Breaking News: King of Ithaca Defeats Polyphemus the Cyclops
The king of Ithaca, Odysseus, has defeated Polyphemus the Cyclops. Odysseus, son of Laertes, and his men were on their way home. They landed on the island of the Cyclopes. Odysseus and twelve of his men went to a nearby cave while the others stayed ashore. They came to a cave full of sheep and cheeses. The owner had gone had gone shepherding. The men had advised Odysseus to snatch some food and run away. But Odysseus wanted to see the owner, in hopes of a gift. The Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon came back with his sheep. Odysseus told the Cyclops who they were and how they had driven off course. Odysseus also says, “May your excellency fear the wrath of heaven, for we are your suppliants, and Zeus takes all respectable travelers under his protection”. Polyphemus shows no fear of the gods. “We Cyclopes do not care about Zeus or any of your blessed gods”, states the Cyclops. The Cyclops grabs two men from the ground and gobbles them down. Polyphemus imprisoned Odysseus and the rest of the men for a future meal. Odysseus devised a plan as he knew that only the Cyclops could move the boulder at the entrance of the cave. The next morning while Polyphemus was out with his sheep, Odysseus found and cut an olive wood and used the fire to make it harder at the end. When the Cyclops came back, the king offered him some wine he had brought from the ship. Odysseus says, “Cyclops you ask my name; my name is Noman”. He gave more until the Cyclops was drunk and collapsed.
He and his men drove the end of the beam into the eye of the Cyclops. Polyphemus shrieks and shouts to his neighbors, “Noman is killing me”. The next morning, Odysseus and his men escape the cave by clinging underneath the sheep. Odysseus at his ship shouts to Polyphemus who he really is. Meanwhile, the Cyclops prayed to Poseidon for revenge.
The blind Cyclops feels the tops of the sheep as the men hide underneath the sheep.
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