Book 15 (ο)

The scene changes to Sparta, whither we follow Athene (13. 440). As the last book ended with the coming on of night, the story must now begin with the next day, the 36th. The chronology is not quite clear: see 17. 515.

4-7. There is an apparent contradiction: she found both sleeping . . . but Telemachus was not sleeping. It may remind us of the famous contradiction about Zeus, between Il.1. 611 and 2. 2. In both places the difficulty lies in the epic style of narration.