The Intercessions of Athena

July 26, 2021 by

It can be difficult to appreciate the many nuances of Homer’s epic Odyssey during an initial reading. I have found much of the material to be overwhelming both in scope and analysis. The sheer length and detail present a plethora of ideas to understand and consider. Additionally, interpretation is challenging as I find myself placing 21st century bias onto a classic work. However, because classic mythology often highlights successes and shortcomings of the human character by projecting them onto god figures, it is logical to assume the complex nature of decision making and ego affects the occupants of Olympus as well. One example of this duality is the assessment of blame. Both gods and mortals attribute the causes of strife to the other. Most notably is the lament of Penelope. While the involvement of the gods (or non-involvement, as the case may be) is undoubtedly a factor, their assistance, particularly that of Athena, is paramount in the return of her husband, Odysseus. Without Athena’s eventual intercessions in petitioning Zeus, preparing Telemachus, and inspiring Penelope, Odysseus would have never made it home to his wife.  

Homer begins the argument of blame in book 1 by giving the perspectives of both Zeus and Penelope. First, Zeus address the council of the gods, saying:   

Ah how shameless —the way these mortals blame the gods. 

From us alone, they say, come all their miseries, yes,       

but they themselves, with their own reckless ways, 

compound their pains beyond their proper share. (1.37-40) 

To Zeus’ credit, he does not claim that the actions of the gods hold no instance of blame in the ill happenings of mortals. But he is clear that it is a shared blame. Penelope, in contrast, lays all the fault at the feet of the gods telling her son, Telemachus that “Bards are not to blame — / Zeus is to blame. He deals to each and every / laborer on this earth whatever doom he pleases” (1.400-403). Interestingly, this declaration occurs after, unbeknownst to Penelope, Zeus has allowed divine intervention on her husband’s behalf. In fact, it is now Athena who will step in and allow for Odysseus to return home.  

It is important to note that Athena is not obliged to intercede on Odysseus’ behalf at all. First, this requires her to take a position directly opposite of Poseidon who is currently staunchly opposed to any good thing happening for the hero, a feud which Odysseus brought upon himself. In book 9 Odysseus recounts the story of the Cyclops to the Phaeacians. The story concludes with Odysseus blinding the son of Poseidon, Polyphemus. Odysseus, unable to control his hero nature, calls out to the wounded Polyphemus, “‘Cyclops — / if any man on the face of the earth should ask you / who blinded you, shamed you so —say Odysseus” (9.558-560). This gives Polyphemus all the information he needs to petition his father in retaliation. Of course, for Athena, Poseidon is an adversary that she has confronted before in the quest for the city of Athens – where she was also victorious. Secondly, and maybe most telling, Athena has some issues with Odysseus herself. Leaning on Jenny Strauss Clay’s 1983 study The Wrath of Athena Gods and Men, there is support for the idea that Athena has not helped the hero up to this point because she simply did not want to. She was angry with the Odysseus. She felt that she had always been instrumental in Odysseus’ success. However, it could not be denied that the hero was capable in his own right. Odysseus’ wit and strength was substantial enough to appear to Athena as a challenge to her own (Clay, 209). Coupled with the Poseidon problem, Athena chose to do nothing to ease his strife. For the duration of Athena’s disassociation, Odysseus is at Calypso’s mercy.  

“She was angry with the Odysseus. She felt that she had always been instrumental in Odysseus’ success. “

However, Athena has an affection for Odysseus because they are so much alike. In this mortal, she respects his cunning mind and his skill in warfare. It is this affection that prompts Athena to intercede on his behalf. Until Athena’s intervention, Odysseus has been held on Calypso’s island for seven years. In order to release him from this entanglement and start his journey home, Athena petitions Zeus to allow for Odysseus’ release from Calypso. This intervention, as is customary with Athena’s wit and cunning, is well timed. Poseidon is away in Ethiopia during the meeting of the gods (1.25). This not only allows Athena to intercede on Odysseus’ behalf, but gives Zeus the ability to agree without having to mediate a disagreement between his daughter and his brother. It is clear that Zeus needs little encouragement to grant Athena’s request as he agrees with her assessment of the “Great Odysseus / who excels all men in wisdom, excels in offerings too / he gives the immortal gods who rule the vaulting skies?” (1.78-80). With her request granted, Athena continues with the rest of her plan to get Odysseus safely home.  

