The Cyclops

Odysseus tells his host his name and of his journey since the downfall of Troy.  He also tells about how he plundered the city of Cicones and meet the cyclops.  He and his crew blinded the cyclops and Odysseus’ pride got in the way and the cyclops prayed to Poseidon to stop Odysseus from going home quickly.

 As I tell my story, I feel both delighted with my conquests and ashamed with my pride.  When my men and I plundered the city of Cicones, we got good food to eat and sweet wine to drink.  Also, only six men per ship perished.  It was their fate.  They, at least, did not have to go anywhere near the cyclops.  The cyclops trapped me and twelve of my best men in a cave and ate us two at a time.  However, not long after our entombment in that cave, i came up with a brilliant idea.  Four other men and myself blinded the cyclops after I had told him that my name was noman so that no one would help him.  I am ashamed however, that “I called the Cyclops again, with my men /hanging over me and begging me not too”(Book 9 Line 491-492).  I told the cyclops my name so that he could know the name of the brilliant man who caused him this pain and injustice.  Little did I know, though, that he would pray to his father to make life almost impossible for me and cause my return home to be delayed and all of my men to die.

The Feast

There is a meeting held so that people can help Odysseus return home.  After the meeting, there is a feast.  At the feast, the story of Odyseuss’ and Achilles’ fight is told and Odysseus is over come with tears.  The host sees his distress and starts the games.  During the games, Odysseus is asked to join, he declines, but a young man insults his pride so he enters the disc contest and wins easily.  Afterwards, he is given gifts, the tale of the Trojan horse is told, and his host asks for his real name.

The people here at Phaeacian are really very hospitable.  They are helping me return home and for that, I am very grateful.  However, the stories that they told brought back some painful memories for me, but never the less, I was honored that they knew my story.  My temper was tested however, when that young man insulted my pride.  But I showed him.  No one will ever again say that I am not a good athlete.  I beat all of the Phaeacian athletes easily.

The Dangerous Raft Ride

Athena goes back to Zeus and yells at him for not sending Odysseus home yet.  So Zeus sends Hermes to tell the nymph Calypso to tell her to let Odysseus go back to Ithaca.  However, Odysseus must sail on a raft.  This dangerous task becomes even less safe when Poseidon learns that Odysseus is traveling home.  Poseidon creates horrible weather and ultimately throws Odysseus off of the raft, but with the helpof Athena, Odysseus makes it safely back to shore.

Curse the gods! Am I never to return home to Ithaca?  When I finally am allowed to return to my homeland by Calypso, it is on a raft.  A raft I ask you.  Have I not suffered enough?  Twenty years is a long time to be away from home.  And yet it has been decided that my journey has yet to come to an end.  I have decided that I can no longer trust the gods.  When I was floating helplessly in the water and the goddess told me to swim to shore, I could not help thinking “Not another treacherous god/scheming against me, ordering me to abandon my raft./  I will not obey”(Book V line 158-160).  The gods are the beings that put me in this situation in the first place.  I will take my own advice from now one, with the exception of Athena because her advice has never lead me to harm.

Practice

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