Thus, the name Telemachus means a person who is far from the battle. The name Telemachus is derived from the Ancient Greek name “ Tēlémakho,” which is composed of two elements. As a tribute, Odysseus wore the symbol of a dolphin on his shield. They were sailing from the caves of Fate through a sea made from his mothers’ blood till he reached the shore nine months later.ĭuring his infant years, Telemachus was saved by dolphins when he fell into the ocean. They sing about his journey from his time in the womb till the time he surfaces into the real world.

In The Odyssey, the birth of Telemachus is sung by a chorus of maids. Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, was born out of this marriage. Knowing this, he went on to marry Helen’s cousin, Penelope, who was more beautiful and virtuous than Helen. However, he knew that Menelaus would win Helen’s hand in marriage. Odysseus was one of the suitors of Helen of Sparta. In this time, Telemachus had grown a bit older and started looking for information pertaining to his fathers’ whereabouts.īefore we get to the role of Telemachus in The Odyssey, let’s get acquainted with his past.īonus Read: Discover secrets about the Greek God of Darkness. He would ultimately go on to become King of Ithaca and marry the enchantress Circe. Homer portrays him as a callow, helpless youth, unable to ward off the suitors swarming around his mother for the throne of Ithaca in the absence of his father. The story of Telemachus is a tale of an ambiguous young boy who matures into a man. In the Odyssey, he is around 20 years old. Moreover, he is highlighted in the first four books of the poem known as The Telemachia. He played a sizeable role in Homer’s Odyssey and was a devoted son who matures during the epic. Odysseus is married to Penelope, the daughter of Icarius of Sparta.

Odysseus the odyssey