Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski discuss the famous "Telemachy" or the coming of age story of Telemachus, Books 2-4 of the Odyssey.

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Check out our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Odyssey.

In this rich second episode of our 12-week Odyssey series, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski dive deep into Books 2–4 — the Telemachy — exploring Telemachus’s powerful coming-of-age journey from a fatherless, disordered Ithaca to the ordered poleis of Pylos and Sparta.

They unpack how Homer paints a vivid picture of political decay: twenty years without an assembly, a missing generation of men, and suitors devouring the household while logos itself loses its force. Yet as Telemachus steps into his father’s seat and sets sail under Athena’s guidance (disguised as Mentor), we witness not only his maturation but a masterclass in what makes a healthy polis. The conversation shines especially when they examine the suitors’ impiety, the beautiful practice of guest-friendship (xenia), and the threefold piety it reveals — toward the gods, the city, and the family.

From Nestor’s sacrifices and storytelling to Menelaus and Helen’s double wedding feast, the episode is packed with insight, humor, and timely wisdom. Whether you’re reading the Great Books for the first time or returning to Homer with fresh eyes, this conversation will deepen your appreciation for the political, moral, and spiritual layers of the Odyssey.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Odyssey Study

06:18 Telemachus' Journey and Athena's Role

08:01 Political Instability in Ithaca

09:38 The Assembly and Telemachus' Leadership

15:48 Penelope's Dilemma and Guest Friendship

17:47 Xenia: The Importance of Hospitality

24:16 The Omen and the Suitors' Fate

30:37 Justice and the Role of the Gods

32:11 Mentorship and Guidance in Telemachus' Growth

39:45 Telemachus' Transformation and Epithet Significance

44:15 The Evolution of Characters in Homer

45:01 Telemachus' Journey to Maturity

47:42 The Role of Divine Guidance

48:38 Sacrifices and Natural Religion

52:56 Pylos: A Model of a Healthy Society

54:44 The Power of Prayer and Rhetoric

59:15 The Tragedy of War and Its Heroes

01:03:58 The Consequences of Choices in War

01:10:57 The Role of the Bard in Society

01:14:46 Foreshadowing and Sacrifice in the Odyssey

01:19:34 The Double Wedding Feast and Hospitality

01:22:08 Piety, Gratitude, and Debt

01:25:46 Reflections on War and Loss

01:28:12 Helen's Duality and the Nature of Free Will

01:29:10 Temptation and the Role of Wisdom

01:39:07 Menelaus' Journey and Wrestling with Fate

01:45:00 The Return to Ithaca and the Threat to Telemachus

Here are more videos from our 2024 study!

Book 2 of the Odyssey with Dr. Grabowski and Thomas Lackey

Book 3 of the Odyssey with Dr. Grabowski and Thomas Lackey

Book 4 of the Odyssey with Adam Minihan and Fr. Bonaventure, OP.

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Pavlos Papadopoulos of Wyoming Catholic College and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical School to discuss BOOK ONE of the Odyssey--one of the greatest texts in the Western canon.

Check out our NEW 12-WEEK STUDY OF THE ODYSSEY.

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Be sure to use our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Odyssey!

They explore why the epic opens with “man” (not rage, not a god), the meaning of polytropos (“man of twists and turns”), Telemachus’s urgent coming-of-age amid an absent father and predatory suitors, Athena’s masterful mentoring, and Zeus’ striking defense of human responsibility.

Along the way they illuminate Homer’s sophisticated anthropology, the poetic dialectic of Homer the philosopher, the haunting parallels with the House of Atreus, and why this ancient poem still speaks so powerfully to questions of masculinity, homecoming, virtue, and human greatness today.

Witty, learned, and full of “blood on the floor” interpretive energy, this conversation will leave you hungry for the next eleven weeks—and convinced that Homer is one of the greatest teachers you’ll ever encounter.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Great Books Podcast

03:39 The NEW Odyssey: A 12-Week Study

09:29 The Importance of Reading Homer

17:01 Exploring the Opening Lines of the Odyssey

30:14 The Man of Twists and Turns: Understanding Odysseus

35:28 Exploring Odysseus: The Complexity of a Hero

39:26 Justice and Fate: The Role of Aegisthus

42:28 Divine Intervention: Zeus and Human Responsibility

55:30 The Journey Home: Odysseus and Telemachus

01:03:12 Coming of Age: Telemachus's Transformation

01:05:37 Exploring Penelope's Role

01:11:44 Telemachus' Journey to Manhood

01:24:56 Reflections on the Odyssey

More Resources

Intro to the Odyssey with Dr. Patrick Deneen (2024)

The Odyssey Book 1 with Dr. Frank Grabowski and Thomas Lackey (2024)

Do Christians Owe a Debt to Homer? The Ascent.

Understanding Homer as a Philosopher & Theologian. The Ascent.

Keywords

Odyssey, Homer, Greek Literature, Great Books, Philosophy, Mythology, Education, Homer's Teachings, Classical Studies, Odyssey Analysis Odyssey, Homer, fate, divine justice, Odysseus, Telemachus, Greek mythology, divine intervention, hero's journey, philosophy

For the first time since 2023, Ascend is reposting an episode--our introduction to the Odyssey with Dr. Patrick Deneen (6.25.2024) in anticipation of our NEW 12-WEEK STUDY of the Odyssey starting next week!

We start BOOK ONE OF THE ODYSSEY next week!

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In this special introduction to Homer’s Odyssey, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by three distinguished guests: Dr. Patrick Deneen (Professor of Political Science at Notre Dame and author of Why Liberalism Failed), Dr. Chad Pecknold (Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America), and Dr. Richard Meloche (then President of the Alcuin Institute for Catholic Culture).

The conversation explores why the Great Books matter, why Homer’s Odyssey remains foundational to Western thought and theological formation, and key introductory themes in the epic (with a few light spoilers). Topics include the dynamic nature of the canon, Odysseus’s journey home as a meditation on human nature (neither beast nor god), the tension between fate and choice, temptations of forgetfulness or false immortality, and how a Catholic lens reveals anticipations of Christian truths like restlessness for our true home. The guests share personal stories of how they encountered the Great Books and reflect on the role of narrative in education and spiritual formation.

It’s a rich, accessible discussion that sets the stage for deeper dives into the Odyssey while connecting ancient pagan wisdom to Christian theology.

In this episode the panel discusses:

• The importance of the Great Books canon and why it remains vital

• Personal journeys into the classics (and how providence often leads us there)

• Key themes in the Odyssey: homecoming, beast-like forgetfulness vs. god-like immortality, fate and free choice, father-son relationships, and Odysseus’s very human flaws

• Reading pagan texts through a Catholic lens—seeing anticipations of Christian truth (restlessness for the City of God, the need for virtue and community)

• The role of great stories in theological and liberal education

Timestamps:

00:00 – Welcome and guest introductions

08:15 – How each guest discovered the Great Books

22:40 – Why read Homer? The foundational role of the Odyssey

40:00 – Major themes and introductory overview of the Odyssey (light spoilers)

1:05:00 – Odysseus as neither beast nor god – the need for the city

1:25:30 – Theological reading of pagan literature

1:45:00 – The dynamic canon and reading with Christian eyes

2:05:00 – Final thoughts and what’s next for Ascend

Join us as we read the Odyssey over the next 12 weeks!