Interestingly, Athena does not simply go to the island where Odysseus is being held and escort him home under her protection. It seems that with her abilities and the support of the other gods, this should be an easy enough feat. However, that would not be in line with the relationship that Athena and Odysseus have created. First, Athena enjoys watching the hero be the hero. She finds brilliance in his ability to be successful. Second, as discussed, Athena and Odysseus have been at odds before for numerous reasons, not the least of which is Athena’s opinion that Odysseus is “too clever; his intelligence calls into the question of the superiority of the gods themselves” (Clay, 209). Instead, Athena chooses to assist rather than enable. Unfortunately, due to the length of time that has elapsed, the journey home has acquired some additional challenges, namely the suitors of Penelope and their desire to occupy the seat left vacant by Odysseus. Consequently, even if Odysseus could make it back to his homeland, he still has one fight left. In his current situation, would have to go it alone. Success with those odds is not favorable. Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, would be a great asset, if he were an able ally. As it stands, he has grown up without a father resulting in the challenges in maturation typically expected in a young man who has not had the influence of his father. Telemachus is, to be blunt, a bit whiny, timid, and morose. He is not prepared to go into battle alnogside his father. Penelope has endured a long time of missing her husband and fending off suitors; her appearance and her spirit is waning. While one would think this would not matter after such a long absence, it is clear from Telemachus’ conversation with the disguised Athena in book one that his admiration of his mother has dwindled; that the disheartening of Odysseus could suffer the same is plausible. Gaining support from Zeus is clearly only the first step; Athena has more work to do.  

Athena’s next intercession is the preparation of Telemachus. She disguises herself and presents herself to him as a guest, a warrior friend of his father’s. What she finds is an incapable “Prince… / heart obsessed with grief” who can do little more than lament his current situation and hope against hope that his father will return and restore his home (1.133-137). Homer makes it plain that Telemachus is not going to be capable of remedying the current situation himself without some type of outside catalyst. The absence of Odysseus combined with the intrusion of Penelope’s suitors have created a situation in which young Telemachus has lost the drive to move into adulthood as Odysseus’ son. When questioned by Athena, Telemachus practically removes himself from his entire family, doubting the fidelity of his mother and his paternity by responding:  

Mother has always told me I’m his son, it’s true,  

but I am not so certain. Who, on his own,       

has ever really known who gave him life?       

Would to god I’d been the son of a happy man       

whom old age overtook in the midst of his possessions!       

Now, think of the most unlucky mortal ever born —      

since you ask me, yes, they say I am his son. (1.249-255) 

Immediately, “the clear-eyed goddess reassured him,” and continues throughout the exchange to encourage Telemachus’ morale. It is this mentorship into adulthood that Telemachus was missing. Athena proceeds to set a path for Telemachus to follow that will afford him the opportunity to regain confidence in both himself and his family. It is this confidence that will shape him into a reliable ally for his father’s return.  

