How does Athena assist Odysseus in Book 22 of The Odyssey?
In Book 22, Odysseus finally reveals himself to the suitors who have plagued his homeland and his household. He does this by killing Antinous with an arrow through the throat in an extremely graphic and bloody way. The suitors don't immediately realize who he is, until he announces himself and their impending doom. He begins to fight, after refusing to accept a weak apology from Eurymachus, and dispatches Eurymachus as quickly as he did Antinous, with an arrow through the chest. The remaining suitors begin to arm themselves, with help from Melanthious (a servant whose loyalties now belong with the suitors).
Athena shows up, once again disguised as Mentor, and Odysseus calls out to her, requesting her aid:
“Mentor, help fight off disaster. Remember me, your dear comrade. I’ve done good things for you. You’re my companion, someone my own age.” (22, 262-266)
The suitors follow up Odysseus' request for...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
aid by threatening Mentor (Athena) with death if he fights with Odysseus. This angers the goddess, but she is still resolved to test Odysseus instead of making sure that he wins the fight outright.
The fight begins in earnest and Athena makes sure that when all of the suitors throw their spears they miss Odysseus, but Telemachus is grazed on the wrist. (22, 325-327) Eventually, after she's convinced of Odysseus' worthiness, Athena demonstrates her godhood by flashing her sigil/shield in the air to highlight her backing of Odysseus. This also causes the suitors to flee. (22, 374)
Essentially, Odysseus does the majority of the work, but Athena helps him out by keeping the spears from hitting him.
In Homer's Odyssey, how does Athena protect Odysseus on his journey home?
Throughout Homer's Odyssey, Athene, goddess of wisdom, war, and weaving, serves as a protector for Odysseus.
In Odyssey 6, in particular, Athene helps Odysseus by causing Princess Nausicaa to have a dream that sends her down to the shore to wash clothes, a task that leads Nausicaa to discover Odysseus, who has just been shipwrecked there. In this dream, Athene appears as "Dymas's daughter, a girl of similar age to Nausicaa" (A.S. Kline translation).
Later, in Odyssey 7, when Odysseus follows Nausicaa into town, Athene protects him by preventing anyone from seeing him until he reaches the palace where Nausicaa lives:
Athene, showing her kindness, veiled him in dense mist, so that none of the brave Phaeacians meeting him, would challenge him, or ask who he was.
We also see Athene protecting Odysseus in his battle against the suitors. In Odyssey 22, Athene takes on the form of Mentor and provides Odysseus with inspirational words. After encouraging him, Athene takes on "the form of a swallow, and flew up to perch on the roof beam of the smoke-darkened hall." From that vantage point, Athene deflects several spears that were thrown at Odysseus.
What role does Athena play in The Odyssey and why is she considered the main female character?
Athena is the goddess of wisdom, as well as a multitude of other things, but it is this wisdom that makes her the ideal character to truly play opposite Odysseus. While Penelope is stuck home, waiting for her husband's return (which might never happen, but she is faithful and continues to wait for him), it is Athena who guides and helps Odysseus throughout his long journey home to his wife and son.
Odysseus is known as a trickster, a clever man, even back in his days in "The Iliad," where, in addition to many other examples, he was the one who concocted the idea of using the Trojan Horse to get into the walls of Troy. As you'll see in the link below, some scholars feel that Homer had to use an immortal, and a very wise immortal at that, to be the "leading lady" of this story. Homer wanted to highlight the wisdom and cleverness of Odysseus, and so he chose the goddess of wisdom to help him through his journeys. He also wanted to illustrate the fact that Odysseus was a worthy person - the gods and goddesses didn't just help any old person on the street - they only interfered in the lives of mortals who were deserving of the help.
Check the link below for more information about Athena and the other characters of this story. Good luck!
In Homer's Odyssey, what two actions does Athena take to bring Odysseus home?
Unfortunately, you asked more than one question so I had to edit your post down to one. In The Odyssey by Homer, Athena tries to convince her father, Zeus, to let Odysseus come home after nearly a decade of wandering. She reminds Zeus that Odysseus has been a prisoner there for seven years and has been offering burnt sacrifices consistently. She says,
Are you, Olympus' lord, not moved by this? Was not Odysseus your favorite when, on the spacious plain of Troy, beside the Argive ships, he sacrificed for you? What turned your fondness into malice, Zeus?
Her plea works, and Athena leaves to do two things as part of her plan to bring Odysseus home.
Both parts of her plan involve Telemachus. First, she promises to inspire Telemachus to hold an assembly in which he addresses the suitors, calling them out for their boorish behavior. Second, Athena intends to convince Telemachus to go on a journey to Sparta and Pylos to seek news of his father, Odysseus.
To implement this plan, she disguises herself as Mentes, and in this guise she is able to execute her plan. By the time she leaves the young man, he is prepared to do both things she wanted him to do as part of her master plan.