From the mythological perspective, the relationship between father and son, as in any mythological motif, is fundamentally ambivalent. On the one hand, in the traditional picture of the world, every son is perceived as a kind of continuation or alter ego of the father; on the other hand, a mythological plot is typical in which the son and father confront each other, and one of them kills the other. Greek specificity includes a plot where such a murder occurs out of ignorance. A motive dominates the epic with an implied context: the son of a great hero, by his actions, must justify his origin and, along with it, his name – become worthy of his father. However, dignity, in this case, is not necessarily the acquisition of such fame – sometimes normal warm human relations and wisdom, with other differences, bring more happiness to relationships than repeating the father’s path.
The most striking example is Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. His story is about the maturation of a young hero, the essence of which is to join the brave world of his father. In his journey, formally dictated by the desire to learn about his father’s fate, he only partially learns the former fate of Odysseus and a number of his deeds. It is significant that before leaving, Telemachus is not even sure of the family connection (Homer, Odyssey 1.215-216). Moreover, the son makes a particular claim that he did not fulfill his father’s duty: if Odysseus died at Troy and were buried with honors, he would bring great glory to his son, and not grief (Homer, Odyssey 1.237-243). However, we can assume that he is worthy of his father – that he learns to behave correctly in communication with Menelaus and Nestor: the ability to listen, the rule to answer and accept gifts, in a word – good manners. Although Telemachus hesitates at his son’s and father’s first meeting, Odysseus appeals to the duty of respect for parents and gods (Homer, Odyssey 16.207-212). Abstaining from archery at his father’s command is also revealing and contradictory: Telemachus agrees with him but no longer has the opportunity to demonstrate his courage in the usual way (Homer, Odyssey 21.125-129). Consequently, the consistent passivity of Telemachus is perceived as wisdom and a step towards his father, but not a lost confrontation and a failed test of dignity.
Poseidon is a deity who patronizes the wild and unbridled elements of water. His offspring, including Polyphemus, is also distinguished by a similar disposition. Their relationship is much less revealed in the epic, but some scenes are indicative. For example, how an angry Polyphemus screams at his father, asking for revenge (Homer, Odyssey 9:585-595). Although their relationship can hardly be called high, the father supports his son and becomes consistent in his attempts to argue with Odysseus. Polyphemus is far from becoming worthy of his father in power, but their interaction reveals specific family ties and appropriate care.
The exploits of the father of Odysseus – Laertes, are not described in detail in work. However, the scene of the meeting between son and father is most indicative, where at first, due to the poor appearance of Laertes, Odysseus does not dare to reveal his identity, but later, he still shows him the scars and points to the trees (Homer, Odyssey 24.332-340). Father and son find each other, and tears of happiness and hugs come. This example shows that despite the long separation, the parent and son retained a love for each other, and other differences, both in military glory and in public recognition, do not interfere with this (Homer, Odyssey 24.349-361). In this sense, their interaction is similar to the relationship between Polyphemus and Poseidon, but it is constructive, not destructive. Laertes does not have a wild disposition, although he accomplished many feats in his time – his departure to an old house and the appearance with which he processed wood hint at humility as the central core of personality. Despite his doubts and rushing about recognizing himself before his father, Odysseus appears as a worthy son, and it is far from the deeds that make him such. The context of the relationship between son and father makes them happy only due to the fact of family ties and meeting after a long separation.
The relationship between Orestes and Agamemnon is tragic since the son did not have the opportunity to know his father personally. The whole fate of Orestes is surrounded by revenge – at first, his murder of Aesgif and Clytemnestra and the subsequent persecution of him by Erinia. The son fulfilled the will of the god Apollo, thereby restoring justice to his father, who did not oblige him to anything. Thus, the son continued his father’s work and became a worthy son as he went through all the tortures of the path to the end, although no one gave him such an assessment. Here a more obvious motive of dignity can be traced when Orestes achieves the goals of Agamemnon through bloody deeds, who was killed by deceit. The son is a continuation of his father, albeit driven by indirect persons. He respects and honors the parent, considering it his duty to bring the matter to an end, and only Electra, his sister, advises on this.
In the eyes of fathers, the dignity of sons is manifested in various ways. The initially obvious point of view that the dignity of a son is measured by comparison with the glory of his father is, in fact, erroneous, and often universal human values reign in the family, which dictate the specifics of internal relationships.
Reference
Homer. (2018). The Odyssey translated by Wilson, E. R. First edition. W.W. Norton & Company.