PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS IN THE ODYSSEY

HUMANS

AcAMEMNoN (ag'a mem/ noru: king and leader of Greek forces during the Trojan war

ALCI,Nous (al sin'o a$: king of the Phaeacians and person to whom Odysseus relates his storyAMpHINoMUs (am fin'ð rrlâs): one of Penelope's suitorsANTINoUs (an tin/o as)' rudest of Penelope's suitorsEUMAEUS tyoo me'as), Odysseus's loyal swineherd

EURvcLETA ryoô ri kle'a): Odysseus's faithful old nurse

EURyLocHUS (yoo ri'a kas), one of Odysseus's crewEURvMACHUS {yoo rim'a kas), one of Penelope's suitorsEUtryNoME {yoo rin'a me), Penelope's housekeeperLAERTEs úã ut'têz\: Odysseus's father

MARoN (mãr' on): priest of Apollo who gives Odysseus a gift of powerful wine

oDyssEUS to dis'e as): king of Ithaca and hero of the Trojan warp-EñELopE (pa nel'a pë), Odysseus's wiferERIMEDES {per'i me" dênt one of Odysseus's crewTELEMACHUs (ta lem/a kast' Odysseus and Penelope's son

TTRESTAS (tr rë'sê as): blind prophet from the underworld

GODS AND IMMORTALS

APoLLo ta pol'öt, god of sunlíght, music, poetry, medicine, law, and the tending of flocksand herds

ATHENA (ê the'nâ): daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, skills, and warfare who helpsher chosen heroes

cALYPSo lka lip'so): immortal sea nyrnph who holds Odysseus captive for many years

ctraRYBDIS tka rib'disl, dangerous whirlpool personified as a female monstercIRcE (sur'se): enchantress who lives on the island of Aeaea

cYcLoPES tsi klo'pèz): râcê of one-eyed giants; an individual merrÈerpfthe race is aCyclops (si klops)

HELIos (he'lë os')' god of the sun; another name for Apollo

Lorus llo'tast EATERS: inhabitants of a land visited by Odysseus and his crera.poLypHEMUS (pof i fe'mas)r a Cyclops and son of PoseidonposEIDoN {pa s1d'an): god of the sea and earthquakes

scyLLA (sil'a): six-headed female sea monster

srnrru's $l'ranz), sea nymphs who sing songs that lure men to their death

zrus (zoos): king of the gods

858 UNIT 5 EPIC AND MYTH

,9tií ''1¿ìri,

{r.\-,]!

ü

FarT Ihn Invocationpoets in Homer's døy belieaed thøt the gods inspired their-storytelling,

)ía"ii"gl"g. Accorñng tu custom, Hom.er begins his.performønce rnith

i*"'¡irír*øn, cølling-upon the Muse, the goddess of epic poetry, for'í,)tn ord. inspiration'- The inaocøtion serrses ø second purpose: to cøpture

'äï ,iau"ri's øttention with highlights of heroic ødaentures that the

poet will løter describe in detøil'

Singin me, Muse, and through me tell the story

of that man skilled in all ways of contending,othe wanderer, harriedo for years on end,

after he p)*W,A*¡",ç,$ the_ stronghold

5 on the proud height of TroY.He saw the townlands

and learned the minds of many distant men,

and weatheredo many bitter nights and days

in his deep heart at sea, while he fougþ only

10 to save hiã hfe, to bring his shipmates home'Butnot by will not y*9,L9; could he save them,for their own recklessness destroyed them all-children and footrs, they killed and feasted onthe cattle of Lord Helios,o the Sun,

15 and he'whoffloves all day through heaventook from thqir,eyes the dawn of their return'

Of these âdvent'ures, Muse, datrghter of 7''eus'"

tell us in our time,lift the greai song again'tsegin when all the rest who left behind them

20 heedlong death in battle 9r,at¡eahad h'ãagp rui,,"'"d, while he a&me etill hungered

f,tr ú;* wfe. Her tadYshiP CalYPso"erftg to him in her 9ea.hgllowed caves-a n1tfuph," iinmortal" and most beautiful'

25 who craved him for her own'

Epie trnd þie Íir.lta Now does the reader quickly leorn thøt the story laboutta uttÍold recounþ the deeds of on epíc heroT

olunder (plun'v///ri,////// ' dar) v. to take (property) by forcq especially inwarlarc

yÞ)P,É (val'ai) n. great courage' especially in battle

THE ODYSSEY, PART 1 859

2 contending: fighting or dealingwith difficulty.

3 harried: constantly tormented ortroubled.

I weathered: gotthrough safelY;survived.

L4 Helios (hê'lê os'): the god ofthe sun.

17 Zeus (zoo$: The most Powerfulof the gods, Zeus is the father of

coun[less major and minor gods.

