TELEMAKOS IN THE ILIAD BY HOMMER

A detailed Summary of TELEMAKOS IN THE ILIAD BY HOMMER

A Homeric man can be defined as someone who journeys to different lands and is also skilled in battle and council. We have read the previous books in which Athena aids Telemakhos with his first step towards maturity. Book 18 offers us another view of his transformation from a boy to a man. Telemakhos' conversations with the suitors and Penelope reveal his acknowledgement of his present situation and new responsibilities. The following will examine the ways in which Telemakhos' actions and speech convey his growing into a man.

When Athena enters the hall in Book 1 we are told that: Telemakhos "was sitting there unhappy among the suitors, a boy, daydreaming"(I.144-145) 1. This paints an image of a boy, who is incapable of controlling the suitors disrespect of his oikos. Since he was raised by his mother and lacked the guidance of a father, Telemakhos was forced to watch the suitors consume his cat

tle and wine, he has never known this Homeric man-hood, yet. In Book 18 this is not the case. Telemakhos, having traveled to the homes of Nestor and Menalaus, befriending a comrade and meeting his father has been exposed to the proper way in which a house hold is run. There is always one man in charge and that man sees to it that certain practices are maintained, such as xenia. This guest host relationship has been ignored in Odysseus' halls. The suitors (the guests) have taken it upon themselves to play host as well. We see Telemakhos' attempt to regain control in the following line: "You have my word as host; "(18.76). 2 These strong words follow Telemakhos' promise to give the beggar a one on one fight with no worries about a suitor jumping in. In this instance he is letting the suitors know he is no longer that day dreaming boy (1.145) .3 As Odysseus' accomplice, he has begun to command the suitor's cooperation in carrying out his will. I

Some common words found in the essay are:
Nestor Menalaus, Telemakhos Homeric, book 18, , actions speech, book 1,

Approximate Word count = 642
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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