Has Athena always stood beside Odysseus? (Catherine Project 9)

 Catherine Project, Spring 2024, Homer -- Od. 13-16

When Odysseus finally arrives back at Ithaca, Athena reveals herself to him: “yet you never recognized / Pallas Athene, daughter of Zeus, the one who is always / standing beside (paristamai) you and guarding you in every endeavor” (13.299-301). Other characters in both the Odyssey and Iliad attest to Athena “standing beside” Odysseus at Troy: 

• earlier in the Odyssey Nestor claimed that he never saw another god so openly stand beside a mortal (3.218f; cf. 3.379). 
• in the Iliad Ajax claims that Athena always stands besides Odysseus like a mother (Il. 23.783)
• In the Iliad Odysseus himself prays to Athena, saying himself (!) that she always stands beside him in every struggle (Il. 10.278; language very close to Od. 13.301, en pantessi ponoisi paristasai vs. en pantessi ponoisi paristamai)

Plus Athena does regularly talk to, help and protect Odysseus in the Iliad (2.172, 10.245, 11.437, 23.769f; cf. 10.245), including literally standing next to him in the disguise of a herald when he speaks in assembly (2.279). Athena is a constant helper of Odysseus at Troy and has the well-earned reputation for doing so.

But here in the Odyssey, Odysseus denies Athena; he claims that he never saw her after they left Troy and the gods scattered the Greeks, until she led him herself into the city of the Phaeacians (13.314-323). Odysseus clearly no longer trusts Athena: throughout this awkward exchange in 13, he tries to lead Athena into making commitments of future protection (359-60, 389-391) and at the conversation’s end accuses her of pointlessly leading Telemachus to suffer on the open seas instead of just telling him Odysseus was alive (417-9). With this kind of behavior, he seems to genuinely believe that Athena did not stand beside him during his wanderings (cf. Od. 6.325). Athena claims that she did not want to fight with Poseidon (13.341-3; cf. 6.328-331).

What do we know? The epic begins with Athena requesting Odysseus be released from Calypso’s island (1.48f). After Poseidon shipwrecks Odysseus and leaves (5.380-1), Athena helps Odysseus reach the island of the Phaeacians and helps him there (5.382, 427, 437, 492, 6.112, 139). Athena is wrong to think that Odysseus never recognized her; as he correctly states, she did lead him in person (in disguise) to the Phaeacians (7.18-82). In Odysseus’ telling of the adventures (note that mortals in Homer do not know of divine action, Jorgenson’s law), Athena never appears or helps him; his only reference to her is in the Cyclops’ cave, where  he thinks about how Athena might give him glory (9.317).

Three options, as I see them:

1. Athena never stopped helping Odysseus, but did so secretly whenever she could avoid Poseidon’s notice. But Odysseus failed to recognize her (for whatever reason) until he recognized her among the Phaeacians.
2. Athena did stop helping Odysseus after Poseidon grew angry because of the blinding of the Cyclops, until he left Calypso’s island.
3. Athena stopped helping Odysseus as soon as Odysseus left Troy, as Odysseus says (13.316). Maybe related is Hermes’ claim that the Greeks offended Athena on the voyage home, and Athena killed Odysseus’ companions and sent him to Calypso’s island (5.108-111; cf. Od. 3.135, 4.500). Typically Athena’s anger here is understood as anger at lesser Ajax for the rape of Cassandra and has nothing to do with Odysseus.

Ultimately I think the question is difficult to resolve, because we don’t have enough information about Odysseus’ adventures from any source other than Odysseus himself, who is both a liar and a mortal unaware of divine actions. My personal bet though is #1, in large part because of the narrator’s endorsement of a similar claim at 6.328-331. Though even if Athena continued to provide secret help, did she still always “stand beside” him, as she claims? Athena’s previous open support of Odysseus was a key part of their dynamic at Troy.

Other questions (in rough order of book)

• Is Athena’s “mist” covering Ithaca (aêr at 13.189) a real mist? Or is it a kind of allegory or physical manifestation of the forgetfulness that 20 years away would create in anyone? Does Homer do that kind of allegory?
• Eumaeus immediately sees Odysseus’ life story as a lie (14.363). What about it is so unconvincing? And why does Odysseus tell such an unconvincing story?
• The Odyssey is arguably all about going home (nostos). Why does Eumaeus accept his life as a (relatively) favored swineherd instead of going home to his father’s kingdom  (15.413-4). He does tell a story where a similar person (his Phoenician nurse) does try to go home unsuccessfully (15.478) – maybe a kind of internalization of his status. Are slaves supposed to accept their fate?
• What kind of emotion is the audience supposed to feel at the reunion of Telemachus and Odysseus (16.188)? The sorrow the characters feel (16.214-5)? Relieved satisfaction? Feels like a different kind of emotion than anything the Iliad tries to elicit.
• Why are the suitors presented as so evil? The narrator himself even points out that Eurymachus straight up lies to Penelope about trying to kill Telemachus (16.448-9). Feels like it flattens out what might be a more interesting, less black and white situation.