Of Gods and Men—Divine Subjectivity in “The Odyssey”
Throughout the centuries, religion has served human societies as a form of justification to the eventful world around them—a way to bestow meaning upon things that are not quite understood, but are crucial to their existence. A common Belief in a god or gods gives a foundation for morality among peoples, as well as a reason for societies to remain together. The relationship between a people and their gods is crucial to the establishment of social norms, but more importantly, to the grasp of abstract concepts such as freedom, justice and fate, which are the basis of all human aspirations. In Greek mythology, this relationship is marked by the resemblance of men and the Olympian Gods. This belief becomes very apparent in Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey”. Throughout the poem it is plain to see that the gods are driven by the same basic impulses—love, lust and jealousy—that drive men to action. We can see a clear example of this in Athena and Poseidon. The opposing forces of Athena’s sympathy and Poseidon’s resentment toward Odysseus—both crucial in the outcome of our hero�

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Contrary to following some standard divine course of action, the gods actually disagree. While Athena deems Odysseus worthy of protection, Poseidon finds that he should suffer the wrath of the gods. There does not seem to be any solid foundation to the judgment of the gods. Even in the realm of the divine there is no consensus as to Odysseus’s destiny, at least one party has to be wrong. Division among the gods in matters of justice and human destiny undermine the existence of absolute values. The lack of consistency in the moral values of deities renders their integrity meaningless thereby making them all too human. Consequentially, the superiority of the Greek gods

does not so much lie in their wisdom and higher morals but in their superior power—their immortality and control over nature left as their only overt distinction from humans.

by you in every exploit: Thanks to me the Phaecians all embraced you warmly… I willed it planned it so when you set out for home.”(XIII. 341-347). I willed it, Athena says; she does not will it out of any sense of higher justice, she does not will it for the good of humankind she wills it out of sheer sympathy for Odysseus. So it seems that happiness lies not in the hands of men but in the arbitrary will of deities.