The Odyssey - Book 2 (THE DEBATE IN ITHACA)

• "As soon as Dawn appeared fresh and rosy fingered" Telemachus awoke, got dressed and left his bedroom "looking like a god"
• He told the criers to tell the "long-haired Archeans" that they are called to the assembly.
• The people gathered and then Telemachus left for the meeting-place. 
• "Athene endowed him with such supernatural grace that all eyes were turned on him in admiration when he came up. The elders made way for him as he took his fathers seat"
• Aegyptius was the first to speak with his "wisdom". (His son Antiphus had sailed with Odysseus in the big ships to Ilium (the city of horses)- but he was killed by the Cyclops)
• When he spoke he was crying the tears for grief of his dead son. He asked who had summoned the men to an assembly as it was the first once since Odysseus had left, he finishes his short speech of questioning with "may Zeus reward him with his hearts desire"- towards the person who called the meeting (as he does not know it is Telemachus).
• "His auspicious words delighted Odysseus' son"
• Telemachus stood up and made his way into the middle of the assembly and began to speak- facing Aegyptius. He tells everybody that it was he who called the meeting as "I am in great distress". He goes on to explain that he has heard no news but has called the meeting to discuss his own personal business, "the affliction that has fallen on my house". He goes on to explain how firstly he has lost his father, but now there is "far greater calamity, one which will bring my house to utter ruin and rob me of any livelihood I have". 
• "A crowd of suitors are pestering my mother with their unwanted attentions and these Suitors are actually the sons of those who are your leaders here"
• "They slaughter our our oxen, our sheep, our fatted goats; they feast themselves and drink our sparkling wine- with never a thought for all the wealth that is being wasted"
• "The destruction of my house is an injustice which you, gentlemen, should resent not only on your behalf but as a scandal to our neighbours who live round about"
• "I beg you my friends, to leave me alone with my bitter grief"
• As Telemachus spoke he began to cry and flung the staff to the ground- nobody had the guts to give him a sharp reply after his speech
• Then Antinous stepped forward and angrily said that it was unfair how he put all of the blame on them. "You are wrong. We suitors plead "not guilty"
• Antinous explains how it is Penelope that is the "incomparable schemer"
• Antinous explains how Penelope is the schemer "for three whole years she has been leading us on, giving us all some grounds for hope, and in her private messages to each making promises that she has not the slightest intention of keeping" "She set up a great web and began weaving a large and delicate piece of work. She said to us "My Lords, my Suitors, now that noble Odysseus is dead, restrain your ardour, do not urge on this marriage till I have done this work, so that the threads I have spun may not be altogether wasted. It is a shroud for Lord Laertes, When he succumbs to the dread hand of remorseless Death that stretches all men out at last, I must not risk the scandal there would be among my countrywomen here if one who has amassed such wealth were laid to rest without a shroud", that's what she said: and we magnanimously consented. So by day she used to weave at the great web, but every night had torches beside it and undid the work. For three years she took us in by this trick, A fourth began and the seasons were slipping by, when one of her women who knew all about it gave her mistress away. We caught he unravelling her beautiful work, and she was forced reluctantly to complete it"
• The suitors tell Telemachus that they are not going to leave until she makes the choice to marry one of them. 
• Telemachus replies to Antinous saying that it is unknown whether Odysseus is dead or alive therefore he can't just let his mother marry someone else on the possibility that his father is dead. He told the suitors that is they are angry they shout "quit his palace and feast somewhere else" whereas if they choose to stay and destroy his estate he will "destroy" them.
• "In answer to his words, Zeus the Thunderer urged two eagles into flight from the mountain-top"
• They flew in the air for a bit and then when they were directly over the meeting-place they glanced down at all of the faces and gave looks of "foreboding death"
• They then clawed each others cheeks and neck and went over the houses of the busy town as people watched them. 
• Halithetses, Mastor's son spoke out saying "A great calamity is about to engulf them. Odysseus is not going to be parted from his friends much longer. 
• Eurymachus was the one to reply to Halithetses basically saying that his prophecies wouldnt come true, and the birds mean nothing as birds fly all of the time. He says that Odysseus met his fate abroad and wont ever return. He then says he has his own prophecy for Halithetses which "will come true"- he says that if he misuses his eloquence to incite Telemachus to violence then it will be worse for him, and there would be an extremely unpleasant consequence for Halithetses. He says none of the men pay any attention to his rubbish prophecies and they'll stay as long as Penelope is single 
• Telemachus asks Eurymachus and the Suitors for a fast ship and a crew of twenty who he can take to Sparta and sandy Pylos to inquire after his father. He says that if he hears that his father is alive and on his way home, he will hold out one more year, however if he hears that his father has died he will return home and allow one of the suitors to marry Penelope. 
