I know this might seem trivial but it really bothers me. Throughout the Odyssey, if I remember correctly, Odysseus is improved in both stature and physical condition three times. It gives question as to why anyone in Ithaca would believe him to truly be Odysseus. Through the descriptions given I estimate each growth might be around two inches in height and close to fifteen pounds. So that would mean from his time before the Trojan War up until he fights Irus among the suitors, Odysseus is practically a completely different person. Granted his basic facial structure might be the same, but two of the times he is changed by Athena she changes his his facial looks and his hair. It does add a certain degree of entertainment, but these changes are completely impractical in the story's scheme. When trying to return to a homeland after twenty years of absence one would think that Odysseus would need to look as much the same as possible. If you think about it, these changes might have been one of the reasons Laertes could not recognize Odysseus at the end of the Odyssey.
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