Then the goddess, flashing-eyed Athena, answered him: “But come, I will make thee unknown to all mortals. I will shrivel the fair skin on thy supple limbs, and destroy the flaxen hair from off thy head, and clothe thee in a ragged garment, such that one would shudder to see a man clad therein. And I will dim thy two eyes that were before so beautiful, that thou mayest appear mean in the sight of all the wooers, and of thy wife, and of thy son, whom thou didst leave in thy halls.
— Homer, The Odyssey
Something struck me greatly when reading the Odyssey, which is mostly famous for its depiction of a man’s struggle against difficulties and hostility. It was not Odysseus’ adventures or his resolution which impressed me most in Homer’s story, but what is taking place at the end of it. I have noticed an extraordinary act of self-improvement and personal transformation that makes the Odyssey a kind of a philosophical breakthrough, from which I believe we all can learn.
After Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, having a long and perilous journey behind him, he has but one last task to perform in order to be rejoined with his wife. This task is to get rid of her suitors who occupy his household and refuse to leave until she decides to marry one of them. Before Odysseus departs into the island, Athena changes his appearance so that he looks like a humble, old beggar. This is meant to make the infiltration of his land and household easier, as not to rise the suspicion of the suitors who were greater in numbers and would attack him on sight. But this will also provide Odysseus with an opportunity to conquer something he wouldn’t dream of before — himself.
Hardship as a divine test
A great deal of suffering on Odysseus’ way to Ithaca was actually caused by his pride when after blinding the Cyclops Polyphemus, he could not restrain himself and having successfully escaped mocked the enraged creature, triumphantly revealing his name. It happened that Polyphemus was a son of Poseidon, and prayed to his father so that Odysseus would never reach his homeland, or if it is fated for him to reach it, at least may he encounter as many problems on his way and afterwards as possible. Poseidon heeded his son’s prayer and as you might know from the story, he caused a great deal of suffering to Odysseus, turning his homecoming into an act of repentance.
And now, after finally reaching Ithaca, the great and proud hero is being turned into the lowest of the low, and in such state he must face the final obstacle between him and his family. He is so close, and yet so far away.
Why didn’t Athena simply smite the suitors or imbued Odysseus with godlike strength so he can deal with his enemies and simply be done with it? Has he not been through enough already? Well, here a quote from a Stoic philosopher Epictetus might be helpful:
’Difficulty shows what men are. Therefore when a difficulty falls upon you, remember that God, like a trainer of wrestlers, has matched you with a rough young man. Why? So that you may become an Olympic conqueror; but it is not accomplished without sweat.’
Both the Stoics and the Cynics drew a lot from a hero archetype, especially Hercules, and perhaps this very subtle intervention of the gods in Odysseus’ quest is a prelude to that philosophical idea of a hardship as a test rather than god’s punishment. Such approach removes the mindset of a victim, and replaces it with that of a challenger.
Humiliy as the knowledge of self
As our Hero infiltrates his homeland, I have noticed that he goes through a few ‘trials’ of humility and restraint that we might call the ‘Test’ moment of Joseph’s Campbell’s ‘Hero’s Journey’.
The first of the trials is the conversation with his son Telemachus whom he did not see for such a long time and yet he had to remain incognito and keep his emotions in check. Only when Athena gives him a sign and tells him to make himself known to his son, temporarily reverting Odysseus’ appearance back to his own, he is being recognized by his son, he kissed him and even sheds a tear.
His second trial is when on his way he meets his disloyal herdsman who offends both disguised Odysseus and his faithful swineherd Eumeaus. The bad servant also kicks Odysseus who, at first, wanted to kill him for this disgrace ‘Yet he endured, and stayed him from his purpose’.[Hom. Od. 17.204] The hero resists the temptation that many of us are unable to resist, namely to put someone lowlier and weaker in their place, even when in reality it is not necessary. For if we are ready to repay lowliness with lowliness, aren’t we become lowly ourselves?
This reminds me of a Stoic anecdote about Cato the Younger who was hit by a stranger who didn’t know who he was. When the man realized that he hit THAT Cato, he begun to apologize and ask for forgiveness. The Stoic replied: ‘I do not recall being hit’. Where there is no offence taken, there is nothing to forgive.
Odysseus’ third trial is when he is send by Athena to go among the suitors and beg for bread, to see which of them are righteous and which are vile. Everyone takes pity upon our hero but Antinous, who is the vainest and proudest of them all, it is quickly challenged in the provocation that our hero makes towards him: ‘Thou wouldest not out of thine own substance give even a grain of salt to thy suppliant, thou who now, when sitting at another’s table(…).’[Hom. Od. 17.424] Upon hearing such rebuke from the beggar, Antinous is enraged and throws a footstool at Odysseus. Although the lord of Ithaca is furious, all he can do at the moment is to sit back, if he wants his plan to succeed.
