Athena, the goddess of wisdom, emerged from the head of Zeus, clad in full armor. Zeus had swallowed his wife Metis for fear that she would give birth to a son who would overthrow him as he had overthrown his father Kronos. Athena was often seen as a man because she did not take care of her appearance like other goddesses did. Inventor of the axe, the plow and the oxen yoke and patroness of Athens, Athena was an eternal virgin. In contrast, Venus is the goddess of sensual love and has already emerged from the sea foam in a nubile state. 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 wife, who could not be more different from each other, but through their depiction in Homer's Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid, we begin to notice the similarities . Although their personalities have shaped their methods in different ways, Athena and Venus share a common goal: to protect mortals, and must do so according to Zeus's rules. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay Although both are powerful goddesses, they must turn their heads to the “father of gods and men (1.344)” in order to confirm the safety of their mortals2. At the beginning of The Odyssey, Athena asks: "Was it not Odysseus / who did not honor the ships of the Argives, making sacrifices / in vast Troy?" Why, Zeus, are you now so hard on him (1.60-62)” as she implores her father to free Odysseus from Calypso's grip.1 In which, Zeus then grants permission to send Hermes to free Ulysses. Similarly, Venus, “with tears in bright eyes (1.311)” appeals to Jupiter by asking him why, after so much toil, the Trojans must “find / the whole world closed to them… (1.317-318)”2 Jupiter assured him that his mortal, Aeneas, would indeed continue to direct his great destiny and that his destiny remained unchanged. Both Venus and Athena knew that if fate had doomed Aeneas and Odysseus to ruin, then they would be incapable of helping mortals. They must therefore confirm with Zeus (Jupiter) that the fate of their mortals does not lead to destruction. Once confirmation is obtained by Zeus, the goddesses descend to the mortal world to help their mortals. Disguised as a “little servant carrying a pitcher (7.20),” Athena meets Odysseus outside the Phaeacian walls. There, the young girl, Athena, provides Odysseus with information about the etiquette of the people and their Phaeacian customs. After guiding him through the city, Athena tells him the history of the royal family and how to win the queen's favor. This is similar to the time when Aeneas comes across “a Spartan girl, or like that of Thrace (1.427)”, Venus in disguise, who tells him the story of the sovereign Dido2. She then indicates to Aeneas the direction of Carthage: “Go then, where the path leads, go on (1.551)” and reveals herself as she moves away. Through their 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 pose as mortals – only the gods know why. Athena and Venus share the goal of protecting their mortals from further conflict, but the methods they use are distinct from each other. When it comes to manipulation, Athena takes a more subtle approach while Venus uses a more direct approach. Athena uses dual determination to manipulate the..