The Odyssey Book II

The next morning Telemachus gets up and is calls a meeting with the elders and the suitors telling them that he is going to find his father. Telemachus says that a curse has fallen on his house. Odysseus has been gone for over 19 years and his house is in ruins because of the suitors trying to marry his mom. The suitors take all of his food and crowd his house. He tells them that if they don't leave the God's will help him destroy them. The one suitor Antinous thinks he is foolish and stupid. He says that Penelope doesn't want to be married but she is leading them one by offering them hope and promise. She says she will get married after she finishes the burial shawl. But she is cheating them by working on the loom all day and then by undoing the whole thing by night. She has done this for three years and the maid finally caught her and so she had to finish it against her will. The suitor tells Telemachus to send his mother to her father and have him marry her to one of these suitors. Telemachus again tells the suitors to leave the halls of his house or they will die. He says go to each others house in turn or eat on big feast at each house but they must leave his house. Telemachus now has the help of Zeus and Zeus sends down two eagles and they fight in mid air and fly away. A wise man tells the men to follow directions because the eagles were a sign from the God's. The wise man says that Odysseus will be back soon and they will not be able to outsmart him. The suitors say that even if Odysseus was to come back he would be no match for the many suitors to kill him. Telemachus says that he is going to go get a ship and crew. He will travel and if he hears that his father is alive he will wait one more year. If he is dead he will come back and marry off his mother. The meeting is over and Telemachus goes alone and prays to Athena. Athena appears as Mentor and tells him not to worry about the suitors for they are fools and will all die some day. Telemachus then goes to his father's storeroom and gathers all the needed supplies for his journey. Eurycleia, Odysseus and Telemachus' nurse, sees Telemachus and he tells her where he is going but he tells her not to tell his mother for she will not be able to stop him if she does not know. Meanwhile Athena goes to town and gets the ship and crew he needs for the trip. She also stocks his ship with all needed supplies. Athena set sail the ship helping guide it the whole way.