And young Telemachus cautiously replied,
"I’ll try, my friend, to give you a frank answer.
Mother has always told me I’m his son, it’s true,
but I am not so certain."
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 1, lines 247-250. An obviously insecure Telemachus makes this reply to Athena, when she asks if he is truly Odysseus’ son. Unsure of his own identity, Telemachus is aloof and detached at the beginning of the poem. He is full of doubt about himself and his abilities, but this will change.