At the
beginning of the epic, Athena petitions Zeus to force Calypso to allow Odysseus to leave her
island, where he has been held prisoner for seven years. Zeus agrees to tell Calypso to allow
Odysseus to leave her island, while Athena visits Ithaca to encourage Telemachus to search for
his father.
When Athena arrives at Ithaca, Telemachus laments about the
voracious suitors, who have been vying for his mother's hand in marriage while they consume all
of Odysseus's goods. While Odysseus has been lost at sea, numerous suitors have been ravaging
his home and disrespecting his palace while they wait for Penelope to make a decision.
Telemachus is not strong or powerful enough to banish the suitors himself but desperately wishes
that they would leave. Athena sympathizes with Telemachus's difficult situation and instructs
him to visit Pylus and Sparta to seek news of his father.
Overall, the
problem at Odysseus's home concerns the presence of the voracious suitors, who have been
selfishly consuming all of his goods and attempting to marry his beloved wife, Penelope, while
he is exiled on Calypso's island.
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