The Role Of Telemakhos In Homer's Odyssey

“Growing up is hard to do”, this saying relates to Telemakhos, especially in books 1-4 of the Odyssey. When we first get introduced to Telemakhos, he is scared to stand up to the suitors who are trying to take the place of his long gone father, Odysseus. He wants to step up to the plate, but still has not found the courage or motivation to do so. Telemakhos is not fully mature yet and still has much to learn to take on the challenge of defeating the suitors. It upsets Telemakhos to see the suitors eating away his families’ food and drinking their wine. “For my mother, against her will, is beset by suitors, own sons to the men who are greatest hereabouts. These shrink from making the journey to the house of her father Ikarios, so that he might

take bride gifts for his daughter and bestow her on the one he wished, who came as his favorite; rather, all their days, they come and loiter in our house and sacrifice our oxen and our sheep and our fat goats and make a holiday feast of it and drink the bright wine recklessly. Most of our substance is wasted.” Telemakhos feels that the suitors are doing far more than just that the suit eating up all of his father’s goats, it's the fact that they have not done right by going up to Penelope's father. The suitors are ignoring proper family structure. Telemakhos was just waiting around for the return of his father, instead of taking matters into his own hands. Telemakhos knows he must do something; he just needs that push to help him. Telemakhos is visited by Athena (disguised as Mentes). Telemakhos immediately shows hospitality to her, a quality he grew up with follows, he gives her food and drinks before her name. Athena reassures Telemakhos's sense; he has the duty to drive out the suitors. Remembering that what he must do is for his father that strengthens Telemakhos’s motivation. The conversation Telemachus's had with Athena transformed him he confronts his mother for moping as he was earlier, he tells her that memory can be also be way of strength, not just grief. Telemakhos tells his mother not to blame men for something that “is the will of the gods”.Telemakhos is showing he has great respect for the gods no matter what, a mature quality he developed. Athena tells him to find a boat and that he should sail to different places and ask about his father. Athena tells him he should warn off the suitors or kill them when he returns. Athena (still disguised as Mentes) informs him that his father, Odysseus, is still alive. Telemakhos says; “Eurymachos, there is no more hope of my father’s homecoming. I believe no messages any more, even should there be one, nor pay attention to any prophecy, those times my mother calls some diviner into the house and asks him questions.” Athena recently informed Telemakhos that Odysseus is alive, Telemakhos decides to not tell the suitors to keep him and his mother protected; he doesn’t want a riot if they knew Odysseus was still alive. What Telemakhos decides to do shows how cunning he is. Once Athena leaves, Telemakhos has to address the suitors. Telemakhos say they must leave his house if then Zeus, who is the god of hospitality, will be punishing the suitors for the wrong they have done. Telemakhos informs the suitors that he intends to remain the lord of the estate while Odysseus is not around. Of course the suitors are in amazement at how daring and confident Telemakhos has become. One of the suitors, Antinous replies that only the gods could have enabled Telemakhos to have power to talk as courageously as he did. Eurymachus mentions how the gods are the only ones who make the decision as to who will rule Ithaca .Eurymachus also wants to know who the visitor is. Telemakhos says the visitor was Mentes, a friend of Laertes, although he knows deep down it was the goddess Athena. Telemakhos and Athena both view right and wrong similarly .They have the same concept of honor and dishonor .Telemakhos speaks to the suitors with conviction. Telemachus once again shows how cunning he can be when he keeps Athena’s real identity a secret from all of the suitors.
Telemakhos orders to have an assembly with all of the Greek men.

For Telemakhos a step like that is a big improvement towards proving he is ready to accept even more responsibility and show more courage. Once he gathers the Greek me for the assembly, he tells of the problems he has with the suitors. While the assembly takes place, Zeus decides to send two eagles (omens of death) to fly over the suitors. Telemakhos says to the suitors that they should know: “How from my father should I vengeance dread! How would my mother curse my hated head”, he wants to show he can be mature, and fight off the suitors. Telemakhos says “'[…] fear also the gods' anger, lest they, astonished by evil actions, turn against you. I supplicate you, by Zeus the Olympian and by Themis who breaks up the assemblies of men and calls them in session: let be, my friends, and leave me alone with my bitter sorrow to waste away; unless my noble father Odysseus at some time in anger did evil to the strong-greaved Achaians, for which angry with me in revenge you do me evil in setting these on me.'” Telemakhos reminds the suitors what they have been doing is not only very annoying and insulting towards him but it is also offending the gods. Through all of this Telemakhos starts to develop a stronger presence, he is now showing that he should be taken seriously by the suitors. Telemakhos sort of tells the suitors of by saying to them that they should: “You should be ashamed yourselves, mortified in the face of

