Polyphemus and Odysseus

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"The Odyssey" is an epic poem written by Homer that narrates the adventures of Odysseus (also called Ulysses in the Latin tradition), king of Ithaca, on his way back home after finishing the Trojan War, events that are related in "The Iliad." It is believed that the author drew up both in the XNUMXth century BC and over time they became part of the ancient Greek oral tradition, being recited from town to town by the rhapsodies.

Towards the XNUMXth century BC, the governor of Athens, named Pisístraro, wanted to compile Homer's poems and they were written down. Of these, the oldest known version of "The Odyssey" dates from the second century BC and is that of Aristarchus of Samothrace. In the following post we delve into the argument of «The Odyssey», its structure, its themes and especially in the myth of Polyphemus and Odysseus.

What is "The Odyssey" about?

Throughout its 24 songs, Homer narrates the return to Ithaca of the Greek hero Odysseus who, after being away from home for ten years, takes another decade to return. During that time, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus have to bear in their palace the suitors who wish to marry her by believing Odysseus dead and at the same time spend all the family assets.

Odysseus' best weapon to overcome all the obstacles he encounters during his adventures is his cunning. Thanks to her and the help of the goddess Pallas Athena, she is able to face the continuous problems that she has to face by the gods' designs. In this way, he plans different tricks and bold speeches that he uses to achieve his purposes.

How is «The Odyssey» structured?

This epic poem is divided into three parts: the telemaquia, the return and the revenge of Odysseus. The telemachy covers from the first to the fourth cants of "The Odyssey", where the decision of Telémaco to leave in search of his father is related. The return of Odysseus comprises the fifth twelfth canto where the adventures of Odysseus on his journey back to Ithaca are told, while the third part refers to Odysseus's revenge and the reunion of his family from the thirteenth to twenty-fourth canto.

What is the myth of Polyphemus and Odysseus?

In the ninth canto of Homer's "The Odyssey," the protagonist recounts the adventures that he and his companions had during three years as they prepared to return home after fighting in the Trojan War.

In this song Odysseus explains how they came to Thrace, where the Cícones were. There they kill all the inhabitants of Ismaro except Marón, a priest of Apollo who gave them twelve vessels full of wine as a token of gratitude. After suffering the attack of the Cycons, Odysseus leaves there with a group of men and they arrive in the land of the lotus eaters after a storm that diverted them from the route until they reached the island of Cyclops.

There they disembark and Odysseus takes one of the wine vessels to give it as a gift. When they arrive at the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus, the protagonist's companions agree to take everything from there, even though Odysseus was not satisfied. At that moment, Polyphemus bursts in with his flock and upon discovering them, he locks them up and devours some of them.

To get rid of death, Odysseus thinks of using the wine that the priest Maron gave him to get him drunk. Polyphemus accepted his vessel and asked his name, to which Odysseus replied that it was called "no man or no one." When the cyclops fell asleep drunk, he drove an olive stake into his only eye to blind him and escape.

Immediately Polyphemus screamed in pain until the other Cyclops heard him but believed that Zeus had punished him and was insane because he told them that "No one" had hurt him. In order to flee Odysseus and his men tied themselves to the bellies of the sheep. Since Polyphemus could not see, he could not see where they were hiding and they managed to escape.

When they were at sea, Odysseus laughed at Polyphemus: "No one hurt you but Odysseus." They did not know that the cyclops was the son of the god of the sea Poseidon and when Polyphemus cursed them, a large rock fell very close to their ship. He also asked his father for help and requested that Odysseus never return to Ithaca or that if he did, he should return alone and not in his ship. And so it was, Poseidon caused him a lot of trouble at sea on his return and kept him away from Ithaca for a long time.

Who were Polyphemus and Odysseus?

  • Odysseus: Odysseus is the protagonist of the poem "The Odyssey" although it also appears in "The Iliad" by Homer. He was one of the legendary heroes of Greek mythology and in "The Odyssey" he is represented as king of Ithaca, one of the current Ionian islands, located off the western coast of Greece. It is characterized by its intelligence and cunning. In fact, he is credited with the idea of ​​building the Trojan Horse. He is married to Penelope and is the father of Telémaco.
  • Polyphemus: It is the most famous of the Cyclops in Greek mythology. Son of Poseidon and the nymph Toosa, he is often depicted as a bearded ogre with huge fangs and pointed satyr ears with a single eye on its forehead.

What does the myth of Polyphemus and Odysseus mean?

Experts point out that the myth of Polyphemus and Odysseus signifies the battle of cunning against brutality and the triumph of reason over force.

Topics covered by "The Odyssey"

  • Trip: A common theme in Western literature where the hero faces multiple dangers from which he emerges strengthened and manages to achieve his goal.
  • Unconditional love: Reflected in the story of Odysseus and Penelope, who overcome the obstacles and temptations that life puts on them and get to be together again.
  • The family: "The Odyssey" talks about the importance of family ties to give meaning to our lives.
  • Home and country: Odysseus' desire is to return to Ithaca, his birthplace and where his family lives, whom he has not seen since he left for the Trojan War.
  • The revenge: This theme is reflected in Penelope's story. Odysseus discovers that on his departure there are some suitors who want to marry his wife to replace him and take control of their properties, so he takes revenge on them by killing them.
  • The omnipotence of the gods: In both "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad," the fate of humans is in the hands of the gods. Both Pallas Athena and Poseidon or Zeus play an important role in the lives of the characters.

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