Telemachus

Telemachus is a figure in Greek mythology, best known as the son of Odysseus and Penelope and a major character in Homer’s *Odyssey*.

Telemachus is a figure in Greek mythology, best known as the son of Odysseus and Penelope and a major character in Homer’s *Odyssey*. His search for his absent father forms the opening section of the epic, often called the *Telemachy*.

Mythological role

Telemachus is presented as the heir of Odysseus of Ithaca and a key figure in the household left behind after the Trojan War. His story in the *Odyssey* focuses on his growth from youth to active participant in his father’s return.

Telemachy in the *Odyssey*

The first four books of the *Odyssey* are often called the *Telemachy* because they center on Telemachus. In these books he learns about his father’s fate by visiting Nestor in Pylos and Menelaus in Sparta.

Later traditions

Later mythic traditions expand Telemachus’s story beyond Homer. Some accounts say he married Circe or Calypso after Odysseus’s death, although these versions are not part of the main Homeric narrative.

Literary legacy

Telemachus became important in later European literature, especially François Fénelon’s *Les Aventures de Télémaque* (1699). That work helped shape the tradition of educational novels about princes and rulers.