Athena, the goddess of wisdom, rose from the head of Zeus dressed in full armor. Zeus had swallowed his wife Metis in fear that she might give birth to a son who would overthrow him as he had overthrown his father Cronus. Athena was often thought of as a man because she didn't take care of her appearance like other goddesses did. Inventor of the axe, plow and ox yoke and protector of Athens, Athena was an eternal virgin. Venus, on the other hand, is the goddess of sensual love and is born from the foam of the sea already in a nubile form. Born from the genitals of Uranus, Venus was known to be unfaithful and used her beauty to deceive many men. Two goddesses, the virgin and the unfaithful woman, who couldn't be more different from each other, yet through their representation in Homer's Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid, we begin to notice the similarities. Although their personalities have shaped their ways in different ways, both Athena and Venus share a common goal: to protect mortals, and they must do so by Zeus' rules. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayAlthough both are power-giving goddesses, they must turn their heads to the "father of gods and men (1.344)" to confirm the safety of their mortals2. At the beginning of the Odyssey, Athena asks: “Have you not Odysseus / honored the ships of the Argives, making sacrifices / in wide Troy? Why, Zeus, are you so hard on him now (1:60-62)” as he begs his father to free Odysseus from the clutches of Calypso.1 In which, Zeus then grants permission to send Hermes down to free Odysseus. Likewise, Venus, “with tears in her shining eyes (1.311)” turns to Jupiter asking him why, after having endured so much hardship, the Trojans should “find / the whole world closed to them… (1.317-318)”2 Jupiter assures her that her mortal, Aeneas, would indeed continue to guide her great destiny and that her destiny remained unchanged. Venus and Athena both knew that if fate destined Aeneas and Odysseus to ruin, then they would not be able to help mortals. They must then confirm with Zeus (Jupiter) that the fate of their mortals does not lead to destruction. Once they get confirmation, from Zeus, the goddesses descend into the mortal world to help their mortals. Disguised as a "little servant, carrying a jug (7.20)", Athena meets Odysseus outside the Phaeacian walls. There the young Athena provides Odysseus with information about the etiquette of the people and their Phaeacian customs. After leading him around the city, Athena tells him the history of the royal family and how to gain the queen's favor. It is similar to when Aeneas comes across “a Spartan girl, or like that of Thrace (1.427),” Venus in disguise, who tells him the story of the ruler, Dido2. Then he shows Aeneas the direction of Carthage: “Go therefore, where the road leads, go forward (1.551)” and reveals himself as he walks away. Through disguise the goddesses provide information and advice that would help Odysseus and Aeneas on their epic journey. Although Athena and Venus could have appeared in their divine forms to guide mortals, they instead chose to masquerade as mortals - only the gods know why. Both Athena and Venus share the goal of protecting their mortals from further conflict, but the methods they use are distinct from one another. When it comes to manipulation, Athena takes a more subtle approach while Venus uses a more blunt approach. Athena uses double determination to manipulate humans, as when she puts it into Ctesippus's head to hurl an ox's foot at Odysseus. He never forces mortals to do anything, but rather inserts thoughts that give them one..