Book One, "Athena Inspires the Prince", starts out with someone asking a Muse to tell the story of Odysseus. Odysseus's tale begins with the Gods having a meeting, talking about the death of Aegisthus, when Athena says that Aegisthus earned his punishment, but Odysseus did not. Odysseus has been trapped on the island of Calypso, who has been trying to make Odysseus fall in love with her, but to no avail. Zeus replies saying that he would help Odysseus get home to Ithaca, his home town, but he can't. During his travels, Odysseus blinded a cyclops called Polyphemus, who was the son of Poseidon. Poseidon is now angry at Odysseus and won't let him sail home, which prevents his return home. Zeus decides that if all the Gods put their heads together, they will be able to override Poseidon's anger. Athena suggests that they send Hermes to the goddess on the island where Odysseus is trapped, and order the goddess to let Odysseus go. At the same time, Athena will go to Ithaca and talk to Odysseus's son to drive his mother's suitors away and send him to Sparta, where he will learn of Odysseus's journey home.
That being said, Athena headed off to Ithaca. Athena, disguised as an old family friend, is welcomed into Odysseus's home by his son, Prince Telemachus. At dinner, the savagery of Penelope's (Odysseus's wife) suitors is shown. To Athena, Telemachus complains that these men live off of him and then don't have to do any work. Telemachus also laments over what he thinks is his father's death. He then asks Athena to tell him about herself. Athena tells Telemachus that she is an old family friend called Mentes, Lord of the Taphian men. Mentes tells Telemachus that he heard a rumor that Odysseus was coming home. He also tells Telemachus a "prophecy" that the gods had planted in his head. The Prohecy, much like the rumor, said that Odysseus is still alive and slowly coming home after the Trojan War.
After a bit more conversing, Mentes learns that the men hanging about Odysseus's house are all suitors to Penelope. Mentes is apalled by this and gives Telemachus some advice. He urges Telemacus to get rid of the suitors and then set out in search for news of his father's return. If he hears that his father is alive, he should return home and wait a year for his father to arrive. If he hears that his father is dead, then he should also return home, but carry out the funeral rites for Odysseus. Mentes urges Telemachus to leave his boyhood behind and become a man. Telemachus thanks Athena and offers up a gift to her. Athena declines the gift, telling Telemachus to save it for the next time she came. After that, Athena departed, leaving Telemachus's spirit's lifted.
After telling his mother to be strong in waiting for his father's return, he tells the suitors to leave his house tomorrow. The men don't want to leave, and one of them insults Telemachus, but he calmly insists upon their departure. After this announcement, one of the suitors asks about the stranger who showed up and shared their meal. Telemachus said that the stranger was an old family friend named Mentes, but he recognized that it was Athena in disguise. After this discussion, Telemachus then headed off to bed for the night.
No comments:
Post a Comment