Mentor (Odyssey)
Son of Alcimus in Greek mythology
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the Odyssey, Mentor (Greek: Μέντωρ, Méntōr; gen.: Μέντορος)[1] was the son of Alcimus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War, he placed Mentor in charge of his son Telemachus[2] and of Odysseus' palace.[3]
Athena's appearance as Mentor should not be confused with her appearance as Mentes in the first book of the Odyssey.[4]
Mentor as term
Mentor has been adopted in Latin and other languages, including English, as a term for someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less-experienced colleague.
The first recorded modern usage of the term is in a 1699 book entitled Les Aventures de Télémaque by the French writer François Fénelon.[5] In the book the lead character is that of Mentor. This book was popular during the 18th century and the modern application of the term can be traced to this publication.[5]
