The Odyssey Book 2 Summary

Telemachos calls a meeting of all the Ithakan men. The suitors come too.
Lord Aigyptios (not to be confused with Aigisthos, the man whose murder the gods were earlier discussing), want to know why. After all, there haven’t been any meetings since Odysseus left.
Considering it’s been almost twenty years, we’re thinking these Ithakans aren’t exactly bureaucratic go-getters.
Telemachos grouses for a bit about the shameful actions of the suitors who have invaded his house, eaten his food, and drank his wine. Oh, and spent all their time devising ways to try and get with his mother (p.s. she’s not interested).
Nobody dares challenge his righteous anger except Antinoös, the would-be-king we met earlier. He blames Penelope herself for deceiving the suitors.
How so? Well, he explains:
When Odysseus went missing instead of coming home from the Trojan War, Penelope devised a plan to delay having to marry one of these suitors.
(Note: Because she was a Queen, Penelope would have been expected to marry after her husband died. Part of her duty to her land is making sure that her people have a king.)
So to stall, she said she would weave a funeral shroud for Laertes, Odysseus’s father. By day, she wove. By night, while everyone was sleeping and none-too-watchful, she unraveled all her day’s work.
Magically, it appeared the shroud would never be done!
Of course, no one ever figured her out. Until a maid blabbed on her.
(Even more amazing, however, is the fact that Penelope is weaving a funeral shroud for a man who isn’t dead; Odysseus’s father is elderly but hanging on.)
Finished with his Penelope story, Antinoös issues an ultimatum; he commands that Telemachos either get rid of Penelope (we’re not exactly sure how that would work) or make her choose a suitor for a husband.
Telemachos refuses to oust his mother from the house.
He is likely on the verge of refusing the second option when Zeus intervenes by sending a sign from above; two eagles fly down from a mountain and attack the people of the city.
Halitherses, an augur whose job it is to read portentous signs, reads the portentous sign. He decides it is an omen that Odysseus will return home.
(Don’t ask us how he knew that.)
Eurymachos, another suitor, laughs at the old augur and declares that Odysseus is dead. He tells Telemachos that the suitors fear neither him nor his diviners with their talk of signs.
Bad move, man.
Telemachos is done arguing. He tells the men he is sailing for Pylos to hear news of his father.
Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus’s, speaks up. (Yes, his name really is Mentor. Actually, we only have the word "mentor" in our language because it’s this guy’s name. Seriously.)
Anyway, Mentor announces how sickening it is that the community at large has not risen to speak against the suitors. Yes – surely all will be incited to action!
Sadly, no. Another townsman quickly hushes Mentor, so the crowd does nothing.
Foiled again!
The meeting is over.
Telemachos prays to the god who visited him last night, whoever it was.
Athene, nearby, hears his prayer and descends in the guise of Mentor. He/she tells Telemachos to prepare provisions for the journey and promises to find a ship for him to take.
When Telemachos goes home, the suitors mock him.
Telemachos ignores them.
In confidence, he tells Eurykleia to prepare food and wine with which to sail and to keep this whole trip on the down-low – especially from Penelope. Eurykleia agrees.
Athene, to mix things up a bit, disguises herself as Telemachos while roaming about town and gathering up some good-hearted men to come along as crew for the ship.
Speaking of, she also needs a ship, which she gets from Noëmon (a wealthy ship-seller – looks like you could pick these things up at the corner store back in the day). She then approaches Telemachos (still disguised as Mentor) with news that his ride is ready.
Telemachos leaves immediately, taking with him a group of trusted men and of course Athene/Mentor as well, who is a very convenient travel companion.

Book 3

Book 1