"You must not cling to your boyhood any longer –
it’s time you were a man. Haven’t you heard
what glory Prince Orestes won throughout the world
when he killed that cunning, murderous Aegisthus,
who’d killed his famous father?
And you, my friend –
how tall and handsome I see you now – be brave, you too,
so men to come will sing your praises down the years."
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 1, lines 341-347. Athena is trying to inspire young Telemachus with the courage to go and search for news about his long-lost father. She wants the boy to become a man through action and by taking on responsibility. She is basically telling Telemachus to grow up and take charge, citing as an example Orestes, who gained glory by killing Aegisthus for having murdered Orestes’ father Agamemnon. Athena says that Telemachus too will win glory if he shows bravery.