THE ODYSSEY BOOK III: THE LORD OF THE WESTERN APPROACHSay no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The third book illustrates a number of important ongoing themes in The Odyssey. Books one through four are called “La Télémacheia”. They tell the story of Odysseus' son Telemachus and his coming of age as he searches for information about his father's fate and advice on what he should do about his mother's greedy suitors . The third book in particular sees Telemachus rise to power in his first attempts at diplomacy outside his hometown, as he deals with King Nestor of Pylos. When Telemachus and Athena (still in his Mentor form) arrive at Pylos in line 3.15, Telemachus remains behind, too shy to step forward and address the king directly. Athena encourages him, reminding him that his life has not gone unnoticed by the gods and that he is blessed. She then sets an example by pouring libations and offering prayers (lines 3.60-75), so that when it is finally Telemachus's turn to speak, he is able to do so with sufficient conviction and d skill to impress the king. Nestor goes so far as to say that he can see Odysseus' gift of speech in Telemachus - a great compliment. But there are broader themes at work in this chapter that are central to the entire Odyssey: in particular, the importance of loyalty and prudence. among those who stayed at home during uncertain times and the importance of devotion to the gods. The story of Agamemnon's murder is not only a morality tale illustrating what can happen when people you trust betray you, but it provides an interesting contrast to the situation as it exists in Ithaca. It also ends with a warning to Telemachus not to stay away from home for too long in search of his answers. This trio of meanings of the tragedy of Agamemnon is best illustrated in passage 3.353-363. After telling Telemachus the story of Agamemnon's betrayal by his cousin and his wife, he advises Telemachus not to stay away from home for too long, lest the same thing, or worse, happen to him. kingdom of his father. Indeed, says Nestor, Telemachus may not want to let too much time pass before seeking revenge for the treatment of his father's house, even if there is no good news about the return of 'Ulysses at home. He warns that if Telemachus is not fast enough, the suitors will devour his entire inheritance and his journey to find answers will come to nothing. It is notable that in telling the story of Agamemnon's betrayal, Nestor emphasizes that Clytemnestra was loyal at first and rejected Aegisthus's advances, but eventually gave in to his seduction and played her fatal role in the murder of her husband. This is a stark contrast to the character of Penelope, who stoops to deception out of respect for her loyalty to her husband, rather than ending the conflict by betraying him and taking another husband. It is also important to note that any of Penelope's suitors could easily assume the role of Aegisthus in plotting the fall of the house, which the suitors end up doing en masse in their conspiracy against Telemachus while he is gone on a quest. The overall theme of the Odyssey emphasized in this book is the importance of devotion to the gods practiced by the Greeks. This section concludes with examples of such devotion. When Athena and Telemachus arrive at Pylos, a huge ritual takes place on the beach, with thousands of people (4,500 precisely) sacrificing.