Part 2: Athena's Pleas To Zeu's on Odysseus's Behalf

In Book One of The Odyssey, we see Athena make a speech to her father on behalf of Odysseus. At this point in the epic, Odysseus has found himself upon Calypso’s Island, trapped by the goddesses enchantments, bound to her for 7 years(Grimal).  For Odysseus, Calypso had become an insuperable barrier in his quest for Ithica.  Her quest to obtain him symbolizes the temptation he faces within his journey, and tests his faith in Athena and his love for home.  Now in these years, he is trapped; Odysseus no longer realizes his journey. He instead has submitted himself to the whiles of the women upon the island and become “one of them”.  Calypso’s archetype is one that is hard to battle, she is an enchantress of beauty, and Odysseus has no chance against her feminine wiles alone.

 Odysseus has grown weary, for his journey to Ithica has come to a standstill, and he unwillingly has forgotten of his home and dear Penelope. Only with the help of his precious goddess Athena does Odysseus have any hope.

We see in the quote below:

“Father and king adored!” Athena cried,” Since all who in the Olympian bower reside Now make the wandering Greek their public care, let Hermes to the Atlantic isle repair; Bide him arrived in bright Calypso’s court , The sanction of the assembled powers report: That wise Odysseus to his native land must speed….(Homer)”

By examining this quote, we can clearly see that indeed Athena is plotting a hard case for Odysseus. She has gone up against Olympus itself, playing on the love her father vows for her, in order to secure that Odysseus has safe passage back onto his journey home and return to the arms of his wife and son Telemachus.  By using this strategy in Book 5 we see that listening to Athena’s  repeated arguments, Zeus then sends Hermes to the island of  Ogygia, forcing Calypso to release her captive man (Homer). By forcing Calypso’s hand by having her father send Hermes to the rescue, Athena directly affects this stint of Odysseus’s journey, allowing him once again focus on his path home. Without this course of action, Odysseus would have completely succumbed to Calypso, ever forgetting Penelope and his home. By doing so, the suitors would have overcome the wills of his wife and child, and inevitably would have killed Telemachus and taken for their own Penelope, his wife.