Odysseus Telemachus and His Journey

Odysseus Telemachus and His Journey to Heroism The Greek mythology and its heroes have never ceased to fascinate the reader. Stories of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, Poseidon, god of the seas, Aris, god of war and battle, or the simple people whose lives have been transformed by annexation to the gods, such as Achilles or Odysseus (Ulysses), transport the reader into a mythical land of honour, kindness, love, intrigues and cruelties.

The legends placed in the vicinity of Mount Olympus have captured the attention of the simple public as well as that of scholars and specialists in literature or history. A widely common feature of Greek mythology is that of the hero cult. A most relevant hero of the Greek mythology is Telemachus, the son of Penelope and Odysseus. He is a central character in Homer's Odyssey and his actions revolve around the journey he took in search of his father.

Telemachus captured the critics' interest as the reader can observe the character during his transition from boyhood to manhood and eventually heroism. The son of Odysseus is a hero to the general population as he was able to overcome all challenges in his path and reach his goal. To his relatives, Telemachus is a hero because he was able to reunite the family.

He tracked down and then saved his father and together with him, returned home to save his mother from the rude wooers that have been harassing her for twenty long years. To the Ithacan community, Telemachus is a hero as he was able to return the people their rightful leader. 2. The Journey from Boyhood to Manhood Telemachus was born into a loving, peaceful and devoted family. He saw the light of day just before his father, the great Ulysses, was called to fight in the Trojan War.

Odysseus refused to participate in the battles to come and pretended to be insane. However, his mental state was tested as he was faced with the choice of killing his new born son or going to war. Ulysses spared the life of his son and went to fight in the Trojan War. He would only return in twenty years.

"So now all who escaped death in battle or by shipwreck had got safely home except Ulysses, and he, though he was longing to return to his wife and country, was detained by the goddess Calypso, who had got him into a large cave and wanted to marry him.

But as years went by, there came a time when the gods settled that he should go back to Ithaca; even then, however, when he was among his own people, his troubles were not yet over; nevertheless all the gods had now begun to pity him except Neptune, who still persecuted him without ceasing and would not let him get home." Being raised by his mother alone, Telemachus was surrounded with love and was taught the great values of devotedness.

Penelope was the epitome of fidelity and devotion, enduring twenty years of harassment and having to think of numerous ways to delay her suitors. But despite his mother's efforts, the boy never felt secure, as their house was at all times filled with suitors that wished to marry Penelope. Young Telemachus despised the situation at the time and would have very much liked to change it. But he was powerless. He was just a boy, without any battle training, without any real power, without strength of character or allies.

However his mother had educated him well, the lack of a paternal figure in the boy's life was far too obvious. A first step in his making as a hero was his decision to no longer endure the pressures and presence of the suitors in their house. He would often day dream of his father's return and how he would punish the wooers.

"He was sitting moodily among the suitors thinking about his brave father, and how he would send them flying out of the house, if he were to come to his own again and be honoured as in days gone by." Driven by his desires as well as by the encouraging words heard from Athena (in Greek culture, Minerva in the Roman culture), in the form of Mentor (Mentes), Telemachus asks the suitors to leave their home, but his request is only met with indifference.

"Then Telemachus spoke, "Shameless," he cried, "and insolent suitors, let us feast at our pleasure now, and let there be no brawling, [...] but in the morning meet me in full assembly that I may give you formal notice to depart, and feast at one another's houses, turn and turn about, at your own cost.

If on the other hand you choose to persist in spunging upon one man, heaven help me, but Jove shall reckon with you in full, and when you fall in my father's house there shall be no man to avenge you." The braveness felt by Telemachus at the time of speaking these words was partly due to his desire to once and for all free the house from the suitors.

On the other hand, the courage was inspired by the words of wisdom said by Mentes, or the earthly form of Minerva. The goddess of wisdom had made the young man believe he could salvage the situation on his own. The two things he was longing for seemed more attainable throughout his implication - he has taken the first step in chasing the suitors; he will search his father and upon their return, will finish with the suitors.

The same scene in the first book of Homer's Odyssey presents a Telemachus who talks back at his mother - something he had never done before. The young boy realizes that he is the man of the house and the women around him need to obey his orders. As a result of this "revelation," when Penelope asks the suitors to sing a different song, as the one sung at the time was sad and reminded her of her lost husband, Telemachus takes the suitors' side.

"Mother," answered Telemachus, "let the bard sing what he has a mind to; bards do not make the ills they sing of; it is Jove, not they, who makes them, and who sends weal or woe upon mankind according to his own good pleasure. This fellow means no harm by singing the ill-fated return of the Danaans, for people always applaud the latest songs most warmly.

Make up your mind to it and bear it; Ulysses is not the only man who never came back from Troy, but many another went down as well as he.

Go, then, within the house and busy yourself with your daily duties, your loom, your distaff, and the ordering of your servants; for speech is man's matter, and mine above all others- for it is I who am master here." At the time of starting his quest, Telemachus is unaware of his father's whereabouts and is even unsure whether his father is still alive or not. However, the journey is necessary in both cases.

Were Odysseus to still live, he would join his son and punish the suitors that have wrongfully invaded their home. On the other hand, if the father were to be dead, the journey would build and strengthen the boy's character, preparing him for his own return home. Whichever the case, the journey had to be the young boy's path to maturity and his preparation for life.

Without any support from his community, behind his mother's back and with Athena's aid, Telemachus arrived in Sparta, where he learns independence, self-confidence, courage and responsibility. The books from IV to XV no longer mention Telemachus, but focus on Odysseus and his ordeals. Telemachus is left at the Spartan court under the guiding and protective wing of wise King Menelaus. During the time spent here, Telemachus is presented with the time and possibilities to grow into a man.

However Telemachus' transformation had become obvious even before leaving Ithaca, the time spent in Sparta completed the boy's transition to manhood. The time away from Ithaca, Penelope and the suitors gave Telemachus a change to think about his personal goals and set his priorities in order. Here he learned how to be self-confident, independent, brave and how to assume his responsibilities. Nestor and Menelaus, former friends of Ulysses, try to help the now mature Telemachus to find his father.

The only thing they are able to discover is that he is being held hostage by the nymph Calypso on a secret island.