An epic poem attributed to Homer
Invocation and Telemachy
Tell me, O muse, of the man of many devices, who wandered full many ways, after that he had sacked the holy citadel of Troy. Many were the men whose cities he saw and whose mind he knew, and many the woes he suffered in his heart upon the sea, striving to save his own life and the return of his comrades.
But even so he could not save his comrades, though he longed to do so, for they perished by their own actions, in their foolishness, when they had devoured the kine of Helios Hyperion; so he took away from them the day of their return.
From this point onwards, O daughter of Zeus, begin to speak, from whatever goddes thou choosest, and tell of their fates.
Now all the others, as many as had escaped sheer destruction, were at home, and had passed through the war and the sea; but Odysseus alone, still longing for his return and his wife, the queen Penelope, was kept by the nymph Calypso in her echoing caverns, yearning to reach his own land.
But when the seasons brought round the year, and the appointed days were come, wherein he was fated to return to Ithaca, even then no god was his helper, though he had suffered greatly.
Athena recounted the tale to the gods, when she had come to Olympus, pleading for Odysseus's release from Calypso's island.
Telemachus's Call to Action
Meanwhile, in Ithaca, Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, was troubled by the suitors who thronged his palace, consuming his father's wealth and insulting his mother.
Athena, disguised as Mentor, visited Telemachus and urged him to embark on a journey to seek news of his father.
"O Telemachus," she said, "if indeed you are the son of Odysseus, prove yourself his heir. Seek out Nestor at Pylos, and Menelaus at Sparta. Learn what you can of your father's fate."
Inspired by the goddess, Telemachus gathered his courage and prepared for his voyage.
The Assembly in Ithaca
Telemachus convened an assembly of the Ithacan people, where he denounced the insolence of the suitors and appealed for aid.
Antinous, the proudest of the suitors, retorted, dismissing Telemachus's pleas and vowing to prevent his departure.
But the people of Ithaca, though sympathetic, dared not defy the powerful suitors.
As the assembly dispersed, Telemachus despaired, but Athena, still in disguise, provided him with a swift ship and a willing crew.
At Pylos with Nestor
Telemachus and his companion Peisistratus arrived in Pylos and were welcomed by King Nestor, a veteran of the Trojan War.
Nestor recounted the return of the Achaean heroes, but could offer no definitive news of Odysseus's whereabouts.
He advised Telemachus to seek Menelaus in Sparta, who had journeyed widely and might possess greater knowledge.
At Sparta with Menelaus
Telemachus and Peisistratus journeyed to Sparta, where they found Menelaus and Helen celebrating the marriages of their children.
Menelaus, recognizing Telemachus as Odysseus's son, shared tales of their shared adventures and lamented Odysseus's continued absence.
He revealed that the sea-god Proteus had informed him that Odysseus was being held captive by Calypso.
Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, the suitors learned of Telemachus's voyage and plotted to ambush him upon his return.