22 eaþse(ke'liP^sö)

24 nymph: a Young, beautifulspirit, or minor goddess, rePre-

senting the divine Power of a Place

or of something in nature, such as

a tree, cave, or bodY of water.

immortal: living forever; eternal.

And when long y*att and, seasonswheeling.brought around that point of tirneordainedo for him to make his passage homeward,trials and dangers, even so, attended him

30 even in Ifhaca, near those he loved.Yet all the gods had pitied.Lord Odysseus,all but Poseidon, ragþg cold and roughoagainst the brave ki.g' till he came ashoreat last on his own land.

New Coasts and Poseidon's SonThe gods øre worried. Neqrly ten yeørs høae pøssed since the end of thernør agøinst Troy, but one of the greøtest Greek generals has not yetyeturned home. Odysseus høs encountered ø series of disøsters on hisaoyøge and is now the prisoner of a nymph nømed Cølypso. He høsølsoøngered Poseidon, who høs prevented him from returning to his raiþ;Penelope (pa nel'e pQ), and his son, Telemøchus (ta lem'e kas), oin theislønd of Ithøcø, But Poseidon ís oisiting Africø, ønd the other godsøgree to øct behind his bøck.

The poet now tells of Odysseus, who is miserøble nfter seaenyeørs on his island príson. Cølypso loaes her høndsorne cøptiaeønd will not let hím go, but she ís forced to reconsider herposition when she receiaes a strongly worded order fromMount Olympus. _Giaing in, CøIypso helps Odysseus møkeø raft, ønd he thønkfully depørts.'But he does not høuesmooth søiling. Poseídon, returning from Africø, spotshis old enemy øt sea ønd shipwrecks him in øn instøntwith ø fierce storm.

Zeus's døugþter Athenø intmtenes. She cøsts Adysseus,naked ønd neør deøth, øshore on the island of Phneøciø (fë

ã'she). TVrcre ø beøutiful princess discoz¡ers him ønd tøkeshim home to the paløce of her føther, King Alcinous (al sin' oes). The Phneøciøns treøt Odysseus øs ø noble guest øndurge him to reueøl his idmtity. At løst he relutts nnd uncer-tøínly begins to tellhis grþping story.

Colliope, Muse of epic poetry. Marble. Ludovisi collection.

Vual fl" AA calliope is the muse of epic poetry. In Greekmythology, muses were believed to inspire the creation ofthe arts. Poets, musicíans, and artisans often looked tothem as the source of their creativity. What about thissculpture suggests that the woman might be involved withthe creation of epic poetry?

Analyze Figurative Language Why might tþe poet have used the verbwheeling to describe the possing af yeors ond seosons?

840 UNIT 5 EPIC AND MYTH

28 ordaíned: set or determíned byan authority-in this case, fate, orthe gods,

31-33 Odysseus (o dis'e as) . . .the brave king: Odysseus is theking of lthaca.

32 Poseidon (pa sr-d'an), ragingcold and rough: Po#ídon, brother

of Zeus, governs the oceans as well

as earthquakes. ln the next section,you will find clues to his anger at0dysseus.

ri

"What shall Isay Íirst? What shall I keep until the end?The gods have triedo me in a thousand ways.But first my name: let that be known to you,

s and if I pull away from pitiless deatþfriendship will bind us, though my land lies far.I am Laertes'son, Odysseus.

Men hold" meformidable' lor &!Ð)Ê,in peace and war:

1.0 this fame has gone abroad to the sky's rim.My home is on the peaked sea-mark of lthacaunder Mount Neion'so wind-blor¡m robe of leaves,in sight of other islands-Dulichium,oSame, o wooded T.acynthuso-Ithaca

1.s being most lofty in that coastal sea,and northwest, while the rest 1ie east and southA rocky isle, but good for aboy's traintng;I shall not see on earth a place more dear,though I have been detained long by Calypso,

z0 loveliest among goddesses, who held mein her smooth caves, to be her heart's delight,as Circe of Aeaea, the enchantress,odesired me, and detained me in her hall.But in my heart I never gave consent. ,

25 Where shall a man find sweetness to surpasshis own home and his parents? ftr far landshe shall not, though he find a house of gold.I¡Vhat of my sailing, thery from Troy?

What of those years30 of rough ad.venture, weathered und.er Zevs?"o

Odysseus reløtes his first ødaenture. He ønd his fleet of twelae shípsøttøcked ønd plundered the coøstal settlement'of the Cicones,(si kotnez).The røid lt)øs ø success, but the overconfident men becøme drunk andmutinous (unresponsiae to Odysgeus's orders to retreøt). The Cicones'sørmy surprised Odysseus and his men øt darnn, ønd droae them bøck tosea with heøay losses.

