The Odyssey Book Nine

Book Nine Odysseus tells the assembly who he is. He then begins an account of his wanderings from Troy. Firstly, he fought a pitch battle with the Cicones, whose island the hero and his men plundered. The Cicones called on their neighbours for help and Odysseus’ men were driven from the island. Six men had been lost from each ship. Odysseus then drifted on the seas for ten days until he reached the island of the Lotus Eaters

Book Nine Having escaped across stormy seas they landed on the island of the Lotus-Eaters. When Odysseus’ men tasted the fruit of the lotus (a delicious plant) they did not want to leave the island. When the Lotus Eaters gave Odysseus’ men the dewy plant to eat, they lost all memory or desire to return home. Odysseus had to drag his men off the island and put them in chains on his ship. Odysseus quickly set off before any more of his men ate the lotus plant and lost their desire to return to their homes.

Book Nine He then landed on the island of the Cyclops. These giant brutes live in caves and have no laws. The island was fertile and men seldom visited it. Odysseus and his crew killed nine goats and feasted on their meat. Odysseus took some men and explored the island’s interior to see what creature lived on the island. Odysseus brought twelve men with him and some wine, given to him by a priest of Apollo whose children he had once protected. The company ended up in the Cyclops’ cave and their first thought was to steal his food and drive the lambs down to their ships. Odysseus, however, ordered them to stay there, until he met the owner of the cave. He assumed they would be given hospitality.

Book Nine They waited inside the cave until the monster returned, but he did not give them a good reception, bolting the caves’ entrance with a mighty rock. Odysseus addresses the monster telling him they are returning from Troy and asks for hospitality. Polyphemus declares he has no respect for Zeus or the laws of hospitality. He asks Odysseus where he has moored his ships. Odysseus avoided telling him where his ships were, telling the Cyclops his ships were wrecked by Poseidon and he and his men drifted a shore. The monster picked up some of his crew and devoured them in his cave. Odysseus decided not to strike the beast because he knew he would not be able to remove the vast boulder sealing him inside the cave’s entrance.

Book Nine The next morning the Cyclops eats a few more of Odysseus’ men. The Cyclops then moves the boulder from the mouth of the cave and releases his sheep, to graze for the day. He firmly shuts this behind him, leaving the prisoners inside to devise a plan of escape. Odysseus ordered them to sharpen one end of an olive tree that lay about the cave and hide it in a dung heap. The monster returned and ate more of Odysseus’ men. He also drank the wine the hero had brought with him from his ship. Odysseus pours wine for Polyphemus

Book Nine When the Cyclops asks Odysseus his name – he tells him my name is “nobody”. The Cyclops jeers that he will eat “nobody” (Odysseus) last. When the Cyclops falls asleep (drunk) - Odysseus gets the olive tree and puts the sharp end in the fire. When this is red hot, the men, with all their strength, drive it into the giant’s only eye twisting it as they do so. The beast awoke and roared in agony. He calls on the other monsters to help hm. When they gather outside his cave, he tells them that “nobody” has attacked him. The other Cyclops’ think he is mad and leaves him alone.

Book Nine Polyphemus was determined not to let Odysseus or his men escape. The next morning, the Cyclops waits by the door of his cave, hoping to catch Odysseus’ men as they try to escape, among the sheep he was releasing to graze. Odysseus came up with a cunning plan. He tied himself to the belly of the Cyclops’ rams. The Cyclops would touch their fleeces as they walked out from his cave and assume nothing was out of the ordinary. He did not notice or suspect the men underneath. When Odysseus was outside and safe he untied himself from the ram’s underbelly.

Book Nine Having freed himself from Polyphemus’ cave, the hero taunted and insulted the monster as he departed the island. In response the Cyclops threw great boulders down from the mountaintop on his ships below. Odysseus rows out to sea again and once more taunts the monster. His men beg him not to do this. Odysseus tells the monster his name, so that Polyphemus will know who blinded him. The book ends with the monster calling on Poseidon his father, to punish Odysseus for blinding him.

Book Nine: Important Points Note how in this chapter we have two small adventures followed by a major one - Cyclops. Note the cunning of Odysseus. He avoids telling the monster the whereabouts of his ship, he sharpens the olive tree into a weapon, he gets Cyclops drunk and he shows bravery and cunning. Finally, the ingenious plan to tie himself and his men to the belly of the monster’s sheep has caught the imagination of readers throughout the ages. Note how Cyclops does not follow “Xenia”, respect for strangers.

Book Nine: Important Points Note how Odysseus takes centre stage, the omnipresent Athena is absent at this stage of the epic, only to reappear again in book 13. His victory over the Cyclops represents his greatest achievement. Above all it is his cunning and intelligence that wins the day. However, the episode with Polyphemus is a good way for us to assess the character of the great Odysseus in a rounded and complete way. In his dealings with the Cyclopes, Odysseus for all his ingenuity is not without his faults. Odysseus decision to taunt a wounded Polyphemus and tell him his name, “Odysseus blinded you” is unfathomable.The giant calls on his father, Poseidon to punish Odysseus for his actions. This is not one of the hero’s’ better moments.

Book Nine Questions Why is Poseidon angry with Odysseus – what are the consequences for him and his crew? Long Question: Discuss Odysseus’ foolishness, bravery and cunning in this episode with the Cyclops.