See also: Télégonie

Télégonie (in Greek old Τηλεγόνεια / Têlegóneia , in Latin Telegonia ) is a lost epopee ancient Greece, allotted to Eugammon de Cyrène. It belonged to the Trojan Cycle, a whole of works which recalled the history of the Trojan War. Télégonie followed chronologically the Odyssey and enclosed the Cycle.

Dating

The date of composition of Télégonie is dubious. Cyrène, the birthplace of Eugammon, was founded in 631 av. J. - C.; but the account can have existed before being fixed by Eugammon.

It is possible that elements of the Odyssey influenced Télégonie (for example, the episode of Thesprotie or the lance of Télégonos are found in the prophecy of Tirésias, with song XI of the Odyssey ). But it is also possible that the author of the Odyssey was informed of an oral version of Télégonie and was useful itself about it for prophecy of Tirésias.

It is generally admitted that the poem was composed at sixth century BC

Composition

Only two lines of the original poem arrived to us. The only complete summary of the work which one lays out comes from the Chrestomathie allotted to Proclos, philosopher of the {{Ve}} century a. J. - C. the other sources remain very fragmentary.

The poem is divided into two books written in hexameters dactylic, telling two distinct episodes: the voyage of Ulysses in Thesprotie and history of Télégonos.

In the Antiquity, Télégonie was perhaps also known under the name of Thesprotis (in Greek Θεσπρωτίς / Thesprôtis ), quoted by Pausanias (VIII, 12,5). But this name can not have extremely well indicated that the first book, whose action proceeds with Thesprotie (in Épire). It is also possible that the Thesprotis constituted a distinct epopee with whole share or that it was joined together on a certain date with Télégonie . The majority of the researchers at present consider these last assumptions with prudence, as they are neither demonstrable nor refutable. Moreover, it was current in Antiquity to indicate episodes isolated from the Homeric epopees by an in an individual capacity (for example, songs I to IV of the Odyssey were known like the Télémachie ).

Contents of the poem

The poem begins after the return from Ulysses to Ithaque and it “massacres applicants” (in Greek μνηστηροφονία / mnêstêrophonía ), is where the Odyssey stops. The dead applicants are burned and made Ulysses of the sacrifices to the nymphs (undoubtedly those which keep the cave of Ithaque where it hid its treasure, cf song XIII of the Odyssey ). It goes on a journey to Élis, where it in addition returns visit to an unknown character, Polyxénos, which makes him present of a crater. On this occasion the stories of Trophonios, Agamède and Augias are told. Ulysses returns in Ithaque (probably to achieve the sacrifices whose Tirésias with song XI about the Odyssey speaks) then goes then to Thesprotie. Over there, he marries the queen Callidicé, who designs a child of him, Polypœtès. Ulysses fights at the side of the Thesprotes in a war against their neighbors; the gods mix with the combat. But Callidicé is killed during the war, and Ulysses returns in Ithaque.

In same time, one learns that Circé raises only the son whom it had with Ulysses (songs X-XII of the Odyssey ), Télégonos ( Τηλέγονος / Têlégonos , “which was born with far”), on the island of Ééa. On the council of the goddess Athéna, Circé reveals the name of his/her father to him, sending it to his research and giving him a surmounted fantastic lance of a poisonous dart of Raie, work of Héphaïstos. Télégonos embarks with some sailors, but a storm rejects them on the coasts of Ithaque, without them knowing where they arrived. It is delivered to plundering with his companions in order to make vivres, and steals the cattle of Ulysses (the practice was current in the Homeric unknown ground heroes). There, Ulysses intervenes and fights against Télégonos, which mortally wounds it with its lance, thus carrying out the prophecy of Tirésias in the Odyssey which had predicted that the death of Ulysses would come from the sea (in fact of a dart of line). While he to lie failing, Ulysses recognizes Télégonos, which deplores its error then. He brings back thereafter the body of Ulysses, his wife Pénélope and his other wire Télémaque in the island of Æa, where Circé burns the skin of Ulysses and returns the other immortal ones. Télégonos Marie with Pénélope, and Télémaque with Circé.

See too

Related articles

• Trojan Cycle

• the Odyssey