People from Greece Worshipped gods for Advice and Guidance in The Odyssey

Prince Telemachus of Ithaca was living in a world of greed and disrespect during his father's twenty-year hiatus. His father, King Odysseus, had set off to fight along with fellow Greeks in the Trojan War. After the war, all the Greeks who did not perish during the battles had made it back to their homelands, with the exception of Odysseus. During this time suitors had taken over Odysseus' palace and were courting his wife. It was time for Telemachus to take action against the crude suitors and become a mature adult. In "The Odyssey" by Homer, a young prince sets off to learn news about his father. At the same time Telemachus meets influential people who introduce him to a whole new world, which propels him to become a mature and

The clear-eyed goddess Athena herself tells Telemachus that "…not unbefriended of the gods have you been born and bred" (19). Her reference highlights Telemachus’ greatest inheritance, which is the aid of the immortal gods. Even Nestor, a mortal, notes the aid which Telemachus receives from the gods, and marvels that Telemachus must be truly favored "…if when so young the gods become [his] guides" (26). Such qualities in Telemachus constantly remind the reader of the dependence on the gods’ aid Odysseus has developed in his travels.

In the beginning of The Odyssey, Telemachus is not yet a man and not sure of himself yet. Embarking on a mission to find his father, he matures from a child to a strong, single-minded adult. Throughout the poem, Telemachus finds his place in the world and becomes a more well-rounded person. Although Telemachus never quite matches his father Odysseus in terms of wit, strength, agility, his resilience does develop throughout the text. In the epic, The Odyssey, by Homer, the young boy Telemachus changes from an insecure teen into a confident and poised young man as he travels the seas in search for his father, whose bravery and intelligence proves to be comparable to his own.

Explanation: Telemachus thinks his father is dead. But in Book I were told that Odysseus is still alive and couldn’t return home because of the conflicts between Poseidon.

Athena, the goddess of wisdom and battle, is the most powerful and influential non-human being in The Odyssey. Athena was the one to start Odysseus’s journey home. By stating that her heart broke for Odysseus, who was away from home for 20 years and had suffered much, Athena was able to convince Zeus to make Calypso release Odysseus, although it was against Poseidon’s wishes. Also, Athena could be credited with helping Telemachus become a true man instead of the boy he used to be. Disguised as Mentes, Athena’s advice to Telemachus about the suitors and his mother was to either drive the suitors away or throw his mother out of the house and take over the house. After this, Telemachus, for the first time, stood up to the suitors and told them to leave, or he would call the gods and Zeus would punish the suitors. However, as benevolent as she may seem, she is additionally unforgiving. When she had decided that all the suitors shall die, she stuck to it. Even when Athena told Odysseus to beg

His new commanding attitude becomes more and more similar to Odysseus. Odysseus often does what he thinks is best because of his experiences. Since Telemachos has grown up with the suitors and their constant torment and ridicule towards him he is sick of it.Telemachos is looking for a change and knows he must do it on his own. Now he must find the strength and courage to go off on his own. Telemachos has always been with his mother, but now he must leave her and become more independent to be the man he wants to be. In book 3 goes against his mothers wishes of staying with her and goes on his own adventure. On this adventure he must prepare himself for the worst, to hear that his father is no longer alive. He is no longer in Penelope’s shadow. Penelope has always sheltered him and now he has to experience things on his own. This is why he continues o with his plans and goes on his journey. On his journey he meets Nestor, a man who does not lie and has once traveled with Odysseus. He tells Telemachos that he did not know where Odysseus was at this exact time or if he was alive but he was with him at the time they were traveling together. This makes telemachos feel better knowing that someone knows of his father’s whereabouts. Nestor isn’t the only one that he encounters who knows of his father, Menalayus and Helen both traveled with Odysseus. They said that when they parted with Odysseus that he was still alive but that they too had no idea of where he was now.

Athena acts as a source of inspiration and the object of many pleas throughout this epic. While in Ithaca Athena took the guise of the old man Mentes. It was under this guise that Athena went to Telemachus and made him realize that it was his time to start his journey. Athena/Mentes gathered men for Telemachus to journey with and even accompanied him upon his journey. Athena/Mentes acted as a guide for Telemachus prodding him in every situation on how to step up and be a man.

Still he searches out for clues and any information of the possible demise of his father. He is willing to go far and wide just for the knowledge of his father's whereabouts. He is a faithful son and aids his father in all possible ways as Odysseus returns and reclaims what is legitimately his. Telemachus is there to fight side by side with his father whom he has only loved in his heart and mind. Some would call that blind faith. Just as the God whom we serve today calls us to love and serve him without seeing him with our eyes, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). Although Odysseus is Telemachus' earthly father, one can see the parallels. He is as devoted to Odysseus as Penelope is; yet he has no actual memory of his father what so ever.