neighbors living round about! Fear the gods' wrath – before they wheel in outrage and make these crimes recoil on your heads.” Telemakhos strongly believes in the gods and doing what is right. Although Telemakhos was proving he could really step up to the plate, he started to worry. He felt what if he does not have the kind of power his father Odysseus had. He also thought maybe he didn’t possess that kind of glory. This is where he starts to weaken up a bit, but he quickly redeems himself. Telemakhos remembers he has the strength of his back. The grief that Telemakhos was feeling is what will motivate him to take matters into his own hands.
Telemakhos sets out on a journey to find out more about his father and where can he find him.

Telemakhos does not tell his mother about hi going on this journey; he chooses to keep it a secret from her, so that she won’t feel any grief. By Telemakhos choosing not to tell his mother about his journey, he is doing something not only cunning but honorable as well. When Telemakhos sets on his journey he goes to Pylos, and Athena tells him he should speak with Nestor and ask about Odysseus. When Telemakhos gets to Pylos he sees that Nestor’s people are sacrificing bulls I honor of Poseidon, the god. Athena keeps encouraging Telemakhos and how he is maturing throughout his journey. Athena’s encouragement can be seen as a half and half: half her divine meddling and half her trust having good faith in Telemakhos. While in Pylos, the people of Pylos offer Telemakhos food, they also follow the custom of hospitality which is to offer the stranger food and drinks then ask for their

name.
While in Pylos , Telemakhos is able to find out more about his father Odysseus past. Nestor tells him of what happened during the Trojan War. Nestor also mentions that Telemakhos is similar to his father in the way that they both were very cunning and had a similar way with words. Telemakhos had been very insecure, but he delivered a great speech that made a great impression on the king. The story that Nestor tells Telemakhos (about Agamemnon and Orestes) helps him with his determination to help restore the honor that was lost in his house and finally defeat the suitors. Nestor pushes Telemakhos to take forceful independent action. Telemakhos has dependence on the gods. Although Nestor agrees that Telemakhos does need the goodness of the gods to be successful .Athena sort of already implied that Telemakhos has that in him. Telemakhos already has what he needs in order to be successful in taking down the suitors, but talking to Nestor and getting encouragement from Athena seals the deal. Nestor tells Telemakhos that he should not stay away from home for so long. Nestor also tells Telemakhos that he should visit Menelaus in Lacedaemon.
Telemakhos goes off to visit Menelaus in Sparta. When Telemakhos arrives in Sparta and speaks to Menelaus he finds out that Menelaus feels that the experience he had with the Trojan War taught him that it would have been better for him to stay home than to risk death and dishonor that was brought upon him and the ones who he loved. While Telemakhos was feasting with Menelaus , the suitors were coming up with a plot to take him down.
Books 1-4 really show everything that Telemakhos had to go though to become more mature and cunning. Telemakhos’s journey to find his father was motivated by years of not seeing him but also by seeing his mother (Penelope) suffering. In book 15 the buildup of finally being able to see his dad comes to be. Athena tells Telemakhos to go home. Meanwhile Odysseus had already reached Ithaca; he had to be disguised as a beggar. Telemachus arrives to Ithaca secretly and safely. Telemakhos goes to Eumaeus farm, Odysseus is already there, still disguised as a beggar. Telemakhos shows his hospitality yet again when he offers to give clothes and a sword to the beggar (Odysseus). Athena then tells Odysseus he may reveal his identity to Telemakhos. Telemakhos and Odysseus together plot how they can take down the suitors. This is a big moment for Telemakhos because his father has trusted him enough to reveal his identity to only him. Telemakhos had not been with his father for so long, he could finally battle the suitors with him.
If Telemakhos had not gone through his journey of maturity in order to be reunited with his father, he wouldn’t have been able to take on the suitors. Athena was by Telemakhos’s side to motivate and encourage, but it was the longing to see his father that kicked his motivation into full gear.