Endorsmement Letter

My Not So Hard Decision

There are many characters in the epic The Odyssey, by Homer, that it can sometimes be confusing to keep straight, but they are all important and all have a purpose. There are characters meant to trick and to be an obstacle to the protagonist, and there are figures that are friendly and lead the significant characters’ direction. A true hero finds any way possible to assist a good person in need of some extra help. I endorse Goddess Athena to be the Odyssey National Hero of the Year. Athena guided Telemachus through his own journey to secure his father’s homecoming.

“Odysseus journeys home- the exile must return! While I myself go down to Ithaca, rouse his son to a braver pitch, inspire his heart with courage…” (I, 103-105), Athena proposed to her father, Zeus, from Mount Olympus. Since the beginning, Athena showed her compassion towards Odysseus and his son’s success. She stepped forward to finally bring the odyssey of Odysseus to an end after ten long years. She was determined to help Telemachus to summon the Achaeans to an assembly, and to give him confidence to speak his mind to all the suitors that she disguised herself from. She descended amongst the mortals, disguised as Mentes, lord of the Taphians, to give Telemachus the guidance he needed, and she also sailed with him to Pylos to keep his ship safe. The ending of the epic occurred because of the help from Athena.

Without Athena’s compassion, the gods would not have paid any attention to Odysseus, and Telemachus would have never become the man he ended up to be. She shows the exact qualities a hero must have, and she sends the characters off with the strength that they need. Because of her assistance and compassion, I endorse Goddess Athena to win the Odyssey National Hero of the Year Award.