In The Odyssey, Zeus blames the humans for their miseries: "Men are quick to blame the gods: they say that we devise their misery. But they themselves- in their depravity- design grief greater than the griefs that fate assigns" (4). The gods assume they are not the cause of the human's troubles when they interfere, but in disguise. The disguises worn by Athena when attempting to persuade Telemachus portray the manipulative techniques used to intervene with human affairs. This can be seen through the scenes of Athena advising Telemachus to search for his father, and for him to return to his home.

After Athena convinced Zeus to allow her to assist Telemachus, she disguised as Mentes, one of Odysseus' old friends, and advised Telemachus to search for his lost father. Athena begins her conversation by reassuring Telemachus, "Your father will not by kept back from his dear land much...