"Imtghthave made it safely home, that time,but as I came round Maleao the current

Journeys How høs Odysseus proved ta his audiehce thot he is determinedto achíeve his journey\ end?

i g))jle (gil) n. slyness; craftiness; skillful deception

THE ODYSSEY, PAR.T 1 84I,

3 tried: tested.

I hold: regard; consider.g formidable: causingfear, dread,awe, or admiration as a result ofsizg strengh, power, or some otherimpressirle quality.

12 Neion (nê'on)

13 Dulichium (dõõ lik'e am)

14 Same (sã'mê). Zacynthus(za sin'thes)

22 Circe (sur'se)... theenchantress: Circe is a goddess

capable of enchanting, or workingmagic uþon, men. Aeaea (e e'a) isher ísland.

30 weathered under Zeus:0dysseus uses words craftíly. Here,

he appears to give respectful creditto Zeus for getting him safely

through danger; but he also is

making a pun on the word

weothered. Zeus governs the

heavens and the weather and is well

known for sending people storms,lightning, and thunder when he is

displeased.

32 Malea (ma lê'a)

took me out to sea, and from the northa fresh gale drove me on, past Cythera.o

35 Nine days I driifted on the teerning seabefore dangerous high winds. Upon the.tenfhwe came to the coastline of the Lotus Eaters,who live upon that flower. We landedftereto take on water. All ships'companies

40 musteredl alongside for the mid-day meal.Then I sent out two picked men ánd a runnerto learn what race of men that land sustained.oTh"y fell iru soon enough, with Lotus Eaters,who showed no will to do us harm, only

4s offering the sweet Lotus to our friends-but those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotus,never cared to report, nor to return:they longed to stay forever, browsing onthat native bloom, forgetful of their homeland.

The Ship of Odysseus with Oors and a FurledSoil, "l 93Q-"1 935. Francois-Louis Schmied.

Stapleton Collecfion.

V"u, ile A¿ The Art Deco movementexpressed modernity in art through the useof angular, geometric figures. How does thiswork by Francois-Louis Schmied reflect theArt Deco movement?

34 Cythera (sith'a re)

40 mustered: gathered togethet

42 sustained: kept alíve;supported.

842 UNIT 5 EPIC AND MYTH

50 I drove them, all three wailing, to the ships,tied them down under their rowing benches,and called the rest: 'All hands aboard;come, clear the beach and no one tastethe Lofus, or you lose your hope of home.'

ss Filing in to their places by the rowlocksmy oarsmen dipped their long oars in the surf,and we moved out again on our sea faring.

In the next land we found were Cyclopes,owithout alaw to bless them.

60 ignorance leaving the fruitage of the earth in mysteryto the immortal'gods, they neither plownor sow by hand, nor till the ground, though grain-wild wheat and barley-grows untended, andwine-grapes, in clusters, ripen in heaven's rain.

6s Cyclopes have no muster and no meeting,no consultation or old tríbaIways,but-each one dwells in his own mountain cavedealing out rough justice to wife and child,indifferent to what the others do."

lust ffihore from the lønd of the Cyclopes is ø deserted island withø fine nøturøl hørbor. Odysseus ønd his men spend two comfortøblenights there. On the second day, oaercom.e by curiosity, Odysseus søilswíth one shíp ønd a crew to the mainlnnd. He rnønts to see just rahøtsort of creøtures the.se Cyclopes are.

70 "As we rowed on, and nearer to the mainland,at one end of thebay, we saw a cavernyawning above the water, scieened with iaurei,oand rnany rams and goats about the placeinside a sheepfol{";made from slabs of stone

Ts earthfast between tall trunks of pine and ruggedtowering oak trees.

A prodigious" manslept in this cave alone, and took his flocksto graze afieid-remote from all companions,

80 knowing nqne but savage wayq a bruteso huge, he seemed no man at all of thosewho eät good wheaten bread; but he'seerìred rathera shaggy mountain reared in solitude.We beached there, and I told the crew

85 to stand by and keep watch over the ship;

Epic and Epic Hero What trcíß does Odysseus reveol ín this episoderthotset him opart frarn his men?

58 Cyclopes (si klõ'pez); a race ofone-eyed giants.

-

59 louts: stupid beings.

72 screened with laurel: partlyhidden behind laurel trees.

74 sheepfold: an enclosure, orpen, for holding sheep.

77 prodígious: huge; enormous.

THE ODYSSEY, PART 1 845

as for myself I took my twelve best fightersand went ahead. I had a goatskin fullof that sweet liquor that Euanthes' soryMaron,had given me. He kept Apollo's

90 holy grove at Ismarus;o for kindnesswe showed him there, and showed his wife and child,he gave me seven shining Sqlden talentsoperfectly formed, a solid silver winebowl,and then this liquor-twelve two-handled jars

9s of brandy, pure and fiery. Not a slavein Maron's household knew this drink; onlyhe, his wife and the storeroom mistress knew;and they would put one cupful-rub¡colored,honey-smooth-in twenty more of wateg

100 but still the sweet scent hovered like a fumeover the winebowl. No man turned awaywhen cups of this came round.

