A- Athena and Telemachus

The goddess Athena asked for the reason and begged her father to show mercy in order to free Odysseus from the fairy Calypso, who kept him on her island.

The main reason for the suffering of the heroic Odysseus was the wrath of the god Poseidon because he had blinded his Cyclops son, Polyphemus. For this reason Poseidon stood in the way constantly the return of Odysseus to Ithaca. Zeus agreed that the suffering that had befallen Odysseus was too much and it was time for him to go home. Poseidon was then temporarily in the land of Ethiopia, an event that would allow the goddess Athena's request to be fulfilled.

So Zeus sent his messenger the god Hermes to tell Calypso that she should help Odysseus,in order to leave her island safely. Athena headed for Ithaca where she would meet Odysseus' son, Telemachus, to give him courage to go meet the his father's old comrades-in-arms at Troy, kings Nestor and Menelaus.

The Goddess soon arrived in Ithaca, where she disguised herself as Mentis, a friend of Odysseus. Suitors had settled in Odysseus' palace, who intended to marry his wife, Penelope, and thus ascend to the throne of Ithaca. They believed that Odysseus was dead, so they did not hesitate to stay in his house, entertain and eat every day of his life. Telemachus welcomed Mentis, meaning Athena, who advised him to equip a ship and set sail for the kingdom of Nestor at Pylos and Menelaus at Sparta. There he would ask them if they knew where Odysseus might be. His hope was to be told that his father was alive so that he could try to drive the suitors from the palace. Saying this, Mentis transformed into an eagle and flew up. This is how Telemachus understood that he was talking to the goddess Athena. Not having seen any of this, the suitors began to mock Telemachus as he left them to devise a plan to travel to Pylos and Sparta.