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What happens in Books 7 & 8 of The Odyssey?
In Book 7, Athena helps Odysseus make his way to the palace where he is greeted by King Alcinous and Queen Arete, who promise to provide Odysseus with a ship and offer Nausicaa’s hand in marriage. In Book 8, Odysseus participates in a series of games where he exhibits his athletic prowess. After noticing Odysseus’s reaction to the bard’s songs, Alcinous questions Odysseus’s true identity.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Books 7 & 8 of The Odyssey. (3-minute read)
What is the significance of including the bard’s tale about Ares and Aphrodite’s affair?
In Book 8, the bard Demodocus sings about the affair between Ares, the god of war, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, during the celebration feast in Odysseus’s honor at the Phaeacian palace. This allusion to a myth well known to Homer’s audience serves a dual purpose: firstly, it speaks to the significance of cunning, of which Odysseus possesses a great deal, in describing the way the blacksmithing god Hephaestus catches the two lovers in the act. Second, its portrayal of Hephaestus’s revenge foreshadows the revenge Odysseus will take on the suitors plaguing his home in Ithaca in pursuit of Penelope.
Read explanations of quotes about The Power of Cunning over Strength as a Theme. (3-minute read)
Why does Athena help Odysseus so much?
Athena is Odysseus’s patron. As the goddess of wisdom and battle strategy, she values Odysseus’s cleverness and shows him distinct favoritism.
Read more about Athena providing aid to Odysseus in our Q&A section. (1-minute read)
Why doesn’t Athena help Odysseus return home sooner?
Odysseus has run afoul of the god Poseidon. The action of The Odyssey begins when Athena capitalizes on an opportunity to send Odysseus home, not just because Poseidon is not present and therefore unable to stop her but also because she is able to make her case to the other gods, claiming Odysseus has suffered enough, and gain the approval of Zeus, her father and Poseidon’s brother.
Read more about Athena’s limitations as a goddess in our Q&A section. (1-minute read)
What foreshadowing appears in Book 8 of The Odyssey?
Odysseus is unable to resist boasting about his strength to the other Phaeacians when taunted about his presumed lack of athletic ability. He easily bests them, foreshadowing the end of the poem when Odysseus, with superior strength as well as intelligence, bests the suitors.