A wineskin fullI brought along, and victualso in abag,

105 for in my bones I knew some towering brutewould be upon us soon-all outward power,a wild mary ignorant of civility."We climbed, f}ren, briskly to the cave. But Cyclopsohad gone afield, to pasture his fat sheep,

110 so we looked round at.everything inside:a drying rack that sagged with cheeses, penscrowded wfth iambs and kids, each in its class:firstlings apart from middlings, and the 'dewdrops,'or newborn lambkins, penned apart from both.o

115 And vessels fuIl of wheyo were brimming there-bowls of earthenware and pails for milking.My men came pressing round me, pleading:

'IMhy nottake these cheeses, get them stowed, come back,

rz0 throw open allthe pens, and make a run for it?We'll drive the kids and lambs aboard. We sayput out again on good salt water!:

how sound" that was! Yet I refused. I wished12s to see the cavemary what he had to offer-

no pretty sight, it turned out, for rny friends.

Journeys Why is Odysseus making this expeditíon? What does this side trípsuggest about epic journeys?

Ah,

844 UNIT 5 EPIC AND MYTH

88-90 Euanthes' (yoo an'thêz)son, . . . lsmarus (iz mãr'e$: lnancient Greece, worshippers of

certain gods built shrines to them,sunounded by woods, or "groves,"

that were considered sacred

sanctuaries. Priests oversaw theplanting and tending of the groves.

Maron (mãr'on) is a priest ofApollo (a pol'õ), an important godassociaTed with music, medicine,law, and the tending of flocks and

herds.

92 talents: bars of gold used asmoney in ancient Creece.

104 victuals (vilals): food.

107 civílity: polite and courteousbehavior.

108 Cyclops (s1'klop$: Notethedifferent spelling and pronunciation

of this reference to a single one-

eyed giant.

124 sound'. sensible.

111-1L4 pens . . . both: Thelambs are grouped by age.

115 whey: the watery Part of milk

that seoarates from the curd, or

solìd pãrt, during the cheese-makingpr0cess.

We lit a fire, burnt an offering,oand took some cheese to eat; then sat in silencearound the embers, waiting. When he came

rsl he had a load of dry boughs on his shoulderto stoke his fire at suppertime. He dumped itwith a great crash into that hollow cave,and we all scattered fast to the far wall.Then over the broad cavern floor he ushered

rss the ewes he meant to milk. He left his ramsand he-goats in the yard outside, and swunghigh overhead a slab of solid rockto close the cave. Two dozen four-wheeled wagons,with heaving wagon teams, could not have stiired

1.40 the tonnage of that rock from where he wedged itover the dgorsill. Next he iook his seatand milked fus bleating ewes. A practiced jobhe made of it"gìving each ewe her suckling;thickened his milk, ihen, into curds and wñey,

14s sieved out the curds to drip in withy baskets,.qnd poured the whey to stand in bowlscooling until he drank it for his supper.When all these chores were done, he poked the fire,heaping on brushwood. In the glare he suw.rs.'Strangers,' he saíd, 'who are you? And where from?What brings you here by sea ways-a fair trafhc?Or are you wandering rogues, who cast your liveslike dice, and ravage other folk by sea?,oWe felt a pressure on our hearts, ín dreadof that deep rumble and that mighty man.But all the same I spoke up in reply:'\Áy'e are fromTroy,Achaeans,o blown off courseby shifting gales on the Great South Sea;homeward bound, but taking routes and waysuncommon; so the will of Zeus would have it.We served under AgamemnorL son sf {1¡suse-the whole worid knows what cityhe laid waste, what armies he destroyed.It was our luck to come here; here we stand,beholden for your help, or any gifts

i50

155

160

I6s

Dpic and Epic Hero Epics include o mixture of the everydoy ond thesupernatural. How does the Cyclops embady both af these stotes?

Journeys whot is odysseus suggesting obout misfot'tunes thot occur on ajourney?'

I

127 burnt an offering: The menburned some food as a gift to thegods in the hope of winning theirsupport.

144-145 thíckened . . . baskets:The milk is curdled (thickened) byadding fig juice, and the whey isdrained off through wicker (withy)baskets.

151-153 What brings . . . by sea:What brings you here from thesea-honest trade? 0r are youwandering scoundrels who carelesslyrisk your lives and steal from olhers?

