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.