Penelope also needs some divine intercession from Athena. She has long awaited the return of her husband and her hopes of his return have all but vanished. Athena works to rejuvenate the life and vitality into Odysseus’ wife. She begins with assuring her in book 4 that her son is protected by the goddess. Penelope is distraught when Medon informs her that Telemachus has gone off to Pylos. She petitions Athena to watch over her son. Of course, as this was Athena’s mission, the petition is granted. Athena uses this opportunity to begin the encouragement of Penelope. She appears as a phantom and tells her “Sleeping, Penelope, your heart so wrung with sorrow? / No need, I tell you, no, the gods who live at ease / can’t bear to let you weep and rack your spirit” in an attempt to pull Penelope out of the despair she has fallen into (4.904-906). Penelope askes about her husband as well, but, as the time to reveal Odysseus has not yet come, Athena does not answer her question.  She does return to Penelope in book 18. It is here she begins to prepare Penelope for Odysseus’ return and the battle with the suitors. Athena knows that Odysseus’ return will have to be revealed in a strategic way so that he will have the advantage when the fight begins. Much the same way as Athena enhanced Telemachus before his journey and would Odysseus when his identity becomes known, she comes to Penelope at night lavishing her with gifts to restore her beauty. This begins the chain of events that will lead up to Athena encouraging Penelope to craft a contest. The winner will be her suitor of choice. Again, Athena has cleverly put together the perfect situation for Odysseus to reclaim his rightful place in his life.  

There is validity to Penelope’s grievance that the gods are responsible for the strife that occurs in the lives of the mortals. If the full of the story is taken into account, the gods are responsible for Odysseus being away from his homeland to begin with as the Trojan War began with Paris choosing Aphrodite as the most beautiful goddess in a contest inspired by Eris. However, there is merit to Zeus’ claim that men create their own difficulties. Odysseus’ return home after the war may have been possible had he not offend Poseidon. Athena may have not remained absent if not offended by Odysseus’ confidence. Regardless of the catalyst or influences, another idea is true in Homer’s Odyssey. Without Athena’s eventual intercessions in petitioning Zeus, preparing Telemachus, and inspiring Penelope, the story ends much differently. Telemachus is overcome by the suitors, Penelope is forced into choosing a man she does not love, and Calypso realizes her desire to keep Odysseus, and our hero never makes it home. While Athena created a more difficult situation for herself and Odysseus, it is her intervention that makes the reunion possible. Although, the great challenge may have been the appeal for goddess of wisdom and war.  

Works Cited 

Clay, Jenny Strauss. The Wrath of Athena: Gods and Men in the Odyssey. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1997.  

Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Books, Kindle Edition,1996.   

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Hera and Aphrodite: Mishaps in Matrimony

July 12, 2021 by

Beginning the journey to learn about the various, and often contradictory, myths has exposed just how little I know about the different gods and goddesses. In particular, I thought Zeus had a different moral compass with a behavior that modeled a more traditional idea of honor. I thought of Hera as composed, and a respected Queen as the wife of Zeus. I did not realize Aphrodite was married. I always assumed (incorrectly), that she was the beautiful free spirit who inspired but did not participate in matrimony. To add to the intrigue, I have become aware of the lack of cannon in the mythological stories themselves. This is where the contradictions, inconsistencies, and various perspectives come from. Because there is no cannon, there is no way to declare with any certainty which telling is the original one. However, one can deduce from the more prevalent myths that the occupation of the role of wife by both Hera and Aphrodite has many similarities. They have similar origins at the hand of Zeus. While their methodology is different, the chaos created by their wifely circumstances is palpable. Although these similarities exist, the favorability enjoyed by Aphrodite is notably different from that offered to Hera.  

Statue of Hera
The Campana Hera, a Roman copy of a Hellenistic original, from the Louvre

The myths (and subsequent consequences) revolve around the desires of Zeus. Far from the benevolent and chivalrous gentleman, Zeus is nothing if not a take what he wants by any mean necessary deity. Procuring Hera as his seventh wife (although I confess to being a bit confused about how that works in the cosmic timeline) is no exception. I assume that Hera found benefit in being Zeus’ sister since it was he that brought her and the rest of their siblings back from the stomach of their father, Kronos. However, as a wife, it would appear that Hera was reluctant. Not one to take no for an answer, Zeus transformed himself into a cuckoo bird in order to entice Hera to bring him close to herself. The seduction worked and they married. This would seem to be the perfect role for the goddess of marriage (Roman and Roman 12). Unfortunately, the rampant promiscuity of her husband led to many difficulties. Hera is often portrayed enraged and jealous, going to treacherous and murderous ends in attempts to punish both her husband and his consorts. 

