"Dear god, hear me! Yesterday you came to my house,
you told me to ship out on the misty sea and learn
if father, gone so long, is ever coming home…
Look how my countrymen – the suitors most of all,
the pernicious bullies – foil each move I make."
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 2, lines 295-299. As he walks along the beach alone, a frustrated Telemachus prays to Athena for help in dealing with the bullying suitors. The young prince is still not fully confident in himself, especially on taking on the role of his father as head of the household.