Why did polyphemus eating odysseus men

Odysseus and his crew meet face-to-face with Polyphemus, a Cyclops, when he catches them eating his food. Polyphemus eats one of the crew members, to the horror of the other men. In an attempt to increase their chances of escaping, Odysseus offers Polyphemus wine to bring him to a drunken stupor. New to ClassHook? Sign up today!

Email Address. Password forgot password? Remember me. Create a free account. He then tells his first useful lie, Odysseus telling the Cyclops that their ship is nowhere to be found, it was destroyed on the rocks.

This is a tight spot, and only through considerable trickery does Odysseus get most of his men out. As the Cyclops sleeps, Odysseus thinks seriously about killing the monster, even feeling for the place in his chest where he might stab him. But the problem is obvious: That would leave them trapped in the cave. He and his men prepare a sharp stake, rolling an olive log in the fire to sharpen it. It is so powerful, it is meant to be mixed with water: 20 parts water to one part wine.

But Polyphemus, uncivilized as he is, drinks it down unmixed, quickly gets drunk, asking for more. Only now does Odysseus introduce himself by name, telling the Cyclops that his name is Nobody. As the Cyclops is passing out drunk, he promises a guest gift in return for the wine.

Here is how Odysseus tells the story to the Phaeacians:. The final trick for Odysseus is the escape from the cave. Odysseus comes up with one more clever scheme to get them out. He and his men cling to the undersides of the sheep and rams; as Polyphemus sends them out to pasture, he feels over the top and misses them on the underside.

Odysseus has shown tremendous resourcefulness, and not a little restraint, in getting free. Many critics see Odysseus' wanderings as a series of trials or tests through which the hero attains a certain wisdom and prepares to be a great king as well as a great warrior.

If so, then judgment seems to be a key. If Odysseus is to survive, he must ultimately become wise as well as courageous and shrewd. The first test is against the Cicones. Some scholars suggest that Odysseus raids Ismarus because the Cicones are allies of the Trojans. Others conclude that he sacks the city simply because it is there. Certainly piracy and marauding were legitimate professions for Ithacans.

At question is not the raid but Odysseus' men's foolish disregard for his advice. Having gained victory and considerable plunder, Odysseus wants to be on his way. His men, on the other hand, drink and feast as the Cicones gather reinforcements, skilled warriors who eventually rout the Greeks. Odysseus loses six men from each of his ships and is lucky to get away by sea. Odysseus escapes, but storms and a strong north wind drive his ships off course.

As he rounds Cape Malea near Cythera, north and slightly west of Crete , he needs only to swing north by northwest miles or so to be home. The winds drive him away. Nine days later, he reaches the land of the Lotus-eaters. Homeric geography is suspect, but some scholars place this at or near Libya. Students familiar with some of the legends of The Odyssey but new to the epic itself might be surprised to see that the section on the Lotus-eaters is only about twenty-five lines long 9.

Homer has touched on a universal theme, the lure of oblivion through drugs. The Lotus-eaters have no interest in killing the Greeks; the danger is the lotus and the forgetfulness it causes. This time, Odysseus' judgment prevails, and he manages to get his men back to sea before too many are seduced by the honey-sweet fruit that wipes out ambition and memory.

The Cyclops, whom the wanderers visit next, contrast most vividly with the Phaeacians. The Phaeacians once lived near the Cyclops but moved to Scheria to avoid the lawless brutes. While the Phaeacians are civilized and peace loving, the Cyclops have no laws, no councils, and no interest in civility or hospitality. It is during this episode that Odysseus' judgment comes into question. Having feasted on goat meat on an offshore island, Odysseus and his men could move on.