At the very beginning of The Odyssey, Athena visits Telemachus and gives him a major task: the goddess asks Telemachus to venture out and search for information about Odysseus, his father.
Athena encourages Telemachus for two major reasons. First of all, she functions as Odysseus' major patron on Mount Olympus, and so she is particularly concerned with helping the beleaguered king return home. Sending Telemachus off in search of his father can do nothing but good for the wandering Odysseus. More important, however, is Athena's desire to bolster Telemachus' reputation and self-esteem. The goddess wants to help Telemachus gain fame and greatness, just like his father. In that case, by urging the young man to set forth on his own journey, she is also subtly urging him to step into adulthood and ready himself to fight for his kingdom. In that sense, Telemachus' quest serves as a trial run that will embolden the prince to help Odysseus fight off the suitors near the end of the poem.
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