At first, Odysseus cannot control himself and struggles to lead his men, the Achaeans, on his ship. Responsibility and leadership is essential to Odysseus as he cultivates the leadership abilities that he used to endure before captivity. The gods, in this scenario, serve a purpose to test Odysseus and his leadership abilities, so that he can recognize his lost identity and learn from his mistakes that he soon makes in his adventures. One experience of this lack of leadership is when Odysseuss men kill the sun gods cattle in Book 12. Because Odysseus struggled to keep his men in order as they starve on the island of Helios during the storm, Odysseus portrays poor responsibility and is held responsible for the actions of his men as they disobeyed his orders to not kill the cattle of the Sun. Helios, the god of the Sun, is infuriated with Odysseuss behavior, as he is held responsible, and curses Odysseus and his men to Zeus as he wishes for them to be punished. Helios furiously prays to Zeus, Father Zeus! The rest of you blissful gods who never die, punish them all, that crew of Laertes son Odysseus, what an outrage! (12. 406-408) which foreshadows and symbolizes a punishment about to be put forth on Odysseus. So, after the Achaeans set sail from Thrinacia, Zeus punishes Odysseus for this mistake that has been done and kicks up another storm, which destroys the ship and sends the entire crew to its death beneath the waves, besides Odysseus of course. Predicaments like these, knowing Zeus keeps Odysseus alive, ultimately demonstrate how Zeus and the rest of the gods protect Odysseus fate and desires him for his symbolic nostos. As Odysseus undergoes many occurrences demonstrating bad leadership and his lack of responsibility, the Gods rescue his lost identity by punishing him and allowing Odysseus to have various opportunities to regain his heroic values and leadership in order to prepare him for his final trials once he returns home to Ithaca.