Women play an influential role in the Odyssey. Women appear throughout the story, as goddesses, wives, princesses, or servants. The nymph Calypso enslaves Odysseus for many years. Ulysses wishes to reach home and his wife Penelope. It is the goddess Athena who starts the action of the Odyssey; he also guides and orchestrates everything for the good of Ulysses. Women in the Odyssey are divided into two classes: seductresses and helpers. In doing so, Homer demonstrates that women have the power to hinder or help men. Only one woman is able to successfully combine elements of both classes: Penelope. It serves as a model of virtue and cunning. All the other women are compared and contrasted with Penelope. The image of seductresses is a recurring motif in the Odyssey. These women are a temptation for Ulysses. They try to prevent Odysseus from achieving his goal: his return home. Circe is a bewitching goddess. She lures Odysseus' crew to her palace with her enchanting voice. However, after feeding them, he promptly turns them into pigs. Circe also manages to lure Ulysses; he stays with her for a year as her lover. It is so long that his crew declares it “madness” (326). They say that the “time has come” for Odysseus to think about his homeland (326). Later, Odysseus and his crew encounter the Sirens. Knowing the danger they represent, Odysseus has all his men's ears plugged with wax. However, Odysseus longs to hear their song; he then asks his crew to tie him to the mast. The song of sirens is so sweet and seductive. Their “enchanting voices” almost make Odysseus forget his desire to return home (349). His heart “throbbed” to listen longer; he signals to his men to set him free. The great... center of the card... Greek civilization was founded by women; it was they who gave birth to heroes. Likewise, The Odyssey is a story created by women. The plot revolves around the actions of women. Athena orchestrates all events. The seductresses, such as Circe, the sirens and Calypso, try to prevent Ulysses from reaching home. Helpers, such as Nausicaa, Arete, and Athena, aid Odysseus in his return home. The wise and virtuous Penelope is the object of Odysseus' quest. Unlike Elena who abandons her husband, Penelope remains faithful. Unlike Clytemnestra who murders her husband, Penelope patiently waits for Odysseus. Become a model of female patience and female intelligence. His cunning is the only one that can match that of Ulysses. The Odyssey features a wide range of women and demonstrates the influence women have in a hero's life.