Telemachus and the Suitors
Telemachus comes of age while the suitors consume his father's household and court Penelope, forcing him to confront the crisis in Ithaca.
The Story
While Odysseus remained absent after the Trojan War, a group of wealthy suitors gathered in his palace at Ithaca.
They wanted Penelope to choose a new husband.
Penelope resisted them, continuing to hope that Odysseus might return.
The suitors nevertheless behaved as though Odysseus' household already belonged to them.
They consumed the family's food and wealth and pressured Penelope to make a decision.
Telemachus was still young and initially lacked the authority to remove them.
With the help of Athena, he began to assert himself.
He called an assembly and challenged the suitors' behaviour.
When this failed to remove them, Telemachus travelled abroad seeking information about his missing father.
He visited Nestor at Pylos and Menelaus at Sparta.
These journeys marked an important change in Telemachus.
He was no longer simply the son waiting for his father to return.
He was beginning to act as the heir of Odysseus.
Meanwhile, the suitors continued their occupation of the palace.
Telemachus eventually returned to Ithaca, where he secretly reunited with Odysseus.
Father and son then began preparing for the confrontation that would end the suitors' rule over the household.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The story forms the coming-of-age thread at the beginning of the Odyssey and establishes the crisis Odysseus must ultimately resolve.