Athene's Advice in α271-296

Abstract

Athene's Advice to Telemachus in the First Book of the Odyssey contains the following four points : (a) to demand that the suitors return to their own homes, (b) to let his mother, Penelope, return to her father's home, if she wishes to marry, (c) to visit Pylus and Sparta to get some information about his father; to bear up patiently for a year, if he hears there that his father is still alive, and to let her mother marry, if he hears otherwise, and (d) after these, to devise a plan for killing the suitors. A. Kirchhoff-and most analysts following him-finds fault with these elements of the Advice: (a) and (b) are impossible demands for Telemachus, (c) is a demand without taking the consequence of (a) and (b) into consideration, and (d) is pointless, because the suitors have no reason to stay on in Odysseus' house after Penelope's marriage. He proceeds to say that there can be found no inner relationship among the various pieces of Advice; that on the contrary they are incongruous with one another; and that is why, according to him, this Advice of Athene should be regarded as an interpolation; an interpolation based on the Second Book, neglecting the inner correspondence within the Advice. However, I think that the weakness of this theory lies in the fact that they seek to find the inner consistency only within the Advice. I hold that we may come to a different perspective if we examine the Advice in a broader context taking into consideration the scenes which come before and after the Advice. At the gods' assembly on Olympus, Athene proposes (A) to send forth Hermes to the island of Calypso, informing Calypso of the gods' decision that Odysseus should return home, and Athene herself will go to Ithaca (B1) to encourage Telemachus, so that he may say freely at the meeting to the suitors what he has to say, and (B2) to order Telemachus to visit Pylus and Sparta, so that he may acquire fame. In Ithaca Athene tolds to Telemachus hoping that he may understand her intention (B1) and on his own initiative take decisive action against suitors. Telemachus, however, not only disappoints her, but also says that because of her indecision about her marriage, Penelope should be responsible for the present confusion in his household. So Athene openly asks him to be brave and gives him advice (a), (b), (c) and (d). Now advice (a) is naturally to be fulfilled only after the suitors are accused of their injustice at the meeting, and this is why Athene proposes herself (B1) to encourage Telemachus to tell them at the meeting what he really has in mind. Thus it is safely inferred that Athene's intention in (a) is to let Telemachus accuse the suitors. Her intention in (b) is that if Telemachus thinks her mother is responsible for the situation, Athene tries to show that the injustice of the suitors, the source of all grievances, become truly intolerable. Athene, therefore, does not expect her advice (a) and (b) to be fulfilled immediatly. Hence we need not expect any consistency among (a) , (b) and (c). Athene's intention in (c) is to let Telemachus know the heroic world through experienced old Nestor and Menelaus, his father's mate, who has just returned home, so that he may learn strategem, because unexperienced Telemachus is quite powerless against the suitors, if taking a decisive stand he should fall into hostile relations with them. Athene's suggestion to send Telemachus to secure information about his father is a mere pretext-his journey to Starta is consistent with this pretext; her real intention is to give Telemachus a chance of initiation into manhood. Athene advises him, if he hears Odysseus is dead, to let Penelope marry and (d) to kill the suitors in his house; the suitor's injustice deserves a punishment, even if they will not stay longer at his house after her marriage. It is Telemachus' duty to avenge them now that his

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