Odysseus: Athena

Sometimes when I read through the story of Odysseus, I feel that the goddess Athena is the true protagonist of the story. The story often feels like it operates on two seperate planes. On the plane of humanity, we spend time with different people trying to grow into better versions of themselves. On the spiritual plane, we spend the most time with Athena, slowly influencing the other gods, and advocating for the people who are trying to achieve noble goals.

Athena's character lives in many incarnations through history, and goes by many names. Sophia, by the Gnostics, Shechina in Jewish tradition, the holy spirit in Christianity, and countless more. God’s masculine entity (Zeus in this story) is prone to apathy towards humans. Carl Jung writes in “Answer to Job,” that god is often fixated on the perfection of his creation, as the masculine ideal often is. In doing so, he forgets the feminine partner to his existence, the feminine deity who is more aware of human suffering.

Athena's primacy in this story is also supported by the fact that Odysseus is not told in chronological order. There are many missing steps of Odysseus’ journey that are told later on. We actually begin Odysseus with the awakening of Athena as a direct influence to Odysseus’ life. The story takes us through her process. Athena hears Odysseus' longing to return home to his family and she reinforces his case among the gods, asking them to hear his cause and acknowledge it as just. Then she gets leave to spread her influence.

The first person she touches is Telemachus, Odysseus’ son. Telemachus is a boy brought up under the shadow of the memory of a great father who went off to war, but never returned. A boy who’s home was invaded by suitors courting his mother against her will and powerless to protect her. A boy forced to watch as his inheritance is slowly eaten up by those same vulturous young men, treated cordially, but always aware of their hostility towards him. Athena takes the guise of Mentes, an older man, and a common avatar for her, and she just.. talks with him. She hears his plight, and his longing to find some way to reclaim his power yet not knowing how.

Athena offers Telemachus two things. She gets angry on his behalf, helping model for him the long nursed pain in his heart at his difficult lot in life. Then she offers him guidance, ways to channel his pain into action in the world, to make an impact. In receiving her guidance, Telemachus responds “Stranger, truly, you speak kindly like a father to his son, and I will never forget your words.”

We see a transformed Telemachus from this point onwards. A boy who bravely challenges the suitors for their cruelty and avarice. Who sails off to Pylos and Mycenae to meet the great leaders of the Greeks and to learn what he can of his fathers fate. Athena sparks Telemachus on his own quest, instead of waiting helplessly for others to rescue him.

This is the beautiful and powerful touch of Athena’s influence, advocating, caring, and guiding. But Athena is not the god of love, she is the god of wisdom. This is a model for the depth of the feminine wisdom of Athena. It is the wisdom of the heart, and it’s transformative power often surpasses masculine intelligence in it’s capacity to create positive change and growth in humans. Athena is a beloved character, one who still exists in the psyche of the universe, whatever name you want to call her.

As Odysseus and countless others have called to Athena throughout time for guidance and direction, so to for you, reader, call out to Athena for aide.