Let us remember what has happened to get Poseidon so
angry. Poseidon has been the god who has been opposed to Odysseus, just as Athena has
been supporting him. In Book 13, we are presented with a Poseidon who is incredibly
angry about Odysseus's rescue yet again. Thus he goes to his brother, Zeus, king of the
gods, to ask for permission to punish the Phaeaceans for the help that they gave
Odysseus. Zeus agrees, though not allowing Poseidon to go as far as he would like in his
punishment.
Essentially, therefore, the gods are shown as
vengeful, fickle and capricious in this book. Note how the Phaeaceans are punished even
though it is destined for Odysseus to arrive home safely. Thus although they are giving
a helping hand to destiny, they are still punished by the gods because of spite and the
fact that Poseidon is working against Odysseus. Yet again, humans are shown as the
playthings of the gods who suffer randomly according to the whims of their
masters.
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