Story starts in Ithaca

The opening of The Odyssey introduces us to Telemachus. His name means "far fighter". On his own he is too weak to deal with the suitors who are seeking Penelope's (his mother) hand in marriage.
He is helped in his part in the saga by Athena, goddess of wisdom. As the story unfolds we will see his function in the myth of the return of the Soul is a crucial one. Indeed it is not until his disgust at the sad state of things in Ithaca causes him to act, that Odysseus can really begin his journey home.