I don’t mean to ruin anything. But I have always found the Six Hundred Strike to be one of the more confusing parts. As Odysseus “beats” Poseidon?

Just me? I feel that another god should have been the one to intervene on recovering Athena’s behalf, to help save her favorite from the ocean.

And as he did help end the Trojan War by putting Zeus to sleep, as he seems to have a lot of connection to the Odyssey because of that, I believe Hypnos would be the one to stop Poseidon. I honestly think that makes sense.

Hypnos could even be in Epic somewhere? In the myth, Zeus is enraged at Hypnos for putting him to sleep, letting Poseidon win the Trojan War. He tries to strike the god of sleep with lightning. But Hypnos’s mother, Nyx, goddess of night, hides him in darkness so he can’t be seen.

I’ve always imagined Hypnos exiled from Olympus after the war, left alone. Hidden from Zeus’s wrath while Poseidon gloats about wining. A lot of backstory. Athena is the only one to come find and speak with him, as he is something like family. And a family - or army - is only as strong as its members.

During her visits, where they didn’t really know one another before, Hypnos comes to know/appreciate Athena better. She does the same with him. Even to a point where she irritatingly vents about how big headed Odysseus is, despite her being a goddess and shouldn’t care about a mortal that much. Hypnos reveals that he wanted to stop the war, losses and nightmares for both mortals and gods. (Ruining the gods’ fun in the process.)

When Athena is wounded during the God Games and the decision is made to let Odysseus go home, she can’t really be there for him as she’s recovering. Poseidon is not of the decision either, with the ocean being his domain. He can pursue the king of Ithaca, no matter whatever and however anyone else feels.

Indebted to Athena’s visits and her chats during his exile, Hypnos owes her a debt. Therefore, at Poseidon’s “Get in the Water”, Hypnos intercepts him on Athena’s behalf. The god of sleep facing the god of the ocean.

Poseidon has been obsessed with taking his revenge on Odysseus for forever now. He’s lost sleep, tired himself out with frustration, been worn down with anger. His exhaustion is what Hypnos strikes, pulling the ocean god into his dream realm and - despite a hurricane like fury - submerging him in the ocean of “dreams”.

This is just me thinking. Maybe I’ll try a fanfic at some point? (Hypnos would be a master of sleep, health and focus too. Exact opposite of Dionysus, who mostly parties, makes messes and slurs. And instead of carrying a goblet of wine, Hypnos would have a large water skin strapped to his side that he pours “soothing” tea from to help him doze. And even helps other gods - like party animal Dionysus or hyperactive Nike - sleep better too. Like with Zeus.)

Hypnos vs Poseidon? (Six Hundred Strike)