Athena goes out of her way to save Odysseus by helping him get home. In the 5th book, Athena helps Odysseus get to the Phaeacians’ island. She takes action by, “But Zeus’s daughter Athena countered him at once. / The rest of the winds she stopped right in their tracks, / commanding them to all hush now, go to sleep… / … and escape his death at last” (5. 421-423 and 428). Athena is helping Odysseus on his journey home. Without Athena, Odysseus wouldn’t even make it home. Odysseus would probably die off somewhere before he would be able to make it back to Ithaca. Athena helps Odysseus by fighting off Poseidon who wants to make Odysseus suffer. She was the one who stopped the winds so that Odysseus could make it to the Phaeacians’ island safely. She is saving him from death and helping him get home. Additionally, Athena saves Odysseus by inspiring him to keep going on his journey home. In the 5th book, Athena inspires Odysseus to keep swimming so he can get to the Phaeacians’ island. Odysseus said, “... where he’d have been flayed alive, his bones crushed / if the bright-eyed goddess Pallas had not inspired him now “ (5. 470-471). Odysseus would have been killed by the big waves pushing him towards the sharp rocks if Athena hadn’t inspired him. Athena was saving Odysseus from his …show more content…
Athena comes up with the big plan on how Odysseus should kill the suitors. In book 13, Athena tells Odysseus how he will go about and kill the suitors. She says, “‘First I will transform you- no one must know you… / … I’ll dim the fire in your eyes, so shining once- / until you seem appalling to all those suitors… / … But you, you make your way to the swineherd first… / … Wait there, sit with him, ask him all he knows... ‘“ (13. 454, 458-459, 461, 468). Athena is telling what Odysseus should do in her plan. She is making sure that the plan plays out in perfection. Odysseus is just listening to Athena tell him what to do. If Athena wasn’t there to help Odysseus, he might’ve not thought about a plan to kill the suitors. He might have just stormed into his house without a plan. Athena is more responsible for Odysseus’ happy homecoming. Moreover, Athena plans Odysseus’ journey home. In the 1st book, Athena is telling the gods about her plan to make sure that Odysseus gets home safely. She said, “‘... let us dispatch the guide and giant killer Hermes / down to Ogygia Island, down to announce at once / to the nymph with lovely braids our fixed decree: / Odysseus journeys home...’” (1. 100-103). She is planning everything in advance. She also has the gods to