The Homecoming Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, the poet narrates a story of the homecoming of the Greek hero Odysseus after the Trojan war. Through narrating his readers Odysseus’s journey home, Homer gives many instances where women, mortals and immortals, have contributed to the success of the homecoming of Odysseus, indicating the importance of women during the Greek hero’s long and suffering journey back home. Odysseus has received numerous help from different female characters such as Athena, Nausikaa, and Circe, and more importantly, his wife Penelope stays extremely faithful to him despite all the suitors are constantly trying to court her. Without these women who stay by Odysseus’s side, Homer suggests, Odysseus will not return home successfully. Although …show more content…
When Odysseus is drowning in the sea before getting to the Phaiakian’s land, he is aided by the gray-eyed goddess. Homer himself describe the situation as “had not the gray-eyed goddess Athena given him forethought, Odysseus would have perished,” suggesting the how life threatening situation is, and therefore the importance of the aid from Athena (99). In another instance, when Odysseus has arrived on the land of the Phaiakians, Athena inspired the Phaiakians princess Nausikaa in her dreams to “go on a washing tomorrow when dawn shows,” for Athena knows Odysseus settles close to the washing place, indicating that if it were not for Athena, Nausikaa will not discover Odysseus and bring him back to the palace, which will subsequently make Odysseus’s journey home even more difficult (103). Moreover, while Alkinoos, the king of the Phaiakians, call for an assembly of the Phaiakians, Athena “[likens] herself to the herald of wise Alkinoos,” encouraging people to attend the assembly so that there will be enough people to sail Odysseus home, demonstrating that Athena’s help is vital to Odysseus’s homecoming (121). Most importantly, Athena disguised Odysseus as a beggar when he gets back to Ithaca so that he will not be recognized and killed by the suitors before he can execute his revenge. Athena “put the skin of an ancient old man” on Odysseus, helping him to camouflage himself so that he won’t be discovered by the suitors, indicating the importance of Athena’s assistance since without her help, Odysseus will definitely be killed by the suitors (209). Besides helping Odysseus in life threatening situations, Athena also helps make Odysseus’s journey a little easier by “[gilding him] with grace and good looks” when he meets Nausikaa, so that she is charmed by him and is willing to bring him to the