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Telemachus

Telemachus is a figure in Greek mythology best known as the son of Odysseus and Penelope and the prince of Ithaca. His name is commonly interpreted as meaning “far fighter” or “far from battle,” and he is the central figure in the opening episodes of Homer's Odyssey, often called the Telemachy, which depict his coming of age during his father’s twenty-year absence.

According to the Odyssey, Athena counsels him, disguises herself as Mentes to urge him to assert himself

In literature and scholarship, Telemachus has come to symbolize the maturation of a son and the duties

against
the
suitors
who
fill
Odysseus's
palace
and
court
Penelope's
fidelity.
Telemachus
travels
first
to
Pylos
to
consult
Nestor,
then
to
Sparta
to
consult
Menelaus
and
Helen,
accompanied
by
the
young
Pisistratus.
He
secures
news
about
his
father
and
ultimately
returns
to
Ithaca
with
a
plan
to
confront
the
suitors.
When
Odysseus
returns
disguised
as
a
beggar,
Telemachus
helps
to
defend
the
household
and
is
reunited
with
his
father;
together
they
slay
the
suitors
and
reclaim
Odysseus's
throne.
of
rightful
succession.
The
term
Telemachy
is
used
to
describe
the
first
four
books
of
the
Odyssey,
focusing
on
his
development
rather
than
on
his
father.
The
character
has
appeared
in
later
adaptations
and
analyses
as
a
prototype
of
the
loyal
son
and
a
foil
to
the
often
reckless
heroism
of
Odysseus.