157 Achaeans (a kë'ans): Creeks.

161 Agamemnon (ag'a mem,non),son ofAtreus (ã'trê at: king ofArgos, in southern Creece, who ledthe war against Troy.

THE ODYSSEY, PART 1 845

you give-as custom is to honor sfrangers.We would entreat you, great Siq, have a carefor the gods'courtesy; Zeus will avengethe unoffending guest.'o

170 He answered thisfrom his brute chest' unmoved:

,you are a ninny,oor else you come from the other end of nowhere,teliing me, mind the gods! We Cyclopes

r7s care not a whistle for your thunderingZeusor all the gods in bliss; we have more Íorceby far.I would not let you go for fear of Zess-you or ¡rour friends-unless I had a whim to.Tell me, where was it, now you left your ship-

180 around the point, or down the shore,I wonder?'He thought he'd find out, but I saw through this,and answered with a ready lie:

'lVIy ship?Poseidon Lord, who sets the earth a-trernble,

18s broke it up on the rocks at your land's end.A wind from seaward served him, drove us there.We are survivors, these good men and I.'Neither reply nor pity came from him,but in one stride he clutched at my companions

r90 and caught two in his hands like squirming puppiesto beat their brains out, spattering the floor.Then he dismembered them and made his meal,gaping and crunching like a mountain lion-everything: innards, flesh, and' marrow bones.

tss We cried aloud,lifting our hands to Zeus,powerless,looking on at this, appailed;'but Cyclops went on filling up his bellywith manflesh and great gulps of whey,then lay dor¡¡n like a mast among his sheep.

200 My heart beat high now at the chance of action,and drawing the sharp sword from my hip I wentalong his flank to stab him where the midriffholds the liver. I had touched the spotwhen sudden fear stayed me: if I kiiled him

zls we perished there as well, for we could never

Analyze Figurative Language The poet uses {wo similes in this grislydescription of the Cyclopsb dínner. Whot are they?

i

846 UNIT 5 EPIC AND MYTH

167-169 We would... guest:Odysseus earnestly asks or begs(entreat) for the Cydops's hospitalityand warns him that Zeus punishes

anyone who mistreats a harmlessguest.

172 ninny: fool.

196 appalled: horrified; shocked;terrified.

move fu, pB,Ð$Ê,;,p.;rlå doorway slab aside.So we were left to groan and wait for morning.\Mhen the young Dawn with fingertips of roseIít uþ the world, the Cyclops built a fire

ztl and milked his handsome ewes, ail in due order,putting the sucklings to the mothers. Then,his chores being all dispatched,o he caughtanother braceo of men to make his breakfas!and whisked away his great door slab

zrs to let his sheep go through-but he, behind,reset the stone as one would cap a quiver.oThere was a din of whistling as the byclopsrounded his flock to higher ground, then stillness.And now I pondered how to hurt him worst,

220 if búAthenao granted what I prayed for.Flere are the means I thought would serve my turn:a club, or stafÍ,lay there along the fold-an olive tree, feiled green and left to seasonfor Cyclops's hand. And it was like a mast

zzs a lugger of twenfy oars, broad in the beam-a deep-sea-going craft-might carry: oso long, so big around, it seemed. Now Ichopped out a six foot section of this poleand set it down before my men, who scraped it;

2s0 and when they had it smootþ I hewedo againto make a stake with pointed end. I held thisin the fire's heart and turned it, toughening it,then hid it, well back in the cavern, underone of the dung piles in profusion there.

235 Now came the time to toss for it: who venturedalong with me? whose hand could bear to thrustand grind that spike in Cyclops's eye, when mildsleep had mastered him? As luck would have it,the men I would have chosen won the toss-

240 four strong mery and I made five as captain.At evening came the shepherd with his flock,his woolly flock. The rams as well, this time,entered the cave: by some sheep-herding whim-or a god's bidding-none were left outside.

Journeys Whot hint is Odysseus dropping here abaut the future of htis journey?

i pB,p,j.pSpSlp, (pon'dar nt) adj . having great weight or bulk; heavy

THE ODYSSEY, PART I 847

212 dispatched: finished.

213 brace: pair.

21.]6 cap a quiver: put the cap on acase for holding anows.

220 Athena: Odysseus prays forthe support of Athena, his pairon

goddess who guides and protects

him. Among other things, Athena is

a wanior goddess who directly helpsher chosen heroes.

221-226 Here are. . . carry:Odysseus spies the lrunk of an olivetree, which the Cyclops cut down(felled) when the wood was green

and left to dry (season) beforecarving it into a club or staff.

Odysseus compares its size to thatof a mast on a seafaring ship

(lugger) that is wide in the middle(broad in the beam).230 hewed: chopped or hacked.

245 He hefted his great boulder into placeand saf him down to milk the bleating ewesin proper order, put the lambs to suck,and swiftly ran through all his evening chores.Then he caught two more men and feasted on them.

