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It was morning when Telemachus and Athene reached Pylos, the city of the old and wise king Nestor. They moored the ship and walked inland to meet Nestor. The people of Pylos had gathered on the beach and were sacrificing black bulls to Poseidon, the sea god. They noticed that preparations for a grand feast was going on.
Telemachus, being naïve and young,
hesitated to address a great king like Nestor. “O Mentes, I’m not used to
speaking to men like him. I fear I might sound rude or utter impolite words
that will make him angry,” he confided to Athene.
“Telemachus, the gods favour you.
And I’m certain they’ll put the right words into your mouth. So, stop
worrying,” said Athene and led him forward. Soon, they came upon Nestor and his
sons. When the men saw the strangers coming towards them, they got up from
their seats and welcomed them warmly. Nestor’s son led them to the seats of
soft fleeces laid on the white sands.
Soon, the feast started and the
guests were served with delicious food and heady wine. After the feast was
over, Nestor asked his guests where they came from.
Telemachus spoke up now. “Noble
king, I’m Telemachus, the son of Odysseus of Ithaca. I’m here seeking news
about my father. We don’t know if he is dead or alive. I request you to tell me
whatever you know of him. Don’t conceal anything from me,” he said to Nestor.
Nestor spoke highly of Odysseus.
He confessed that he knew nothing about the other Greek warriors as he had left
Troy ahead of them. He suggested that Telemachus shall meet King Menleaus, who
had returned home only recently. “I shall ask one of my sons to take you to
Sparta in the morning,” he said. Athene said that she had some errand to finish
and returned to the ship leaving Telemachus in the care of Nestor.
The next morning, Telemachus and
Nestor’s son Pisistratus mounted a chariot driven by powerful horses and sped
towards Sparta. After journeying for two days, the twosome reached Meneleaus’s
palace by nightfall. A banquet was being held there to celebrate the wedding
arrangements of Meneleaus’s son and daughter.
Meneleaus’s men gave the two
princes a hearty welcome. As they were led inside the palace, Telemachus was
awestruck by its richness. The interiors were crafted of gold and inlaid with
precious gems and stones. The marbles in the bath where the guests washed
themselves were of the costliest variety. He saw several exquisitely wrought
items on display.
After the guests had been dressed
in fresh clothes, they were conducted to the banquet hall. Meneleaus treated
them courteously and served them with the best portions of meat and the
tastiest wine.
The young princes commented among
themselves about the splendour of the palace. Meneleaus overheard them and said
grimly, “I amassed these riches when I wandered all over the world during my
return from Troy. Do you think this wealth makes me happy? I’d willingly give
away all this treasures if only my friends and relatives, who lost their lives
for my sake at Troy, can be brought back to life.”
“The very thought of these men
keeps me awake in the nights and I’m unable to eat in peace. The one person,
whose memories cloud my mind everyday, is Odysseus, the valiant and intelligent
warrior of Ithaca. Nobody knows anything of his fate now. But I’m sure his wife
Penelope and son Telemachus would be mourning for him,” said Meneleaus. As he
mentioned the name of Odysseus, Telemachus became emotional. Meneleaus saw him
wiping away the tears in his eyes with his robe. He at once understood that the
young man was none other than the son of Odysseus.
Just then, Queen Helen, for whose
rescue the Trojan War was fought, appeared in the hall. She looked quite young
even now and had not lost her beauty. She raised her eyebrows in surprise when
she saw Telemachus. She turned to her husband and said, “Meneleaus, did you
notice that our young guest here closely resembles the son of Odysseus?”
Meneleaus agreed with his wife’s
observation. Prince Pisistratus introduced himself and Telemachus at this
point. He also mentioned the purpose of their visit. Helen and Meneleaus spoke
for sometime about the feats of Odysseus and how his prudential actions helped
the Greeks in winning the war. Then, Telemachus requested Meneleaus to tell him
whatever he knew about his father.
“The last I heard of him was that
he was rescued by Calypso, the nymph and was detained on her island. But I’m
sure he’ll return home one of these days and your distresses will come to an
end,” he comforted Telemachus.
Telemachus gently turned down
Meneleuas’s request to stay with him for a few more days. “My ship and crew is
waiting for me at Pylos. I’ve to keep going,” he said. Meneleaus plied him with
the magnificent gifts that he had brought home from the corners of the earth.
(To be continued)
- The Adventures of Odysseus - An Introduction
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 1
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 2
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 3
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 4
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 5
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 6
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 7
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 8
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 9
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 10
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 11
- The Adventures of Odysseus - 12
Painting: Telemachus in Sparta by Angelica Kauffman (1773)