The forth trial is Odysseus’ encounter with beggar Irus, who although neither strong nor mighty, was of a big size. Irus then begins to mock and provoke the hero, seeing him as a competition and aiming at driving him away. At the beginning of their exchange Odysseus has already learned something about humility, and although angry, he replies kindly. Nevertheless they are compelled to fight and Odysseus after considering to just kill the pathetic beggar with one hit, decided to spare him as not to raise any suspicions. Here, he has overcome what he could not during his encounter with the Cyclops: he puts his plan and in consequence the future of his family over the anger and the satisfaction of victorious boasting that he was so used to.
The fifth trial is disguised hero’s conversation with Penelope — his own wife, during which he had to conceal his intentions and his lineage as well as give a hint to his wife about her husband’s return. After he retires from Penelope’s chambers and lays down to sleep he almost goes through an emotional breakdown, fighting with the Homeric hero within him who never had to endure such humiliation and helplessness. This is the culmination of Odysseus’ inner fight, and the last stage of his trials of humility which I cannot help but to view as a path of atonement. It is clearly difficult for him, for he could not win it by the means of arms, wit or competition as he usually did.
After patiently enduring all these encounters, in spite of his warrior’s nature and might, Odysseus puts the final stage of the grand plan into action; revealing himself at the right moment to the suitors and slaying all of them. We read that Athena did not want to spare any of the offenders, and after dealing with the suitors, Odysseus hangs every unfaithful maid in his household.
As for the suitors, one might say that it is their pride, vanity and stubbornness that sealed their fate, but I think that the execution of the maids is an aspect of a ritual purification rather than an act of revenge. It is very visible when right after Odysseus and his son had finished slaying all the suitors, he calls the eldest female servant and his wet nurse Eurycleia, and asks her to tell him which of the maids have misconducted themselves. The guilty maids are made to clean up the whole mess before they are executed, and their attitude is commented by Telemachus: ‘I shall not let these women die a clean death, for they were insolent to me and my mother, and used to sleep with the suitors.’[Hom. Od. 22.430] This ritual purification is even further confirmed by Odysseus words: ‘Bring sulphur, old dame, to cleanse from pollution, and bring me fire, that I may purge the hall.’[Hom. Od. 22.465] and it might be directly connected to his special relationship with Athena, and indeed other gods too, as well as his holy mission which was bestowed upon him by Tiresias, the prophet of Apollo.
Models of guidance
In the words of Joseph Campbell; ‘It has always been a model which gives a direction to go and the way in which to handle problems and opporunities that come up’.’ In the Odyssey, Athena which not so much becomes a model but makes both Odysseus and his son Telemachus aware of their higher self, and helps them to ascend towards it. In spite of being a female deity, she does not avoid conflict or seek approval, but she inspires during the conflict and provides a rational plan for it. She does not make Odysseus meek, she makes him humble. She does not emasculate, she makes masculinity civilized and adds a higher dimetnion to it. To Odysseus and Telemachus, Athena might be what the Lady of the Lake is to the Knights of the Round table - she provides guidance and allows them to see what they cannot in their current state.
Odysseus’ motivation to reach Ithaca and Penelope at all cost also reveals the ‘princess in the tower’ archetype. Both the island and his wife being that ideal which inspires a male hero to become whom he was always meant to be. That longing is what allows Odysseus to be released from the toxic relationship with Calypso, who although extremely beautiful and alluring, is able to provide him with a relationship only on a sexual level. It is interesting that a book which is a product of a rather highly patriarchal society, and often accused of misogyny nowadays, points towards the higher ideal of love rather than just an enjoyment of sexual liberty and a relationship without responsibilities.
As for Odysseus’ holy mission which I have mentioned before, he is meant to take an oar from his ship and travel inland until he finds people who do know the sea and will mistake the oar for a winnowing oar(or a shovel), and then travel back home and make an offering to the gods. This adds yet another, apostolic layer and a final milestone in hero’s journey.
In Sophocles’ play ‘Ajax’ Odysseus also works together with Athena, and is able to learn how Ajax’s wrath and pride is pushing him into the madness. I think the moral conclusions made by Odysseus in Sophocles’ play somehow correlate with his transformation in the Odyssey. He is being portrayed both by Homer and Sophocles as a man who uncovers the unknown aspects of human nature, in order to understand and harness it. Odysseus’ shift from physical prowess and the life of a warrior to the religious dimention, or should I say, the dimention of the mind, might be a good example of a man’s maturing process and a natural retirement. He can now enter the realm of higher pursuits and thoughts and devote himself to the family and the gods.
It is at the end of the Odyssey where an amazing transformation happens and the male hero archetype is redeemed through humility and rational approach to his perils, hopes and emotions. Because of his humility, because of his patience and his trust in the gods and his own actions, Odysseus is able to overcome both the inner and the external perils, and reach the higher state of man. He might be the first from among his ranks to swallow his pride and to completely redefine the image of a hero. Unlike Patroclus who could not restrain his pursuit of glory, which got him killed, unlike Achilles who would not give up his honour and anger, unlike Ajax who could not withstand losing, killing himself out of shame. These were great men who were defeated by their ego, they were powerful against the spears of their enemies, yet powerless against the blows of Fortune. Wise are the words of Seneca: ‘He is powerful, who has power over himself’,wise was Odysseus in embodying them, and we also will be wise to emulate such character.
