Telemachus

Family: Greek · Role: son of Odysseus · First appears: The Catalogues of Women and Eoiae · Fragments 1–20

In The Catalogues of Women and Eoiae, Polycaste, youngest daughter of Nestor, was joined in love with Telemachus, and bore Persepolis. In The Cypria, at Hellas, Odysseus was detected pretending madness when Telemachus was seized for punishment at Palamedes’ suggestion.

The Returns says that Telemachus afterwards married Circe. In the Telegony, Telegonus, on learning his mistake, took Odysseus’s body, Penelope and Telemachus to Circe’s island, where Circe made them immortal. The Telegony also says that Penelope had Telemachus and Acusilaus, and that Telemachus married Circe.

Relationship record

Life events

• Polycaste bore Persepolis after being joined in love with Telemachus.(The Catalogues of Women and Eoiae · Fragments 1–20)
  • With: Polycaste Persepolis
  • “So well-girded Polycaste, the youngest daughter of Nestor, Neleus’ son, was joined in love with Telemachus through golden Aphrodite and bare Persepolis.”
• Odysseus is detected feigning madness when Telemachus is seized for punishment.(The Cypria · Part 1 · 📍 Hellas)
  • With: Odysseus
  • “detecting Odysseus when he pretends to be mad, not wishing to join the expedition, by seizing his son Telemachus for punishment”
• Telemachus married Circe.(The Returns)
  • With: Circe
  • “says that Telemachus afterwards married Circe”
• Telegonus transports Odysseus’s body, Penelope, and Telemachus to his mother’s island.(The Telegony)
  • With: Telegonus Odysseus Penelope
  • “Telegonus, on learning his mistake, transports his father’s body with Penelope and Telemachus to his mother’s island”
• Circe makes Odysseus, Penelope, Telemachus, and Telegonus immortal.(The Telegony)
  • With: Circe Odysseus Penelope Telegonus
  • “where Circe makes them immortal”
• Telemachus marries Circe.(The Telegony)
  • With: Circe
  • “and Telemachus Circe.”

The Catalogues of Women and Eoiae · Fragments 1–20

• courtship with Polycaste “Polycaste, the youngest daughter of Nestor, Neleus’ son, was joined in love with Telemachus through golden Aphrodite and bare Persepolis.”
• child: Persepolis “Polycaste, the youngest daughter of Nestor, Neleus’ son, was joined in love with Telemachus through golden Aphrodite and bare Persepolis.”

The Cypria · Part 1

• parent: Odysseus “by seizing his son Telemachus for punishment at the suggestion of Palamedes.”

The Returns

• married with Circe “The Colophonian author of the Returns says that Telemachus afterwards married Circe, while Telegonus the son of Circe correspondingly married Penelope.”

The Telegony

• married with Circe “and Telemachus Circe.”
• parent: Odysseus “and by Penelope Telemachus and Acusilaus.”
• parent: Penelope “and by Penelope Telemachus and Acusilaus.”
• siblings with Acusilaus “The author of the Telegony, a Cyrenaean, relates that Odysseus had by Calypso a son Telegonus or Teledamus, and by Penelope Telemachus and Acusilaus.”

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Extracted from the original text of Hesiod and Homerica. Made with Rho MD.