Telemachus seeks a journey to inquire about his father's news.
Telemachus said to Eurymaeus and the other noble suitors, "I will no longer ask you or speak to you about this matter. The gods and the Achaeans already know it. But give me a swift ship and twenty companions. My father has been gone for a long time. I am going to Sparta and sandy Pylos to inquire about him. Perhaps someone there can tell me something, or perhaps I will hear words from Zeus that bring great glory. If my father is still alive and will return, even if it is difficult, I will endure for another year. But if I learn that he has died and is no longer in this world, then I will return to my beloved homeland. And there, I will build a tomb for him and perform the proper funeral rites, and send my mother back to her husband."
| Words and phrases. | Translation note. |
|---|---|
| Sparta and Pylos. | This is the land where Telemachus goes to inquire about his father Odysseus' whereabouts. |
Telemachus sat down, saying that. Then Mentor stood up. He is a close friend of the blameless Odysseus. When Odysseus left by ship, he entrusted all of his household to Mentor. It was said that the people of the house should follow the elders, and that Mentor would protect everything. Mentor addressed the assembly with feelings of concern for the people.
| Words and phrases. | Translation note. |
|---|---|
| Mentoru. | He is a close friend of Odysseus, and the person to whom he entrusted his house when he went off to war. |
"O people of Ithaca, listen to my words now. From this point forward, there must be no king who is straightforward in heart, good, and gentle. There must be no king who knows the righteous path. Only kings who are always harsh and commit injustice will do. The people have forgotten even Odysseus, who was like a god ruling over them, and how he was kind to them as a father. I am not going to scold those proud suitors who are plotting evil schemes in the hall and acting violently. They are saying that they are devouring Odysseus's house by force, risking their own lives. They say that he will never return."
"But right now, I am angry at all the other people. You are all silent and not rebuking the suitors in any way. There are only a few suitors, but there are many of you."