Within Books IX-XII of Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey,” the main character, King Odysseus of Ithaca, describes his life following the Trojan War. After leaving Troy victorious, Odysseus cannot return to Greece quickly because Poseidon, God of the Sea, promises to make Odysseus suffer, preventing a speedy trip home. Following a decade of adventure and woe, Odysseus narrates his experience to King Alcinous of the Phaecians, as a guest in Alcinous’ palace. As Odysseus explains the previous ten years in extensive detail, he reveals a variety of encounters with peculiar lands and strange people, including a handful of Gods. Most notably, Odysseus and his men sail to a seemingly uninhabited and wild island, only to become prisoners of a Cyclops named Polyphemus. In order to escape, Odysseus must blind Polyphemus. Unfortunately for Odysseus, Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon, and this violence against the family of Poseidon further compromises Odysseus’ ability to return.…