A Comparison of the Role of Women in Homer’s Odyssey and...

The Role of Women in Odyssey and The Iliad The Iliad and Odyssey present different ideals of women, and the goddesses, who are presented as ideal women, differ between the two epics. The difference in roles is largely dependent on power, and relations to men, as well as sexual desirability and activity. The goddesses have a major role in both epics as Helpers of men. They have varied reasons for this. One is a maternal instinct. This is displayed in the literal mother-son relationships of Aphrodite and Aeneas, Thetis and Achilles, and the protective instinct that Athene displays in Book 3 of the Iliad when Pandarus arrow shot an arrow at Menelaus and she took her stand in front and warded off the piercing dart, turning it just†¦show more content†¦Goddesses may help less able heroes in battle by removing them from the field, or disguising them. Aphrodite rescues Paris [p74] and Aeneas [p100] from the field when they are having difficulties. Goddesses physically influence the weapons being used in battle. In the case of Pandarus breaking the truce between the two sides, Athene stops the arrow fired at from being fatal by deflecting it. Another means by which goddesses help humans is by making people appear more fearful or more beautiful. When Achilles ventures out to the Gr eek wall in Book 18 [p342] to raise a battle cry, he is joined by Athene, and together they terrify the Trojans. In Odyssey, goddesses help Odysseus by providing physical things that he needs to complete his journey, such as Calypsos cloth for sails, Circes rations, and the favourable winds that both goddesses raise to help Odysseus on his way. As in the Iliad, goddesses lend encouragement to heroes. Here, in a more peaceful setting, the encouragement is of a more subtle nature than in the Iliad, such as Athenes encouragement of Telemachus before he approaches Nestor in the beginning of Book 3 [p50]. 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