• Mentor (who was a good, old friend of Odysseus) said that not one of the people who Odysseus ruled over gives a thought of him today, he then says that the suitors are brave for staying when Odysseus could return. 
• After Mentor spoke Leocritus said that even is Odysseus did return home to Ithaca "his wife would have no joy of his return" so what Mentor is suggesting is out of the question. He then says the meeting should be called off now and every man return to his estate as Mentor and Halithetses take Telemachus to Sparta and Pylos. 
• The assembled people then broke off and went back to their own estates and scattered to their homes, whilst the suitors made their way back to Odysseus' palace. 
• Telemachus then went to the sea shore and prayed to Athene "Hear, I beg you, you that in your godhead came yesterday to my house. it was your command that I should sail across the misty seas to find out whether my long-lost father is ever coming back. But my countrymen, and above all those Suitors that besiege my mother, are thwarting me at every point"
• Athene took the disguise of Mentor and approached him, she told him that he is not a coward and he will not be a fool to go and find out about his father, she tells him that he can hope to succeed in his undertaking, and that he needs to forget about the suitors and dismiss their plots etc from his mind. "They are fools and there is no sense in them"- she tells him they have no idea of the fate that will strike them down one day soon.
• She tells him that he needs to get on his journey that he has set his heart on, and that as a faily friend he (she) is willing to help find him a fast ship and a good crew.
• Telemachus set off for his palace and when he arrived he found all of the Suitors skinning goats and cooking hogs in the courtyard. 
• Antinous ran up to him, grabbed his hand and invited him to dinner with him and the other suitors and then told him that that his people will make all his arrangements on behalf of his ship, he will pick the best crew to make sure he will get to his destination as fast as possible. 
• Telemachus replied saying that "it is out of the question for a man to sit down to a quiet supper and take his ease with a rowdy mob like you" then he politely removed his hand from Antinous. 
• The suitors who had been preparing a meal greeted Telemachus' speech with insults and were just huge bitches saying "that Telemachus wants to cust our throats! And he's off to sandy Pylos to get help. Perhaps he'll go as far as Sparta and back, since he's so thirsty for our blood. Or it may occur to him that fertile soil of Ephyre is worth a visit. He'll come back with a deadly poison, drop it in the wine-bowl, and kill us all off"
• Telemachus let them talk and went down to his fathers store room "a big lofty chamber stacked with gold and bronze and with chests full of clothing"
• Telemachus called Eurycleia into the room and asked her to "fill twelve flagons with wine and put their stoppers on", "some barley-meal in a strong leather bag- twenty measures of mill crushed grain also" eh tells her that he is on his way to Pylos to hear any news on his father. 
• Eurycleia "gave a shrieked and burst out into tears"
• She asks Telemachus why he has this idea in his head, he is the apple of his mothers eye and that she will be extremely upset if her son goes away from her. She then goes on to say that Odysseus is dead. She tells him to stay at home where he belongs, and all he is doing is looking for trouble by going over the "barren seas". 
• Telemachus tells her not to worry about him and that he will be fine by himself, he tells Eurycleia to not tell his mother for a dozen or so days or until she asks where he has gone. 
• Eurycleia swore by all the gods that she would not tell Penelope unless she asked, after she had taken the solemn oath she collected all of the things which Telemachus had asked for. 
• Athene disguised herself as Telemachus and went into the town picking twenty men and passed them the good word to gather by the ship at nightfall, the vessel which she begged of Noemon willingly promised to give it to her. 
• Athene then made her way to the palace and lulled the suitors into a state of drowsiness, clouding their wits as they drank. They all fell asleep. 
• Athene then took the form of Mentor and called out Telemachus , telling him that his companions are on the ship, sat at the oars ready for his word to start. 
• When he reached the beach Telemachus addressed his crew. He told them to help put the supplies on board the ship from his palace. He tells them they are not to tell anyone as no one knows but Eurycleia. 
• They all brought down the supplies and put them in the ship like Telemachus asked them to do. Telemachus then followed Athene on board, she took her seat on the afterdeck and then he sat down beside her. 
• Athene then called up for a steady wind, and sent it out the "wine-dark sea"
• The men climbed in and took their places at their oars. Telemachus told his men to rig uo the ship, needless to say they followed his orders. 
• "The vessel sped on her course through the seas"
• Once the vessel was travelling steady they cracked open the wine and made offerings to the immortal gods, but mpst importantly to Athene, daughter of Zeus. 
• "Into the Dawn the ship ploughed her way through the sea"