The Story of Telemachus
Telemachus was the son of Odysseus and Penelope, the king and queen of Ithaca. He was only a baby when his father sailed to the Trojan War, and Odysseus was away for twenty years. Telemachus grew up without ever really knowing him.
While Odysseus was gone, more than a hundred suitors moved into the palace, feasting on the family's wealth and pressing Penelope to marry one of them. The goddess Athena visited Telemachus in disguise and urged him to stand up for his house. He called an assembly of the Ithacans to protest and then slipped away by ship to seek news of his father.
At Pylos, the old king Nestor welcomed him warmly and sent him on to Sparta with his own son as a companion. There Menelaus and Helen told him what they knew, and Menelaus revealed that the sea god Proteus had seen Odysseus alive, held on the island of the nymph Calypso. The journey turned the shy young man into someone ready to act.
On his return, Telemachus avoided an ambush the suitors had set to kill him and went to the hut of the loyal swineherd Eumaeus. There Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, revealed himself, and father and son wept and planned their revenge. Telemachus hid the weapons from the hall, nearly strung his father's great bow himself, and fought bravely at Odysseus's side when the battle with the suitors began.
The first four books of the Odyssey, often called the Telemachy, tell his story of growing up. Later writers gave him different futures, and in some tellings he married Nausicaa, the Phaeacian princess who had helped his father. The disguise Athena used when guiding him, the old family friend Mentor, gave us the word mentor.
Famous Myths About Telemachus
The Search for His Father
As suitors took over his home, the goddess Athena, disguised as the old family friend Mentor, urged Telemachus to act. He sailed to Pylos and Sparta to ask Nestor and Menelaus for news of his long lost father.
Reunion with Odysseus
Returning home, Telemachus avoided an ambush set by the suitors and went to the hut of the loyal swineherd Eumaeus. There Odysseus revealed himself, and father and son wept and began to plan their revenge.
The Battle in the Hall
Telemachus helped hide the weapons from the suitors and stood beside his father when the fighting began. Together with two loyal servants, they defeated the suitors and reclaimed the palace.
Telemachus's Family Tree
Parents of Telemachus
Partners of Telemachus
Children of Telemachus
Frequently Asked Questions About Telemachus
Who was Telemachus in Greek mythology?
Telemachus was the son of Odysseus and Penelope. He was a baby when his father left for Troy and grew up waiting for him to return.
What does Telemachus do in the Odyssey?
Encouraged by Athena in disguise, Telemachus sails to Pylos and Sparta to ask Nestor and Menelaus for news of his father.
How did Telemachus help Odysseus?
When Odysseus finally came home disguised as a beggar, Telemachus helped him hide the weapons and fought beside him to defeat the suitors who had taken over their palace.
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