François de Fénelon, Télémaque [Telemachus]

Aris Della Fontana (Scuola Normale Superiore)
Download PDF Add to Bookshelf Report an Error

The

Aventures de Télémaque

(1699) is the best-known work of François Fénelon (1651-1715) and one that exercised enormous influence over eighteenth-century letters, politics and economics, both in France and well beyond. Exploiting a gap in Homer’s

Odyssey

, the narrative recounts the adventures of Telemachus, son of Ulysses, and his guide Mentor, who is Minerva, goddess of wisdom, in disguise. Visiting countries such as Egypt, Tyre, Cyprus, Betica and Salentum, and examining their political and economic conditions, the young and curious Telemachus undergoes an educational journey, that is, a moral and political apprenticeship through which he learns the attributes of a virtuous ruler. It is a work that does not belong to one specific genre: it is rather a palimpsest of multiple…

2920 words

Citation: Della Fontana, Aris. "Télémaque". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 May 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16095, accessed 31 October 2024.]

16095 Télémaque 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

Save this article

Leave Feedback

The Literary Encyclopedia is a living community of scholars. We welcome comments which will help us improve.