250 My moment was athand, and I went forwardholding an ivy bowl of my dark drink,olooking up, saying:

'Cyclops, try some wine.Here's liquor to wash down your scraps of men.

2ss Taste it, and see the kind of drink we carriedunder our planks. I meant it for an offeringif you would help us home. But you are mad,unbearable, a bloody monster! After this,will any other traveler come to see you?'

260 He seized and drained the bowl, and it went downso fiery and smooth he called for more:'Give me anotheX, thank you kindly. Tellme,how are you called? I'll make a gilt will please you.Even Cyclopes know the wine-grapes grow

z6s out of grassland and loam in heaven's rain,but here's a bit of nectar and ambrosia!'oThree bowls I brought him, and he poured them down.I saw the fuddle and flush" cover over him,then I sang out in cordial tones:

270 'Cyclops,you ask my honorable name? Rememberthe gift you promised me, and I shall tell you.My name is Nohbdy: mother, fatheg and friends,everyone calls me Nohbdy.'

27s And he said:'Nohbdy's my meat, then, after I eat his friends.Others come first. There's a noble gift,now.'Even as he spoke, he reeled and tumbled backward, ,his great head lolling to one side; and sleep

280 took him like any creature. Drunk, hiccuping,he dribbled streams of liquor and bits of men.Now, by the gods, I drove my big hand spikedeep in the embers, charring it again,and cheered *y men along with battle talk

2Bs to keep their courage up: no quitting now.The pike of olive,o green though it had been,reddened and glowed as if about to catch.I drew it from the coals and my four fellows

848 UNIT 5 EPIC AND MYTH

251 dark drink: This is the liquorOdysseus described in lines 94-102.

266 nedar and ambrosia: thefoods of the gods, causingimmortality. The Cyclops suggests

that any wine is a gift from heaven,

but this one is like the gods' own

drink.

268 fuddle and flush: theconfused mental state and reddish

complexion caused by drinking

alcohol.

286 pike of olive: the sharPenedstake made from the olive tree'

Ulysses ond Polyphemog 1560. Alessandro Allori. Fresco- Collection of Banca Toscana(Palazzo Salviati), Florence, ltaly.

gave me ahand,lugging it near the Cyclops.zg0 as more than nafural force nerved them; straight

forward they sprinted,lifted it, and rammed itdeep in his crater eye, and I leaned on ittu.rning i,'t as a shipwright turns a drillin pl'anking; having men below to swing

2s5 the two-handled strap that spins it in the groove.So with ourbrando we bored that great eye socketwhile blood ran out around the red hot bar.Eyelid and lash were seared; the pierced ballhissed broiling, and the roots popped.

In a smithy

296 brand: the piece of burninghot wood.

301 adze: an axeliketool with acurved blade.

303 hale: strong.

one sees a white-hot axehead or an adze"plunged and wrung in a cold fub, screeching steam-the way they make soft iron haleo and hard-:just so that eyeball hissed around the spike.

30s The Cyclops bellowed and the rock roared round him,and we fell back in fear. Clawing his face

Analyie Figurative To whot. action' daes Èlþñter wirlpdrç thehe hove chosen this eømporiso.n?blinding of the Cyclgps? might

THE ODYSSEY, PART 1 849

he tugged the bloody spike out of his eye,threw It away, and his wild hands went groptng;then he set up a howl for Cyclopes

310 who lived in caves on windy peaks nearby.Some heard him; and they came by diverso waysto clump around outside and call: .

'What ails you,Polyphemus?o VVhy do you cry so sore

s1s in the starry night? You will not let us sleep.Sure no man's driving off your flock? No manhas tricked you, ruinedyou?'

Out of the cavethe mammoth Poþhemus roared in answer:

820 'Nohbdy, Nohbdy's tricked me, Nohbdy's ruined me!'

To this rough shout they made a sageo repiy:

'Ah well, if nobody has played you foulthere in your lonely bed, we are no use in paingíveñ bf great Zeus. Let it be your Íather,

s25 Poseidon Lord, to whom youpray.'So saYing

they traile d, away.And I was filled with laughterto see how like a charm the name deceived them.Now Cyclops, wheezing as the pain came on him,

gg0 fumbled to wrench awày the great doorstoneand squatted in the breacho with arms thrown widefor any silly beast or man who bolteds-hoping somehow I might be such a fool.But I kept thinking how to win the game:

335 death sat there huge; how couid we slip away?I drew on all my wits, and ran through tactics,reasoning as a man will for dear life,until a trick came-and it pleased me well.The Cyclops'rams were handsome, fat, with heavy

340 fleeces' a dark violet' Three abreast

I tied them silently together, lwiningcords of willow from the ogre's" bed;then slung a man under each middle one

Epic and Epic Hero Why díd Odysseus tell the Cyclops his name wasNahbdy? How well has Odysseus's plen worked?

