Hermes

On Mount Olympus the gods noticed Odysseus’ plight. All felt sorry for the hero except Poseidon, who hated him for blinding his son Polyphemus. When Poseidon left for faraway Ethiopia, Athena seized the opportunity provided by his absence. She persuaded Zeus to help Odysseus. Zeus, the father of the gods, dispatched his messenger, Hermes, to Ogygia. Hermes gave Calypso the message she had long been dreading. Odysseus was to be allowed to leave. Unwillingly, she helped him build a ship and gave him provisions for the journey. Odysseus had grown fond of her, but he had never forgotten his goal of returning home to his wife. He was glad to set sail again.