"A god is a difficult thing to master." Homer means that the gods can be dominated. Homer does not say that the gods cannot be dominated. Homer essentially says that, although it is difficult, it is possible to dominate a god. Odysseus dominates some gods like Athena and Calypso, but he can't even be friendly with other gods like Poseidon. Mastery is different for each God. Athena's mastery is to receive her help, while Calypso's mastery is to talk to her so that there are no future problems, but it seems that Odysseus does not dominate Poseidon because Poseidon forces Odysseus to travel for a long period. However, Odysseus masters Poseidon because "his" people, the Phaeacians, help him return home. The god with whom Odysseus could not build a strong relationship is Poseidon. The cause of the bad relationship between Odysseus and Poseidon is that Odysseus blinds Poseidon's son Polyphemus and reveals his name. When Odysseus first meets Polyphemus, he slyly says that his name is Nobody, so if someone asks him who blinded him, the answer would be “Nobody.” However, when Odysseus is leaving the island, he foolishly but proudly says, "If any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, who put you to shame, so you say Ulysses, city robber, put out your eye, Laertes." 'son who lives in Ithaca!' (227). Ulysses not only reveals his name but also reveals his family and his homeland. As a result, this release of personal information tells Poseidon who blinded his son, and Poseidon causes chaos for Odysseus. Odysseus spends even more time at sea because of Poseidon. Poseidon goes to great lengths to create obstacles, such as Scylla and Charybdis, for Odysseus. Even though it seems that Odysseus never got the better of Poseidon,... in the center of the card... he learns that in certain situations, our mistakes in life are amplified. It shows that we should think before we do or say. Furthermore, the epic shows that characteristics such as adaptability are crucial to our well-being. Furthermore, there are things we cannot control; Odysseus could not control Athena's help; once Polyphemus' eye was blinded, he was unable to control Poseidon's anger. Ultimately, The Oddysey shows that the relationships and friendships we build are necessary for our well-being, and these relationships are likely to help us in the end. The mastery of Poseidon, Athena, and Calypso teaches us all these life lessons, which is why Homer includes them in the Odyssey and suggests that these masteries matter. Works Cited All quotes from: The Odyssey, Homer, translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin Books, 1996