Odyssey Books Three and Four Summary

Book Three Summary:

Book three start with Telemachus arriving in Pylos. The first thing he sees is people worshiping the god Posidean.

Telemachus is nervous because he has to give a speech to the people of Plyos. Athena, (who is disguised as Mentor) encourages him because he is favored by the Gods.

Before Telemachus can give his speech all the Ithakans are invited to have a feast. Hestor gives Athena/Mentor wine and asks him/her to pray to Posidean.

After the feast, an old friend of Odysseus, Nestor talks about the Trojan war and how hard it was.

He talks about Odysseus and tells Telemachus that he takes after him.

Next Nestor tells the story of two kings named Menelaus and Agamemnon who are also brothers. They got in a fight and Menelaus took his fleets and headed to Troy and Agamemnon stayed behind.

The Military could not decide which king to go with, so they split in half. Odysseus left with Menelaus but then went back because he felt guilty. When he left he took half of Menelaus’s ships with him. This was a bad choice because the rest of Menelaus’s ships including Nestor made it home safely.

Agamemnon comes home and is killed by his wife by Klytaimestra and her new man Aegisthus. Which is the murder the gods were talking about in the beginning of the book.

After Hestor’s stories he tells Telemachus that Odysseus is favored by the gods and is there is still hope that he will come home. But he has a hard time believing the gods are on his side.

But Telemachus cares more about the story. Ortese, who is Agamemnon’s son, kills Kytaimestria and Aigisthos. Then Menelaos arrives home and is sad that his brother is dead.

After Nestor finishes his story he warns Telemachus to not be gone from home to long because the suitors are alone at the house. Later Nestor offers to let them stay the night.

Book three ends with Athena revealing herself to Hestor as an eagle. Hestor is surprised and promises to make a sacrifice to Athena. In the morning Nester gives Telemachus horses and his son Peisistratus joins him for the trip.

Book Four Summary:

Book four begins when Telemachos arrives to find that Menelaos is having a feast in a beautiful palace for his daughter and his son at the same time.

Menelaos brings in two strangers and one happened to be Telemachos. Menelaos shares his stories about his travels. He was on a journey home for seven long years. Only to come home and hear that his brother was killed by Aigthos.

Menelaos began to speak about Odysseus bringing Telemachos to tears. Helen enters and says that he looks just like his father. They then reminisce about Odyssues and all begin to cry.

Helen wanted to help her husband and Telemachos. So she decides to put a drug in their wine that will let them forget Odysseus and rid of their sorrows.

They all sit down and share stories about Odysseus late into the night. Then in the morning Menelaos asks why Telemachos has come. Telemachos explains how the suitors are taking over his home and how they don’t deserve his mother as a wife.

Meneloas is very angry with the situation. He begins to tell Telemachos a story about his journey home.

Menelaos was stuck in Egypt on the island Pharos. The gods would not let him return home because he did not perform the proper sacrifices for them.

On Pharos he met a nymph, Eidothea. She told him to capture Proteus, god of the island, and to hold him captive. This is the only way he can get the god to tell him how to get off Pharos and get home.

Eidothea helps Menelaos and three others disguise themselves as seals, when Proteus surfaces to count them Menelaos and his men to attack Proteus and he shape shifts into different creatures.

Proteus is very angry with Menelaos. He tells him that the only way to please him and Zeus is to go to the Nile and make an offering.
Menelaos years about the death of Agamemnon. And is very upset and wishes to hear about Odysseus. Proteus tells Menelaos that Odysseus is being held prisoner by Calpyso.

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