Telemachus was the son of Odysseus, mighty king of Ithaca and hero of Athena. Telemachus was a mere infant when Odysseus set sail for Troy where he helped to conquer the Trojans and retrieve Menelaus’ wife Helen. Despite emerging victorious from the Trojan war, Odysseus hadn't succeeded in returning home to Ithaca, and so twenty-one years after his departure for Troy, his family and kingdom believed him to be dead. Telemachus had lived his entire life without his father and as the Odyssey begins, although twenty-one years of age, Telemachus seems to be a child and not a powerful young man. Telemachus was first portrayed as a somber young lad who's heart was stricken with grief for the loss of his father. He was daydreaming and keeping to himself

This statement is very telling as it defines not only the appearance of the great Odysseus, but also the son he left behind. Furthermore, it begins to develop a timeline of actions by announcing that Odysseus left home when Telemachus was only a baby. Nestor recognizes that Odysseus ' appearance, vivacity, and personality are apparent in his progeny, Telemachus. This is encouraging to Telemachus as he hears that he resembles the great king Odysseus. As Telemachus presses for news of what has become of his father, Telemachus learns that his father may yet be alive and held captive by a goddess-nymph named Calypso. He then glorifies the strong will of Orestes and encourages Telemachus to do the same: "And you, my friend - / how tall and handsome I see you now - be brave, you too, / so men to come will sing your praises down the years." (3, 226 - 227).

In the Odyssey Telemachus has varying relationships with his mother, Penelope, the suitors, and his nurse, Eurycleia; a mother and son but also head of household and subordinate member of the household, a young boy and superior men, and a son and mother but also a master and servant. In the poem, Telemachus must find out what became of his father, Odysseus, who never returned home from the Trojan war. Meanwhile suitors from various places try to force his mother, Penelope, into marriage while they deplete all of Odysseus’ resources and destroy his house. With all of these complicated situations, Telemachus must take on a variety of different roles depending on who he’s interacting with. Based on the text, Telemachus has superior, strained, and complex relationships with his mother, the suitors, and Eurycleia.

Through his journey to Pylos and Sparta, Telemachus, who was born into a very privileged and high ranking family, learns how to use his inherited social status and connections for his own interests, which will help him mature into manhood. Telemachus was never old enough to remember what it was like when his father was around. Since Odysseus left, he has lived with his mom and nurse. However, for three years, he has been overwhelmed by suitors, who have taken over his house. Odysseus was never able to show Telemachus how to stand up for himself. Telemachus has been less than passive when going about doing things to get what he wants. When Athena comes and tells him that his father is going to come home, he realizes he has been ignoring what he knows is wrong, such as the suitors throwing parties every night, and that he needs to stop them. He doesn’t have any idea of how he is going to find his father when Athena comes, but he along his way finds that he has many resources and connections at hand that will allow him to find out what happened to his dad. Athena, disguised as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus, encourages Telemachus to talk to Nestor. "Telemachus, no more shyness, this is not the time!/ We sailed the seas for this, for news of your father —// So go right up to Nestor...// Press him yourself to tell the whole truth:/ he'll never lie — the man is far too wise"(3.16-22) Here, Athena is encouraging Telemachus to be assertive, to get what the needs to know to find his father. Telemachus responds, "How can I greet him, Mentor, even approach the king?/ I'm hardly adept at subtle conversation./ Someone my age might feel shy, what's more,/ interrogating an older man."/ (3.23-27) He is intimidated. The irony is that he himself is of the higher class, and if Odysseus had been home, he would be accustomed to these interactions. This is Odysseus learning that he has high social status and can enjoy the privileges he was born with, such as being able to talk to the king. While there, Telemachus learns of the fate of the family of Agamemnon. Agamemnon came home to find his wife in love with Aegisthus, and together they kill him. Orestes, one of Agamemnon’s sons, avenges his father’s murder and kills

The son of the Odysseus, though he has never seen his father, valiantly defends and believes that he is not dead. He also tries to step into his father’s shoes. He is inexperienced, nonetheless. Yet, this is soon resolved though interactions with Athena and his journey to Pylos and Sparta. Telemachos does not have just hope that his father is alive, but sound faith. We as Christians in the same manner, have faith that our Heavenly Father will come someday to take us home to eternal felicity, our eternal family. In addition, In the Odyssey, we see how the family regards growing up. As head man of his father’s estate Telemachos regards his mother with courtesy and respect. He does, however, rebuke her at times. When she comes down from her bedchamber moved by a barb’s song to tears, Telemachos reprimands her, saying if she did not wish to hear the song, she should go to her own quarters. Thus, Telemachos assets growing into adulthood by the way he interacts with his mother, taking control of the relationship.

After Penelope is sent away by Telemachus, Athena suddenly appears amidst a bright light before him and Odysseus. The young, brash Telemachus nearly cried out, giving her presence away to others in the house of Odysseus, but Odysseus stopped him, saying, “Be still: keep still about it: just remember it. The gods who rule Olympus make this light” (Odyssey 354). Here, Odysseus’ quick, yet tactful reply to Telemachus perhaps saved the day, and Telemachus, because he didn’t feel ashamed at his father’s response to his foolishness, maintained his bravery and focused upon the task at hand.

Tell me the truth now, have I really reached the land I love?” (368-373)Odysseus thinks Athena is lying to him and is playing him as a fool; he wants Athena to tell him the truth. After Athena explains Odysseus his son’s situation, Odysseus had blame Athena again “Why not tell him the truth? You know it all. Or is he too- like father. Like son- condemned to hardship, roving over the barren salt sea while stranger devour our livelihood right here?”(475-478) Odysseus had blame Athena that she doesn’t help his son Telemachus and let Telemachus knows that he has returned to Ithaca earlier, so Telemachus doesn’t need to have any hard time.