Homer's Odyssey: Why did Athena turn Odysseus into a beggar?

 

Artist Lovis Corinth (1858–1925)   Title Deutsch: Odysseus im Kampf mit dem Bettler English: Ulysses fighting the beggar. Français : Ulysse combattant le mendiant. Scène inspirée de l'Odyssée (combat entre Ulysse et Iros). Date 1903 Medium oil on canvas Dimensions 83 × 108 cm (32.7 × 42.5 in) Current location National Gallery in Prague

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If Odysseus were to go anywhere near his house, the suitors would have killed him outright.
  Since he was already considered dead, no one would have been the wiser.  Using any other guise would have either been seen as another rival suitor, or threat of some sort, each preventing Odysseus from gaining entry into his house.

As a beggar, he was not considered a threat.  More importantly, he was seen as a distraction from the daily monotony of waiting for Penelope to finish her weaving.  This gave him access to information about the suitors and to his weapons.

The ruse is fully in keeping with Odysseus's character.  From the deception of the wooden horse, to the escape from Polyphemus's lair and even resisting Circe's porcine enchantments, he proved capable of thinking his way out of most situations, contrary to the ideal of Greek heroism, which normally prized straightforward action over carefully thought out strategy.  Even his choice of weapon, the bow, was considered less heroic.  Yet Homer stresses how he uses his intelligence to triumph.

So, as a beggar, he is welcomed into his house, allowed to move about, observing the strengths and weaknesses of the rivals, and, ultimately given access to the weapon he is most proficient at.

Source:
 A fan of Homer and the Greek tragedy