Analyze Figurative Language Why do you think the poet chose to Person-ify deoth in this possage?

850 UNIT 5 EPIC AND MYTH

311 divers: several different;various.

3L4 Polyphemus (pol'i fê'mag:the blinded Cyclops3 name.

321 sage: wise.

331 breach: a gap or oPening.

332 bolted; broke away.

343 ogre: monster; fearsome

odysseus. Jacob Jordaens. oil on canvas, 6l x 97 cm. pushkin Museum, Moscôw.V*q, lÅ" A"l Jacob Jordaens's paintings often portrayed scenes from mythological, gi¡l¡cat,or historical stories. what might the cycrops be thinking and feeling in thls sceie?

to ride there safely, shielded left and right.So three sheep could convey each man- I tookthe woolliest raÏn, the choicest of the flock"and hung myself under his'kinky belIy,pulled up tight, with fingers twisted deepin sheepskin ringlets for an iron grþ.So, breathinghard, we waited until morning.IAIhen Dawn spread out her fingertþs of rosethe rams began to sti1, moving for pãsture,and peals of bleating echoed round the penswhere dams with udders full called for ã milking.Blinded, and sick with pain from his head wounã,the rnaster stroked eachram, then let it pass,but my rnen riding on the pectoral fleeceothe giant's blind hands blundering never found.Last of them allmy ram, the leadeq, came,weighted by wool and me with my meditations.The Cyclops patted him, and then he said:

358 pectoral fleece: the wool onthe rams'chests.

THE ODYSSEY, PART 1 85I

'Sweet cousin ram, why lag behind the restin the night cave? You never linger so,

365 b:ut graze before them all, and go aÍarto crop sweet grass, and take your stately wayleading along the streams, until at eveningyou run to be the first one in the fold.\A/hy, now so far behind? Can you be grieving

970 over your Master's eye? That carrion" rogueand his accurst companions burnt it outwhen he had conquered all my wits with wine.Nohbdy will not get out alive, I swear.Oh, had you brain and voice to tell

375 where he may be now, dodging allrny l:u. ,ylBashed by this hand and bashed on this rock wallhis brains would strew the floor, and *,Sould.haverest &om ttrre oufrage Nohbdy worked upofi m.e.'

@ arr¿ np¡c Hero Whøt ølinotíons does thë Cyclaq exprags in #tt*þã$øWTtontøst hic dtarocter with thot of AdyseuS.

odysseus and Polyphem, i 9t o. ÆterL. du Bois-Reymond. Color print. Collectionof Karl Becker, Sagen des klassischenAltertums, Berlin (Verlag Jugendhort),

370 carr¡on: rotten, filthy.

852 UNIT 5 EPIC AND MYTH

He sent us into the open, then. Close by,380 I dropped and rolled clear of the ram,sbelly,

going this way and that to untie the men.With many glances back, we rounded uphis fat, stiff:legged sheep to take aboard.,and drove them down to where the good ship lay.

gB5 We saw, as we came near, our fellowi, facesshining; then we saw them turn to grieftallying those who had not fled from death.I hushed them,'jerking head and eyebrows up,and in a low voice told them: 'Loadthis herd;

s90 move fast, andput the ship's head toward the breakers.'oThey all pitched in at loading, then embarkedoand struck their oars into the sea. Far out,as far off shore as shouted words would carry,I sent a few back to the adversary:

sgs 'O Cyclops! Would you feast on my companions?Puny, amI, in a Caveman's hands?How do you like the beating that we gave you,you damned cannibal? Eater of guestsunder your roof! Zeus and the gods have paid you!,

400 The blind thing in his doubled fury brokea hilltop in his hands and heaved it after us.Ahead of our black prow it struck and sankwhelmed in a spuming geyse4 a giantwavethat washed the ship stern foremost back to shore,

40s I got the longest boathook out and stoodfending us. off with furious nods to allto put their backs into a racing stroke-Íow, tow, or perish. So the long oars bentkicking the foam sternward, making head

4r0 until we drew awayt and fwice as far."Now when I cupped my hands I heard the crewin low voices protesting:

IMhy bait the beast agatn?Let him ulor,"tiGodsake' Captain!

41s 'That tidal wave he made on the first throwall but beached us.'

,Give him our bearing with your ur"*01åb-ut stove us in!'

he'll get the range and lob a boulder.,o

390 put. . . breakers: turn theship around, toward the open sea391 embarked: got on board.

402-4L0 Ahead . . . twice as far:The sinking hilltop creates a wave atthe ship's front end (prow) thatwashes the boat backwards (sternforemost) to the shore.

