Nestor seems saddened by the fact that some of the best Greek warriors were killed in Troy, including Ajax, Achilles, and Patroclus as well as Nestor's own son. The fact that Nestor's own son died may make him particularly sympathetic, of course, to Telemachus' need to hear news of what happened to his father, and how the Greeks became separated at the end of the Trojan War. Nestor explains to Telemachus that his father acquitted himself bravely during the siege of Troy, and thus he should be proud of his father's conduct as a warrior. He also says that his father was a wise and noble counselor, and the two were often in agreement during the frequent arguments within the Greek camp. But because Zeus sided with the Trojans, the god was angry with the actions of the Greeks during Troy's sacking, and tried to upset the Greek's homeward journey,...

To punish the Greeks, Zeus, says Nestor, created a quarrel between the two Greek leaders, that of Menelaus and Agamemnon. At first, upon hearing of the god's power, Telemachus despairs that his father is dead. But Nestor reminds Telemachus that the gods work in mysterious ways, and just as Agamemnon met with death upon arriving home successfully from his sea journey. He then advises Telemachus to go and seek out more information from Menelaus, moving the narrative along, but also reminding Telemachus that he must continue in his own quest as a son.