Athena and the other gods and goddesses witness Odysseus’s suffering at the hand of Poseidon, the god of the sea. When the gods begin to talk about Odysseus’s fate, Athena immediately defends him. She claims that Odysseus has suffered too much, and the gods should care about him and help him get home. After Athena convinces the gods that Odysseus needs help, Zeus starts to make a plan to help Odysseus. Athena takes it upon herself to help the deteriorating family, and she says “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 to summon the flowing-haired Achaeans to full assembly, and speak his mind to all those suitors” (80). Though the other gods just watch the suffering in the mortal world, Athena knows what the gods are doing is wrong, and she has the power to help. When Athena stands up for Odysseus, she inspires others, like Telemachus to stand up for what they believe in