The origin of 'Mentor'

And why the term perfectly symbolizes the role of the mentor in the workplace

Think back to your first internship. Remember that slightly overconfident colleague who explained how to descale the office coffee machine and casually asked about your career ambitions while you awkwardly nodded along? They probably had no idea, but they were carrying on an ancient legacy. The word “mentor” is rooted in Greek mythology, tied to a story that still teaches us how real guidance works.

Let’s take a trip to Homer’s Greece. Odysseus, the famously stubborn king of Ithaca, left for the Trojan War and entrusted his son, Telemachus, to a friend named Mentor. But Mentor wasn’t just a glorified babysitter. The goddess Athena (goddess of wisdom, smart warfare, and practical crafts like weaving) would often disguise herself as Mentor to offer Telemachus divine guidance.

The lesson here? From the very beginning, mentorship has been a bit magical. It’s not just about transferring practical knowledge; it’s about adding that spark of wisdom that opens doors to new worlds.

The story of Mentor does not just stay in Greece after that. It evolves, particularly with François Fénelon’s 1699 novel Les Aventures de Télémaque. In this romanticized sequel to Homer’s Odyssey, Fénelon elevates Mentor into a symbol of wise and patient guidance; an unpaid advice machine with zero fear of criticism and no interest in applause; just wisdom on tap. The book was wildly popular at the time, so much so that by 1749, the word “mentor” was adopted into French as a common noun, followed by English in 1750. From that moment on, Mentor wasn’t just a character from some long forgotten era; it had become a role.

The linguistic roots of “Mentor” deepen the story further. The name likely meant “adviser” in ancient Greek and is derived from the Indo-European root ‘men’, meaning “to think.” It shares cognates with Sanskrit ‘mantr’ (advisor) and Latin ‘monitor’. In short, being a mentor is literally about thoughtfulness, reflection, and providing wise counsel.

Fast-forward to the 20th century. In 1949, Joseph Campbell published his famous book ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces’, introducing the concept of “The Hero’s Journey.” According to Campbell, every great story follows the same pattern, and in this pattern there always is a point where the hero meets a mentor before embarking on an unknown adventure; the ‘Special world’ as Campbell named it.

Fun side story: Campbell didn’t come up with this idea entirely on his own. He borrowed heavily from dutch ethnologist Arnold van Gennep, who, way back in 1909, described rites of passage and the transitional phases they entail in his book Les Rites de Passage. In short, Campbell’s hero’s journey was more of a remix, with nods to both Van Gennep and, inadvertently, Fénelon.

Now, back to your workplace. Think of the intern nervously preparing their first PowerPoint presentation for a room full of people. That’s their “threshold,” their step into the unknown. The workplace, with its unwritten rules and subtle power dynamics, is their adventure. And you? Whether you like it or not, you’re their Obi-Wan or Mr Myagi, their Athena, their Mentor.

So modern mentors, often unknowingly, are part of this centuries-old tradition. Whether it’s a senior developer guiding an intern through the chaos of their first code review or a seasoned technician helping a rookie installing a heatpump that actually works; what they’re doing is exactly what Mentor did for Telemachus: helping someone leap from the familiar into the unfamiliar.

Why does this matter? Because it shows that real mentorship can’t be found in a training manual. It’s more than just technical skills; it requires experience, wisdom, and a personal touch that no e-learning course can provide. A mentor is the person who gives you that crucial nudge into new territory but also keeps it real with a casual, “Next time, you’re making the coffee.”

So, the next time you see your colleague mentoring that new intern, remember this: they’re writing the latest chapter in a story that began in ancient Greece, evolved through Fénelon’s Télémaque, borrowed some flair from Van Gennep, and hit the bestseller ranks thanks to Campbell. It’s a story about wisdom, skills, and yes, that one question that always makes its way into every mentor-mentee chat: “How was your weekend?”

Because it’s there, in the balance of practical guidance and personal connection that the magic happens.

Mentorship: still a bit of Athena, with a touch of office cliché.

Toga’s optional.