"Any man – any god who met you – would have to be
some champion lying cheat to get past you
for all-round craft and guile! You terrible man,
foxy, ingenious, never tired of twists and tricks –
so, not even here, on native soil, would you give up
those wily tales that warm the cockles of your heart!
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 13, lines 329-334. Athena praises Odysseus for his metis: the Greek quality that combines wisdom and cunning. Any man would have to be an expert cheat to get anything past Odysseus, she tells him. Instead of being angry at him for lying about being someone else from Crete, Athena admires Odysseus’ skills in the art of deception.