# Telemachus — The Odyssey character guide

> Telemachus in The Odyssey by Homer.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** Telemachus the godlike, discreet Telemachus, young Telemachus

**First appearance:** 0001-the-odyssey

## Snapshot

Ulysses' son, a young man raised in a house under siege, who must grow from a brooding boy into a decisive heir before his father returns.

## Who they are

Telemachus sits among the suitors who waste his inheritance, too young to command them and too proud to accept his mother's endless delay. When Athene arrives disguised as Mentor, she prods him toward Pylos and Sparta to seek news of his father. His journey is the poem's coming-of-age thread: a son learning to speak, sail, and act as the man whose name he bears.

## Relationships

### [Ulysses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/ulysses)

_family_

Telemachus is the son of Ulysses, and their relationship is one of longing, reunion, and mutual support in reclaiming their home.

### [Menelaus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/menelaus)

_social_

Menelaus hosts Telemachus as a guest and provides him with news and gifts, acting as a helpful elder ally.

### [Nestor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/nestor)

_social_

Nestor is a wise elder king who offers hospitality and counsel to Telemachus during his search for his father.

### [Pallas Athene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/pallas_athene)

_friendship_

Pallas Athene mentors and encourages Telemachus, guiding him to maturity and helping him reunite with his father.

### [Jove](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/jove)

_psychological_

Jove influences Telemachus' fate from afar, sometimes sending omens or signs that guide his journey.

### [Penelope](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/penelope)

_family_

Penelope is the mother of Telemachus, and they share a bond of worry and mutual support during Ulysses' absence.

### [Ulysses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/ulysses)

_family_

Telemachus is the son of Ulysses, and their relationship is one of longing, reunion, and mutual support in reclaiming their home.

### [Jove](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/jove)

_psychological_

Jove influences Telemachus' fate from afar, sometimes sending omens or signs that guide his journey.

### [Menelaus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/menelaus)

_social_

Menelaus hosts Telemachus as a guest and provides him with news and gifts, acting as a helpful elder ally.

### [Ulysses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/ulysses)

_family_

Telemachus is the son of Ulysses, and their relationship is one of longing, reunion, and mutual support in reclaiming their home.

### [Nestor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/nestor)

_social_

Nestor is a wise elder king who offers hospitality and counsel to Telemachus during his search for his father.

### [Pallas Athene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/pallas_athene)

_friendship_

Pallas Athene mentors and encourages Telemachus, guiding him to maturity and helping him reunite with his father.

## In the story

### [The Odyssey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/chapters/the-odyssey)

The son of Ulysses, who matures and seeks news of his father.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters/telemachus
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_odyssey_se/characters