Before the post begins: I won’t be posting twice a week for the Odyssey until I am through Book 8. I need more time to get the posts written and to have a comfortable amount of time to write the final essay. As of this writing, I am only finished through Book 9.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT AN ANCIENT GREEK SCHOLAR. FOR THE FULL DISCLAIMER, READ HERE.
"A son has always trouble at home when his father has gone away leaving him without supporters; and this is how Telemachus is now placed, for his father is absent, and there is no one among his own people to stand by him."
Odyssey, Book 4; Samuel Butler translation
Book 4 Summary
Telemachus and Pisistratus arrive at Menelaus' house who is celebrating the marriages of two of his children. Menelaus treats the visitors very hospitably. When he mentions Odysseus while regaling his guests with stories, Telemachus gets a little emotional and tries to hide it.
Helen then enters the room and it is guessed that Telemachus is, indeed, Odysseus’ son. Everyone begins to weep for Odysseus and for others who were lost in the war. Menelaus and Helen both tell stories about the Trojan War, particularly ones which involve Odysseus.
Telemachus, upon learning more about his father, wishes to be excused for bed and does so. The next morning, Telemachus explains the reason why he is visiting. Menelaus recounts to Telemachus what happened to him after he left for Troy. He ended up stranded on an island because he offended the gods. In order to find out more, a sea nymph told him he had to wrestle and capture Proteus, the Old Man of the Sea, while he took a nap in the sun.
Upon successfully wrestling Proteus, Menelaus learns not only how to get back home, but also the fate of other Achaeans who were returning home. One of these was Odysseus, whom Proteus said was stuck on the island of the goddess Calypso.
When Menelaus finishes his story, he invites Telemachus to stay longer, but Telemachus refuses. He has to get back home as soon as possible.
Back in Ithaca, the suitors are lazing about on Odysseus’ estate when they learn the startling news that Telemachus had left Ithaca for Pylos. Angry at this revelation, they plot an ambush for Telemachus at sea. One of the servants overhears this and informs Penelope immediately. She distraught at first, as she is also learning for the first time that Telemachus left for Pylos, but after falling asleep she gets an encouraging dream from Athena that the gods will protect him.
Disclaimer
I think it’s important to remind everyone that I am not a philosopher, psychologist, counselor, therapist, etc. I am just someone who wants to read great books and write about them.
As I mentioned in my post on Book 1, the story of Telemachus could provide a blueprint about what we could do today concerning the fatherless. It could get a discussion started. It could be an inspiration or a springboard into real solutions.
This is Telemachus’ story and how he got out of his dire situation and grew up into a fine man. It doesn’t need to be exactly replicated for every single boy out there. Plus, I am just thinking out loud. I doubt the Odyssey was composed to be some self-help book. The Odyssey is first, and foremost, a story (and a really good one at that).
The Reason for His Suffering
The meeting with Menelaus must have been an interesting one for Telemachus… to say the least.
There’s a very specific reason both Athena and Nestor encouraged Telemachus to meet Menelaus, which I’ll touch on later, but I also picked up on two reasons that are more psychological in nature.
The first is that Telemachus is meeting the man and the woman who are largely responsible for the Trojan War. Menelaus and Helen are the reason why Odysseus went to war and why Telemachus grew up without a father while having a mob of suitors bully him and harass his mother.
I can’t imagine that being easy—especially after hearing Helen blame a goddess for her being in Troy and learning that she tried to get Odysseus captured or killed at one point.
Part of Telemachus’ quest appears to be coming face-to-face with the starting point of his suffering and misfortune. Sure, Telemachus could have “manned up” and made better decisions as a boy, teenager, or young adult, to mitigate the bullying and the harassment. However, that doesn’t address where the misfortune started, only how to handle it once it manifests.
Telemachus has to face “The Truth” in all of its ugliness. The scene is both comedic and absurd. He finds a man who regrets the war while making excuses for his wife’s behavior that almost made Telemachus truly fatherless. He finds a woman who blames her adultery on the gods rather than taking responsibility for her actions.
Telemachus immediately asks to go to bed afterward. I don’t blame him. The exchange between Menelaus and Helen is extremely bizarre and awkward—and if I were in Telemachus’ position, I would have been pretty angry.
A Glimmer of Hope
The other, more psychological, reason Telemachus was sent to Menelaus was because it took Menelaus eight years to get back home. Eight years! That’s long enough for people to reasonably assume the missing person is lost forever.
This knowledge should give Telemachus’ skepticism a check. He was standing before a man who had made it home after being lost at sea for a long time. And more, he was celebrating the marriages of two of his children!
If Menelaus was able to come back and be with his family again, then perhaps there is still hope for Odysseus.
Be encouraged by the success stories of others who came out of similar circumstances as you. If they could do it, it means it’s possible for you as well.
News From Somewhere
The primary reason Telemachus was sent to Menelaus was because he learned of Odysseus’ whereabouts—and from a god no less! Under normal circumstances, you would excuse Telemachus if he thought Menelaus was spinning a yarn, but after Telemachus saw he was guided by Athena, in person, on two different occasions, he has to suspect that Athena sent him to Menelaus precisely because she knew where Odysseus was.
Telemachus now knows his father is still alive. However, he’s learned that Odysseus is stuck on a goddess’ island. Knowing his father is still alive is one thing. Whether Odysseus will be able to get back home, though, is another matter entirely. It’s largely going to be up to Odysseus whether he can make it home or not.
