Athena, goddess of wisdom and knowledge, rose fully armored from Zeus’s head. Zeus ate Metis because he was afraid she would give him a child who would be able to topple him like he had his father Kronos. Athena’s looks were not taken care of like those of the other goddesses. Athena invented the ax (axe), plow (plow) and oxyoke. As patroness for Athens she was an everlasting virgin. Venus is the goddess for sensual, passionate love. She was born from the sea’s foam when she was a virgin. Venus, who was born from Uranus’s genitals and was unfaithful to men by using her beauty, is known for being unfaithful. The virgin and unfaithful goddesses are so different yet they share many similarities. Both Athena, and Venus, despite their different personalities, share the same goal of protecting mortals. They must follow Zeus’s rules.
Although both goddesses are powerful, they have to turn their heads towards the “fathers of gods (1.344),” in order for their mortals to be safe2. Athena asked, “Didn’t Odysseus / make sacrifices in Troy on the ships / of the Argives? Zeus, what is the matter with you? (1.60-62)” She asks, as she pleads for her father’s help to free Odysseus. Zeus gives her permission to have Hermes send down to Odysseus. Venus asks Jupiter with “tears in her shining eye (1.311), why, when the Trojans have worked so hard, must they “find/the world closed… (1.317-318),”2? Jupiter assures Venus that Aeneas’ fate will remain unchanged and that he will lead the Trojans into the future. Venus and Athena understood that fate would have to decide Aeneas’ and Odysseus’ ruin if they were to be saved. Therefore, they must ask Zeus to confirm that their mortals’ fate does not end in destruction.
The goddesses help the mortals after they have received confirmation from Zeus. Athena arrives outside Phaeacian’s walls disguised as an “adolescent girl carrying a cup (7.20)”. Athena informs Odysseus about the Phaeacian etiquette and customs. Athena instructs him on how to please the queen and her royal family. Venus is disguised and tells Aeneas about Dido2. She tells Aeneas, “Go forward, wherever the path takes you, go ahead” (1.551), and then reveals herself before she leaves. The goddesses disguise themselves to provide advice and information that will help Odysseus on his epic journey. Athena, Venus, and other goddesses could have appeared as gods to guide mortals. Instead, they chose to disguise themselves as mortals. Only the gods can explain why.
Athena, like Venus, has the same goal of protecting her mortals. However the methods each goddess uses are unique. Athena is subtler in her manipulation while Venus is more outspoken. Athena manipulates humans with double-mindedness, as she did when she convinced Ktesippos that he should throw the foot from an ox at Odysseus. She never makes mortals do anything. Rather, she uses thoughts to encourage them. Venus is not shy about forcing women to succumb to Amor’s love arrows. Amor is asked to “breathe invisble fire into her/and dupe her with sorcery” (1.939-940). Venus then uses magic to ignite the burning flame inside Dido, which would not have happened without bewitching. Athena uses mind manipulation while Venus uses heart enchantments in order to protect Odysseus, Aeneas and Aeneas.
Venus, in contrast, only wants Aeneas and her happiness to flourish. Athena appeared briefly in disguise as Mentor to Odysseus before resigning herself to an elevated perch. She will not kill Odysseus’ suitors, preferring to watch him defeat his opponents. Venus, however, is unable to stop worrying about Aeneas’ journey. She makes sure that Dido falls into a loveless and desperate affair with the Carthaginians. But she goes even further to ask Hephaistos – the god of the metal – to make Aeneas’ armor, as he prepares himself for battle with the Latins. Venus even sweeps Aeneas out of the Trojan field when he’s about to fight Diomedes. That would have ended his life. Venus appears to do everything in her power to protect and help her son. Athena can play a major role in Odysseus journey if she is able to win. Venus, however, does all that she can for her child.
Athena has many connections to music, art, and creativity. One of them is her invention of a flute. The Twelfth Pythian Ode states that Athena invented the flute after she heard the lamentations from the Gorgons whose sister Medusa had been killed by Perseus. In this story, she shows not only her creative abilities but also her musical skills, since “she wove in music the dire dirge which Perseus, after killing Medusa, heard the Gorgons’ wailing and the sound of their serpent hair hissing”.
With so many names, these two goddesses are not the same. Virgil & Homer depict them parallel in The Aeneid & The Odyssey. The goddesses want to see Odysseus & Aeneas achieve their goals. Both are bound by Zeus’ rule and have a tendency to disguise themselves when they face their mortals. The dispositions of both characters play a role in the way they choose to protect their victims. The one uses a subtle tactic to help her hero achieve greatness and the other uses blunt tactics to ensure that her protagonist gets what she wants. Athena is similar to Venus, but they are different. Both do whatever they like to help their mortals win.