus. Suitors had congregated at their home hoping to wed Penelope, Telemachus’s mother. Penelope held off their advances, but this became costly for the family. They had to endlessly host the suitors who were plundering Odysseus's property.
Athena had appealed to Zeus to help in the delivery of Odysseus back to his people and stop the ongoing pillage in his house. She then approached Telemachus with a plan aimed at dealing with the menace caused by the suitors. She asked Telemachus to board a ship with 20 men and visit his father’s friends, Nestor and Menelaus, so he could obtain information about his father.
Who does Athena disguise herself as when visiting Telemachus in The Odyssey?
Athena appears first as Mentes, an old family friend. But after she gets Telemachus to tell her about the situation in Odysseus's house, and she exhorts Telemachus to confront the suitors, she appears as Mentor to accompany him to Pylos. While she is still on Ithaca, she disguises herself as Telemachus himself, in order to recruit a crew. Can you keep track of all the identities she assumes?
Why does Athena disguise herself as a mortal man to intervene with Odysseus and Telemachus?
In the lore of ancient Greece, it was believed that anyone who looked upon the true form of a god or goddess would die because the sight would be too overwhelming to handle. That is one reason Athena disguises herself: she really likes Odysseus and Telemachus, so she does not want to kill them.
It is a common theme in these kinds of stories for gods and goddesses to disguise themselves as humans and animals. That way they are not seen to be directly interfering with human affairs. Often it is just a random animal or person, but Athena's disguise is not just any random mortal man: he is Mentor, a friend of Odysseus. This disguise allows her to get close to the two men without raising their suspicions because of course Odysseus' friend is going to be around and involved. It also guarantees that they will at the very least listen to her advice, and their respect for Mentor makes it more likely that they will follow it as well.
All in all, Athena adopts the guise of Mentor so as not to kill Odysseus and Telemachus while she does what she can to help them in their endeavors.
In Homer's Odyssey, what disguise does Athena use?
The use of disguises is a common feature throughout Homer’s epic The Odyssey, and their use by Athena, goddess of wisdom, courage and justice, and daughter of Zeus, is no exception. Self-anointed guardian of Odysseus as the latter tries desperately to return home to his wife and son, Athena uses disguises to maneuver among humans and to facilitate the great warrior’s eventual success. Among the disguises Athena uses in support of her efforts is that of Mentes, king of the Taphians and the son of Antiloches. The goddess uses this disguise in order to approach and advise Telemachus, son of Odysseus who sets out in search of his father:
“So saying she bound on her glittering golden sandals, imperishable, with which she can fly like the wind over land or sea; she grasped the redoubtable bronze-shod spear, so stout and sturdy and strong, wherewith she quells the ranks of heroes who have displeased her, and down she darted from the topmost summits of Olympus, whereon forthwith she was in Ithaca, at the gateway of Ulysses' house, disguised as a visitor, Mentes, chief of the Taphians, and she held a bronze spear in her hand.”
Later, Athena adopts the disguise another disguise in response to Telemachus’ pleas for help in his journey: “As he thus prayed, Minerva came close up to him in the likeness and with the voice of Mentor.” It is uncertain whether this reference to “Mentor” is meant to be the same as “Mentes,” as both disguises are used for the purpose of interacting with Telemachus, and the names are certainly similar. As the first reference occurs in Book I and the second in Book II, and as little is known about Homer and the writing of “The Odyssey,” is probable that “Mentes” and “Mentor” are intended to be the same individual. It is also possible that “Mentor” is a separate person, an Ithican who offers guidance to the son of Odysseus.
Again, in Book II, Athena uses disguises to interact with humans, in this case in support of Telemachus’ preparations for his voyage in search of his father:
“Then Minerva bethought her of another matter. She took his shape, and went round the town to each one of the crew, telling them to meetat the ship by sundown. She went also to Noemon son of Phronius,and asked him to let her have a ship- which he was very ready to do.”
She again takes the form of Mentor in joining Telemachus as he and his crew prepare their ship and set sail. It is in the form of Mentor that Athena remains among Telemachus and his crew throughout much of their journey. In Book VI, she joins with Odysseus in helping him overcome obstacles, acting as spy and scout for the great warrior. When Odysseus reaches the city of Phaecians – “a people who used to live in the fair town of Hypereia, near the lawless Cyclops” – “she took the form of the famous sea captain Dymas's daughter . . .”
Throughout Odysseus’ journey home, Athena appears in various forms and manipulates images to facilitate the successful conclusion of the former’s decade-long effort at returning to Penelope and Telemachus.
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