Poseidon has harbored a bitter grudge against Odysseus since the hero blinded his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, earlier in his travels. Hermes persuades Calypso to let Odysseus build a ship and leave. On Mount Olympus, Zeus sends Hermes to rescue Odysseus from Calypso. Athena, goddess of wisdom, loves the wily and clever Odysseus, helping him throughout the epic. Zeus only plays a minor role in “The Odyssey,” showing up now and then to weigh fates in his scales, giving Odysseus a bit of help or allowing Athena to help out her clever favorite. When Athena wishes to see Odysseus released from his captivity by Calypso, it is to Zeus she appeals, and it is Zeus who sends Hermes to secure Odysseus’s release. In Greek mythology, Zeus is king of the gods, and in that capacity, it was believed that he ultimately upheld the cosmic and natural order.
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