Meanwhile in Ithaca…
The suitors find out that Telemachus has sailed to Pylos after all and are very surprised by it. Was it because Telemachus left without their knowledge? Or were they surprised that Telemachus actually went on the voyage to begin with? That Telemachus was not all talk at the assembly?
Either way, they feel their positions being threatened and plan an ambush for Telemachus. This is despite the fact that they’ve received their second sign that the gods are supporting Telemachus. The first was the bird omen interpreted by a reputable prophet. The second is that Mentor, one of the elders, was essentially in two places at once. He was seen sailing off with Telemachus for Pylos, but also seen the very next morning in Ithaca.
The tyrant, whoever or whatever that happens to be, will be alarmed at your growth if that growth includes relying on them less and being free from their tyranny. If they can’t keep you safely tucked under their tyranny, they may resort to more drastic measures—including seeking your demise. It’s the sick and twisted mentality of “If I can’t have you, no one can.”
The tyrant will also refuse to acknowledge the signs that their tyranny is coming to an end. They will double down and triple down to keep their power and position. This is when things get perilous and the tyrant will act in desperation.
Beware of these when you go on a quest to escape the tyranny holding you down. While it’s a sign of your success, it’s not success itself. You still need to be careful or you may find yourself taken unawares.
Menelaus’ Regret
As I mentioned before, Menelaus shows regret for the war:
Would that I had only a third of what I now have so that I had stayed at home, and all those were living who perished on the plain of Troy, far from Argos.
Odyssey, Book 4; Samuel Butler translation
It’s possible that, from Telemachus’ point of view, Menelaus is regretting the war after the fact. However, we know from the Iliad that this lines up with Menelaus’ character. In Book 3, Menelaus said this when he accepted the duel with Paris to end the war:
I deem that the parting of Achaeans and Trojans is at hand, as well it may be, seeing how much have suffered for my quarrel with Alexandrus [Paris] and the wrong he did me.
Iliad, Book 3; Samuel Butler translation
In Book 23, Menelaus said this to Antilochus, Pisistratus’ now deceased brother:
Your good father [Nestor], your brother [Thrasymedes], and yourself have all of you had infinite trouble on my behalf
Iliad, Book 23; Samuel Butler translation
That right there is a very interesting connection, though I’m not sure what else to say about it. It must have been difficult for Menelaus to see two young men who were deeply affected by a war he was responsible for.
The Fantastic in the Odyssey
It’s here in Book 4 that we get introduced to another literary element of the Odyssey: the fantastic element and how it’s presented.
Menelaus tells this incredible tale of meeting a sea nymph and wrestling with Proteus who turns into wild animals, monsters, and even elements like fire, to try and get away from him. It’s a fantastic story, one that strains credulity. I mean, how can you wrestle fire? Also, Menelaus gets flattered a lot in the story. The sea nymph takes a liking to him and Proteus tells Menelaus he’ll end up in Elysium (paradise, basically). If not for the fact that Athena sent Telemachus to Menelaus in order to learn about his father, I wouldn’t blame Telemachus if he had been skeptical of the story.
What’s just as important though is how we, the audience, and Telemachus, whom we are following, find out about this story. We learn about it through exposition rather than seeing the events unfold in real time.
This story in Book 4 prepares us for what’s to come. Most of Odysseus’ journey home after the war has already occurred. Most of what we’re going to learn about Odysseus’ journey, especially the more famous episodes like the encounter with the Cyclopes, the witch Circe, and Scylla and Charybdis, are going to be learned about in exposition.
By doing this, Homer puts a degree of separation between us and the events. It leaves some doubt as to whether the story is real or not. It leaves the story more in the realm of fantasy and ambiguity than in reality and the concrete.
Recap
Here’s the steps Telemachus has taken in his quest now:
Step 1: Telemachus is given a quest—one that will lead to changing his circumstances, putting an end to his suffering, and make him into a good man.
Step 2: Telemachus is given an inspirational peer to emulate and aim for.
Step 3: Before Telemachus goes on his voyage, Athena instructs him to call an assembly. There, he articulates the truth and confronts the situation he is in. In this, Telemachus gets push back and threats of violence from the suitors, but he also finds allies.
Step 4: Telemachus prepares diligently for the quest. He does all the work possible for him. He relies on the ally he has made. He discerns who can and can’t be trusted with knowledge about his quest. When preparations are complete, and it’s the right time, he starts the quest and doesn’t look back.
Step 5: Telemachus goes on the dangerous voyage to his first destination—a critical part of the quest that could have ended badly without proper diligence and preparation.
Step 6: Telemachus meets two types of important people: a wise man who can serve as a role model and give further direction and a new friend who has experienced a similar situation and can relate.
Step 7: Telemachus comes face-to-face with the origin of his misfortune—in this case, Menelaus and Helen. Had it not been for them, Odysseus wouldn’t have gone to war, there would have been no suitors, and Telemachus would have grown up with a father.
Step 8: Telemachus gets two things from Menelaus: 1) a success story of someone who was lost at sea for a long time and actually came back; and 2) the answer to his question about whether Odysseus is still alive.
That’s all for Book 4 of the Odyssey.
May your days be filled with grace.
-Andronikos
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Thumbnail: Helen Recognizing Telemachus, the Son of Odysseys by Jean-Jacques Lagrenée, 1795. Public domain.