Gods.
Athena, Poseidon, Zeus, Hermes — the immortals who shape the journey.
- Athena / a-THEE-na / Goddess of wisdom, craft, and strategic war. Odysseus's patron and protector — the divine voice in his ear all the way home. ★
- Poseidon / po-SY-don / God of the sea, earthquakes, and horses. The Odyssey's chief antagonist — Odysseus blinded his son, and the sea-god takes ten years to forgive. ★
- Calypso / ka-LIP-so / Sea-nymph who keeps Odysseus on her island Ogygia for seven years. Loves him, offers him immortality, and has to be ordered by Zeus to let him go. ★
- Circe / SUR-see / Sorceress on the island of Aeaea. Turns Odysseus's men into pigs, then becomes his lover and adviser for a year. ★