One such attempt occurred after the birth of Athena. Because of a prophesy, Zeus swallowed Athena’s mother, Metis, while she was pregnant with the goddess. Athena was later born in epic goddess fashion, full formed and fully ready for battle straight from the head of her father. While not technically a result of adultery (Metis and Zeus were married at the time), the birth of a child that was not hers infuriated Hera. I would suppose that after many slights, transgressions, and disloyalties, Hera would find it impossible to endure any encroachments on her position as the current bearer of Zeus’ children. In retaliation, Hera brought forth a child on her own. In keeping with Hera’s commitment to fidelity, she brought forth her son Hephaistos without participation from Zeus or any other entity. Unfortunately for Hera, Hephaistos was not the specimen Athena was. Where Athena was formidable and grand, Hephaistos was anything but. In her frustration, Hera cast her son from Mount Olympus. As one might imagine, this caused a great resentment in Hephaistos. In retaliation, he fashioned a throne designed to trap his mother in unbreakable bonds (Hansen and Hansen 50).  

Now, whatever Zeus was, willing to allow his wife to remain bound to a chair was not one of them. As Hephaistos was the only one who could free Hera, Zeus offered Aphrodite in marriage to whomever succeeded in convincing the disgruntled son to set his mother free. Ares, Aphrodite’s lover, attempted the mission and failed. Dionysus did not. Disliked by Hera himself, the god of wine convinced the craftsman god that the hand of Aphrodite was worth freeing the queen goddess. Hephaistos agreed and Dionysus found Hera’s favor and Hephaistos Aphrodite’s bed (Theoi Greek Mythology). 

Now, like Hera, Aphrodite found herself in a marriage not of her choosing. Also, like Hera, this arrangement left Aphrodite with a disposition for rebellion. Unlike Hera, however, Aphrodite did not feel compelled to maintain her fidelity to her husband. Instead, as the goddess of love, evidently regardless of martial disposition, Aphrodite and Ares continued their passionate love affair. It did not take long for Hephaistos to become aware of the duplicity. In retaliation, he devised a plan to catch the two lovers in the act and exposed their deceit to all the gods and goddess (Hansen and Hansen 113-114).  

The consequences of an unhappy home life for both goddesses were not limited to only the aforementioned examples. Both goddesses developed reputations for disruption that can logically tie back to their dissatisfaction with their husbands. It is important to note that the jealousy, trickery, and vengeance employed by Hera and Aphrodite are not particular to them. On the contrary, gods and goddess have displayed common characteristics of heightened emotions, sensitivity to slights, jealousy, and a desire for swift retribution when they feel as if they disrespected (Hansen and Hansen 35). However, as Hera is the goddess of marriage and Aphrodite the goddess of love, their behavior in the role of wife coincided directly with their respective honors. Therefore, Zeus’ infidelity is intolerable to Hera while remaining faithful in a loveless marriage was impossible for Aphrodite.  

It is easy to dismiss these love affairs as benign. Really, how much harm can come from people, deity or mortal, falling in love?

April Trepagnier

Perhaps because love is viewed as an invigorating emotion evoking thoughts of blooming flowers and young lovers while marriage is an institution for the adult and settled, the interferences of Aphrodite are viewed with less condemnation that those of Hera. Aphrodite was notorious for creating love affairs between gods and mortals to satisfy her amusement. It is easy to dismiss these love affairs as benign. Really, how much harm can come from people, deity or mortal, falling in love? Well, turns out it is a lot actually. Most notable was the Trojan War.  

