Odysseus starts to tell his story

Book 9

Odysseus begins to tell of his journey that brought him to the land of the Phaeacians. After leaving Troy the next city they come to is Ismarus, city of the Cicones, and they sacked the city. Once doing that they took their booty and went back to the ships and instead of leaving right away they stay, drinking and eating. There is reprisal in the morning as Cicones that lived inland come to avenge their fellow citizens. Odysseus and his ships get away but with losses, half dozen men from every ship. Next they reached the land of the Lotus eaters, whoever ate if the lotus did not want to go home, instead they wanted to stay. Odysseus had to drag his comrades who had eaten the flower back to the ships, and they put to sea in a hurry.

After that they come to the land of the Cyclops, and the episode with Polyphemus. Odysseus and his men come to the Cyclops cave, his men want to take what they could of the cheese and lambs and leave. They did not; Odysseus wanted to stay and met the fellow who lived there. This turned out to be a deadly mistake, Polyphemus started to eat some of the men, two at a time. Odysseus then proceeds to make pointed pole, tricks Polyphemus into drinking wine and tells him is name is Noman. Polyphemus passes out drunk from the wine, and Odysseus and his men blind Polyphemus with the pole. The Cyclops is crying out in pain and agony that his neighbors come and say “Polyphemus what ails you? to which he replies “Noman is killing me by force and fraud.” The other Cyclops say “if Noman is killing you, you brought this on yourself” and they leave. The Greeks did have a sense of humor. Odysseus and his men get away by clinging on to the underbellies of sheep. Odysseus taunts Polyphemus as they sail away, the Cyclops tears off the top of a mountain and throws it at them, and drives them back to shore. They get away again and this time, further out, Odyesseus taunts Polyphemus again and this time the Cyclops throws huge boulders at the ship. This time Odysseus and his men are able to get away.

Odysseus begins to tell of his journey that brought him to the land of the Phaeacians. After leaving Troy the next city they come to is Ismarus, city of the Cicones, and they sacked the city. Once doing that they took their booty and went back to the ships and instead of leaving right away they stay, drinking and eating. There is reprisal in the morning as Cicones that lived inland come to avenge their fellow citizens. Odysseus and his ships get away but with losses, half dozen men from every ship. Next they reached the land of the Lotus eaters, whoever ate if the lotus did not want to go home, instead they wanted to stay. Odysseus had to drag his comrades who had eaten the flower back to the ships, and they put to sea in a hurry.

After that they come to the land of the Cyclops, and the episode with Polyphemus. Odysseus and his men come to the Cyclops cave, his men want to take what they could of the cheese and lambs and leave. They did not; Odysseus wanted to stay and met the fellow who lived there. This turned out to be a deadly mistake, Polyphemus started to eat some of the men, two at a time. Odysseus then proceeds to make pointed pole, tricks Polyphemus into drinking wine and tells him is name is Noman. Polyphemus passes out drunk from the wine, and Odysseus and his men blind Polyphemus with the pole. The Cyclops is crying out in pain and agony that his neighbors come and say “Polyphemus what ails you? to which he replies “Noman is killing me by force and fraud.” The other Cyclops say “if Noman is killing you, you brought this on yourself” and they leave. The Greeks did have a sense of humor. Odysseus and his men get away by clinging on to the underbellies of sheep. Odysseus taunts Polyphemus as they sail away, the Cyclops tears off the top of a mountain and throws it at them, and drives them back to shore. They get away again and this time, further out, Odyesseus taunts Polyphemus again and this time the Cyclops throws huge boulders at the ship. This time Odysseus and his men are able to get away.