4\5-419 Thattidal. .. boulder:The men complain, reasonably

enough, that Polyphemus nearlysmashed the shíp (All but stove usin) and th¡t Odysseus's shouting willgive away their position (bearing).

Epic and Epic Hero Why does Odysseus behave in this woy?

I

THE ODYSSEy, pA,Ír.r 1 855

420 'Aye

'Cyclops,

He'll smash our timbers and our heads together!'

I would not heed them in my glorying spirit,but let my anger flare and yelled:

425 if ever mortal man inquirehow you were put to shame and blinded, teil hirnOdysseus, raider of cities, took your eye:f-aettes' son, whose hor¡r-e's on Ithaca!'

' At this he gave a mighty sob and rumbled:4g0 'Now comes the weirdo upon me, spoken of old'

A wizar d, grand and wondrous, lived here-Telemus,oa son of Eurymus;o great length of dayshe had inwizardry among the Cyclopes,and these things he foretold for time to come:

43s my great eye lost, and af Odysseus' hands.Always I had in mind some giant, armedin giant force, would come against me here.But this, but you-small, pitiful and twiggy-you put me down with wine r loublinded me.

440 Come back, Odysseus, and I'11treat you well,praying the god of earthquakeo to befriend you-his son I am, for he by his avowalfathered me, and, if he will, he mayheal me of this black wound-he and no other

44s of all the happy gods or mortal men.'

Few words I shouted in reply to hi.m:

'If I could take your life I would and takeyour time awayt and hurl you down to hell!The god of earthquake could not heal you there!'

4s0 At this he stretched his hands out in his darknesstoward the sky of stars, and prayed Poseidon:

'O hear me,lord, blue girdler of the islands,if I am thine indeed, and thou art father:grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, never

45s see his home: Laertes'son, I mearywho kept his hall on lthaca. Should destinyintend that he shall see his roof againamong his family in his father land,larbe that day, and dark the years between.

Epic and Epic Hero How would you charocterize Odysseus's iudgment?

854 UNIT 5 EPIC AND MYTH

430 the weird: the strange fate.

431 Telemus (tel'a mas)

432 Eurymus (yoo ri'ma$

441 god of earthquake: Poseidon

1fI

460 Let him lose all companions, and returnunder strange sail to bitter days at home.'oIn these words he prayed, and the god heard him.Now he laid hands upon a bigger stoneand wheeled around, titanic for the cast,o

46s to let it fly in the black-prowed vessel's track.But it fell short, just aft' the steering oar,and whelming seas rose giant above the stoneto bear us onward toward the island.o

470 as we ran in we saw the squadron waiting,the trimo shipd drawn up side by side, and allour troubleðfriends whã waiteá, looking seaward.We beached her, grinding keel in the soft sand,and waded in, ourselves, on the sandy beach.

47s Then we unloaded all the Cyclops's flockto make divisiory share and share alike,only my fighters voted that my ram,thre púze oÍ aII, should go to me. I slew himby the seaside and burnt his long thighbones

480 to Zeus beyond the stormcloud, Cronus'o son,who rules the world. B:utZeus disdained'my offering;destruction for my ships he had in storeand death for those who sailed them, my companions.Now aIL day long untilthe sun went down

.485 we made our feast on mutton and sweet wine,ti! after suåset in the gathering darkwe went tobleqp above the wash of ripples.

't ' Idnn.rt the young Dawn wit\ ffurgertips of rosetouched the world, I doused the mery gave orders

4s0'' to man the ships, cast off the mooringlit "r;and filing in to sit beside the rowlocks

oarsmen in line dipped oars in the gray sea.So we moved out, sad in the vast offing,o

r having our precious lives, but not our friends." crv

Journeys What does thís possage suggest about Odysseus\ retum journeyto lthoco?

Analyze Figurative Language Where hove you encountered this figure ofspeech before? Why night the poet have repeated it7

There

452-46'1. O hear. .. home: lnancient cultures, curses were neither

made nor taken lightly. Homer's

audience would have believed intheir power. ln his turse upon0dysseus, Polyphemus begs

Poseídon to make his enemy suffer,using every detail he knows about

Odysseus to make sure the godbpuníshment will be directed towardthe right person.

464 titanicforthe cast: drawingupon his great size and strengh inpreparation for the throw466 aft: behind.468 the island: the deserted islandwhere the other eleven ships andtheir crews have remained while

Odysseus and his handpicked men

explored the Cyclops's mainland.

47'1, lrim: in good condition andready to sail.

480 Cronus (krõ'nas): Heavenand Earth, the first gods, had been

dethroned by their son Cronus, whowas in turn overthrown by his sonZeus.

481 disdained: rejected.

493 vast offing: the visible expanseof open sea.

THE ODYSSEY, PART i gSS