As a story in which the gods play an active role, The Odyssey is full of examples of divine intervention. Athena, in particular, works repeatedly to advocate for Odysseus and protect him. In book 1, Athena intervenes by imploring Zeus to make Calypso free Odysseus. In book 5, Zeus complies and sends Hermes to deliver the message. Athena intervenes again in book 2. She provides Telemachus with advice and then disguises herself as the young man in order to give a rousing speech and set him up on his journey to find his father. In the following book, Athena accompanies Telemachus on this quest disguised as Mentor.

In book 6, Athena arranges the encounter between Nausicaa and Odysseus. In book 7, Athena hides Odysseus in a fog so that he can sneak into the palace and plead his case to Queen Arete.

In book 8, Odysseus recounts his encounter with Polyphemus and how blinding the cyclops brought down the wrath of Poseidon. The involvement of Hermes in defeating Circe in book 10 is another example.

In book 12, Helios demands that Zeus punish Odysseus after the Ithacans eat his sacred cattle. The storm Zeus unleashes leaves Odysseus as the sole survivor of his fleet. In book 13, Poseidon punishes the Phaeacians for helping Odysseus by turning their ship to stone.

In book 14, Athena intervenes to help Odysseus now that he is back on Ithaca. She disguises him as a beggar so that he can better position himself to retake control of his household.

These are just some examples of the gods interceding on behalf of mortals. Throughout the epic, the gods set up paths for mortals to take—paths to their destinies. However, it is up to the mortals to take advantage of the situations the gods put them in through their own intelligence and cunning.