There are many times in The Odyssey where Homer illustrates how he considered women to be equal to men in power. One of the main characters to show this is Athena, as she deftly guides Odysseus through his various trials and tribulations. This is shown especially when she shrouds Odysseus in a protective mist to help him get through the Phaecians. We can see how Athena manages to do a crucial task in getting Odysseus to make the Phaecians, and be able to get their help in building a ship. She also tells him to specifically talk to Queen Arete, which is the crucial bit of information he needs in order to make it back to Ithaca. Another example is Queen Arete herself. Athena describes her as "They gaze on her as a god, saluting her warmly on her walks through town. She lacks nothing in good sense and judgment"(181). Queen Arete is obviously held in very high esteem by her countrymen, showing how a woman can occupy an important leadership position.
Another important female character in The Odyssey is Circe. Homer illustrates this when Circe drags some of Odysseus' men and turns them into pigs. She becomes one of the central obstacles in Odysseus' quest and plays a part just as big as the much more famous cyclops. Despite the fact that she is woman, she is shown as holding her own with the various other monsters in the book. Circe is also shown as being a strong female character when she guides Odysseus through all the troubles that are coming up for him. Had she not played this critical role, Odysseus surely would have died when he sailed into the crags, or maybe would have eaten the Cattle of the Sun, dooming him and his crew instead of just his crew. Overall I think we can see that Homer did see woman as being equal with men. Some woman chose to stay at home, such as Penelope, but then again some of the men in the story are stereotypical in their foolishness and recklessness, but that is just how woman and men vary greatly in their personalities. Homer is showing how women can be important, but they can also be stay-at-home wives if they want to.
Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Classics, 1997.
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You have some interesting outlooks on this matter but the fact is that your main examples can be disproven. Penelope does not have any power in her own household. The suitors are able to overwhelm the house and pick away at her wealth. Athena is a strong woman who is constantly helping Odysseus through his troubles, but Athena, is not a normal woman. She is a goddess to whom many regular women should not and can not be compared. Circe falls into the same boat as Athena, she is a powerful GODDESS, and no mortal women could live up to that level. Homer was clearly a sexist because of the above mentioned reasons, and when he used the stereotype that women, Odysseus' maids, would gladly break any ties that they had to their house just to sleep with a complete stranger.
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