While the epic of the Trojan War is often told and relatively well known, the genesis of the event is lesser explored and sometimes debated. One version suggests that Aphrodite’s meddling in the amorous affections of mortals and gods had created unforeseen consequences in the area of the resulting children. Real emotion found its way into some of these god-parent/demigod-offspring relationships. Because the demigods were mortal, this caused great strife for their immortal parents. Zeus was ready to see this era come to an end. He then employed Eris and a golden apple and counted on the vanity of the goddess to do its work. And it did. Tasking Paris with the responsibility of awarding the apple to the most beautiful goddess, Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite all made offers to be chosen. Aphrodite once again used the powers of desire, promising Paris the hand of Helen of Troy. This was the selected offer, and she won the golden apple from Paris thus infuriating Hera and Athena (Hansen and Hansen 82).  

Statue of Aphrodite
“Amfiteatri Afërdita“

Because there are a few events that occur in between the golden apple and the actual battles, it is easy to forget that Aphrodite had a hand in the mayhem. Aphrodite probably benefits from equal parts of romantic ideations and distance in proximity from initial cause to final result as she does not typically reveal her dissatisfaction with her marriage in direct relation to her husband. Hera routinely chooses a different method. Her interventions are, as one would expect of the goddess of marriage, directly aimed at the infidelity of her husband. She was nearly successful with her creation of Typhon. A child Hera brought forth on her own, Typhon was arguably the most formidable monster in mythology. Hera’s intention was for her son to overthrow her husband, thus freeing her from his power and punishing him for his infidelity. It nearly worked until Zeus overtook the monster to end the battle (Hansen and Hansen 233-234).  

More often, however, Hera is not quite so direct, choosing to take aim at the those around Zeus instead of the god himself. As such, there are typically relatively innocent women (even Hera fell victim to Zeus’ trickery), and children involved. Hera attempted to kill the infant Herakles, son of Zeus and Alkmene. She tricks Semele, mother of Dionysos, into destroying herself with Zeus’ radiance (Hansen and Hansen 187-188). This victimology rarely lends itself to sympathetic ideals. The result is a harsher view of Hera than Aphrodite experiences.  

Although Hera is considered strong, beautiful, and desirable, she is also characterized as a bitter housewife fueled by jealousy and overcome by pettiness. It occurred to me that this could be the very reason Hephaistos was born slighter in stature, weak, and unattractive. I think that there could be an argument made that Hera’s son is the embodiment of her inner angst. If, in mythological genealogy, like begets like, and Hephaistos comes from Hera alone at a particular time and for the express purpose of retaliating against Zeus for the birth of Athena, then it stands to reason that this would be the child Hera brings forth. Whether this is the actual cause of Hephaistos infirmary, of course I cannot know. However, it is symbolic of the typical way in which Hera and Aphrodite are regarded differently in their wifely roles considering the similarities in their situations.  

When one is considering the idea of “wife” and what that looks like in the context of mythological deities, it is often difficult to reconcile the manipulation, force, and aggression utilized when dealing with matters typically viewed as more romantic. However, it would appear that the deities are no less immune to drama created by emotional and physical desire than mortals. Hera, the Queen of the gods and Aphrodite, arguably the most well-known goddess are not so powerful as to be immune to the consequences of gods, more specifically, Zeus, behaving badly. Both goddesses were manipulated in their role as wife. True to their natures, these manipulations were answered with matronly punishment and seductive cuckolding. While both women may have desired to illuminate the more positive qualities of their honors, the lack of fidelity and passion prevented this for each of them respectively. While both women acted out against perceived wrongs, Hera’s outbursts, whether warranted or not, will always appear to be less flattering than Aphrodite’s indiscretions.  

Work Cited

Hansen, William F., and William F. Hansen. Classical Mythology: a Guide to the Mythical World of the Greeks and Romans. Oxford University Press, 2005.  

Roman, Luke, and Monica Roman. Aphrodite to Zeus: an Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology. Checkmark Books, 2011.  

“Theoi Greek Mythology.” THEOI GREEK MYTHOLOGY – Exploring Mythology in Classical Literature & Art, www.theoi.com/.  

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