Book 13, lines 287-290: ‘The goddess, gray-eyed Athene, smiled on him, and stroked him with her hand, and took on the shape of a woman both beautiful and tall, and well versed in glorious handiworks…’
I liked this quote, since it shows that Athena truly cares for Odysseus (it is not for every mortal that a god(dess) will kindly touch them), her mortal counter-part. Also, I assume that this is her actual form that Homer is describing? Since Athena was known for her handiwork (I believe when Arachne contested her?) and she is described as tall and beautiful, both signs of immortality. Has Odysseus ever seen her in true form and not a disguise? If he hasn’t, it feels as if this scene is a very touching/poignant note to it (though it is touching in either respect).
I also found it ironic that in book 14 that Eumaios stated to a disguised Odysseus that he lied about what happened to him, even after Odysseus invested a good deal of cunning into the story he told the servant. It seems odd that Odysseus can charm anyone else into believing him, but his own servant won’t believe him. Is this a signal of some underlying theme/device?
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