Athena’s fate in The Odyssey explained: Here’s what really happens to her in the ending

If you were confused by Athena’s fate in The Odyssey, you’re not alone.

In Christopher Nolan’s adaptation, Athena’s story gets a major symbolic twist. Near the end of the film, we see Zendaya’s character being beheaded during the fall of Troy, while a statue of Athena is destroyed at the same time.

It’s a pretty shocking moment, especially because Athena is supposed to be one of Odysseus’ closest allies.

In Greek mythology, Athena is the goddess of wisdom and war. In Homer’s The Odyssey, she helps Odysseus throughout his journey home from Troy, acting almost like a mentor and protector. She appears to him, gives him advice and helps him survive impossible situations. So why does the film show Athena being killed?

The answer is that it is symbolic, but it is also based on things that actually happen in Greek mythology.

First, Athena herself is not actually killed in The Odyssey. The gods in Homer’s story are real, and Athena continues to exist. She is not just a vision inside Odysseus’ head.

What does happen is that the Greeks seriously anger the gods after they win the Trojan War. Even though Athena, Hera and Poseidon supported the Greeks during the war, many Greek soldiers behave terribly after Troy falls. They destroy temples, disrespect sacred places and fail to properly honour the gods before sailing home.

That is one of the reasons many of them suffer on their journeys back to Greece. The destruction of Athena’s statue also has a real connection to the original myths. During the fall of Troy, Cassandra, the daughter of King Priam, grabs onto a statue of Athena for protection. Ajax the Lesser then attacks her while she is holding onto the statue. Athena later punishes Ajax for what he did.

So Nolan’s version is taking a real part of Greek mythology and turning it into a bigger message about Odysseus’ guilt. The film shows Athena being destroyed because Odysseus and his army have destroyed the values she represents.

The message is basically: By killing innocent people, the Greeks have destroyed the very thing Athena stands for.

In Homer’s original Odyssey, Athena actually plays a very different role at the end. After Odysseus kills the suitors who took over his home, Zeus tells Athena:

“He has already punished all the suitors, so let them swear an oath that he will be the king forever. And let us make sure the murder of their brothers and their sons will be forgotten. Let them all be friends, just as before, and let them live in peace and in prosperity.”

Athena then steps in and stops the fighting, warning Odysseus and his men to put down their weapons or face Zeus’ anger.

The final lines of Homer’s epic are: “He was glad to obey her. Then Athena made the warring sides swear solemn oaths of peace for future times – still in her guise as mentor.”

So, no, Athena does not actually die at the end of The Odyssey. Instead, Nolan’s film uses her “death” as a way of showing Odysseus’ biggest fear: That after years of war, he has become the kind of person who has destroyed the wisdom and humanity he once fought for.

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Featured image credit: Universal