“The Cyclops” from the Odyssey...282 Part 1 Collection 10: Epic and Myth In ancient Greece,...

282 Collection 10: Epic and MythPart 1

In ancient Greece, heroes in epic poems like the Odyssey represented the

highest values of Greek civilization. In Homer’s day, heroes were thought of

as a special class of men, somewhere between the gods and ordinary human

beings. As you read “The Cyclops,” see how Odysseus uses his special

qualities to save himself and his men from becoming a monster’s meal.

LITERARY FOCUS: HEROES AT LARGEEpics are long narrative poems that tell of the great deeds of a hero. In an

epic, the main character is the hero. (In many epics the hero’s enemy is also

a major character.) Heroes usually represent qualities that their society

admires. Some people today, for example, see sports stars, popular singers,

great scientists, or firefighters as their heroes. In epics told long ago, the

heroes are often superhuman warriors, who set off on journeys to win

something of great value for themselves and for their people.

The conflicts, or struggles between opposing forces, in an epic are usually

external, as the heroes battle armies, monsters, or the forces of nature. Epic

heroes can also face internal conflicts—caused by fear, doubt, weakness,

and so on.

• First, read “The Cyclops” for enjoyment. Then, consider what the adven-

ture reveals about the values of the ancient Greeks.

READING SKILLS: MONITOR YOUR COMPREHENSIONGood readers pause occasionally to make sure they understand what they

have read. When you read a long, action-filled poem such as this one, it is

important to stay on top of events—to understand what is happening.

Pause during your reading to ask yourself the following questions:

• What has happened so far?

• What has caused those events?

• What are the most important events in this episode?

• When do the events take place?

• What might happen next?

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“The Cyclops” from the Odysseyby Homer

Literary SkillsUnderstand

characteristics ofepic poetry,

including heroesand theirexternalconflicts.

ReadingSkills

Monitor yourcomprehension.

VocabularySkills

Learn wordsfrom Greek and

Roman myths.

The Cyclops 283

ravage (rav√ij) v.: destroy violently; ruin.

The Cyclops planned to ravage Odysseus and hismen by eating them.

profusion (pr£·fyº√¤¥n) n.: large supply;

abundance.

With such a large flock of sheep, the Cyclops hada profusion of milk, cheese, and wool.

adversary (ad√v¥r·ser≈≤) n.: enemy; opponent.

Odysseus had to find a way to defeat his adversary, the Cyclops.

PREVIEW SELECTION VOCABULARYThe following words appear in “The Cyclops.” Become familiar with them

before you begin reading.

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WORDS FROM GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHSMany words we use in English today come from Greek and Roman myths. For

example, a journey or quest is often called an odyssey, named for the Odyssey,

the epic poem from which “The Cyclops” is taken. Other words from “The

Cyclops” that have been handed down are ambrosia, meaning “food of the

gods,” and nectar, meaning “drink of the gods.” Look at the chart below to

learn of other words handed down from Greek and Roman myths.

Names from Greek and Roman Myths English Words

Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture and fertility cereal

Mount Olympus, legendary home of gods and

goddesses Olympics

Tantalus, character from Greek myth whose

food and drink were kept just out of his reach,

as punishment tantalize

Titans, race of giant Greek gods and goddesses

who came before the Olympians titanic

Vulcan, Roman god of fire and metalworkers volcano

The Odyssey is the story of the attempt of a Greek soldier, Odysseus,

to return to his home following the Trojan War. An epic, the

Odyssey is composed of many different stories, or episodes, in

which the hero, Odysseus, faces all sorts of challenges.

In this adventure, Odysseus describes his encounter with the

Cyclops, Polyphemus (päl≈i·f≤√m¥s), Poseidon’s one-eyed monster

son. Polyphemus may represent the brute forces that any hero must

overcome before he can reach home. To survive, Odysseus must rely

on the special intelligence associated with his name. Odysseus is the

cleverest of the Greek heroes because he is guided by the goddess of

wisdom, Athena.

It is Odysseus’s famed curiosity that leads him to the Cyclops’s

cave and that makes him insist on waiting for the barbaric giant.

Odysseus is speaking to the court of King Alcinous (al·sin√£·¥s).

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Homertranslated by Robert Fitzgerald

The Cyclops (detail) (late 19th or early 20th century) by Odilon Redon.

Rijk

smu

seu

m K

rolle

r-M

ulle

r, O

tter

lo, t

he

Net

her

lan

ds.

B

rid

gem

an A

rt L

ibra

ry.

NotesNotes

From The Odyssey by Homer, translated byRobert Fitzgerald. Copyright © 1961, 1963 byRobert Fitzgerald; copyright renewed © 1989by Benedict R. C. Fitzgerald. Reprinted by permission of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, LLC.

“We lit a fire, burnt an offering,

and took some cheese to eat; then sat in silence

around the embers, waiting. When he came

he had a load of dry boughs on his shoulder

to stoke his fire at suppertime. He dumped it

with a great crash into that hollow cave,

and we all scattered fast to the far wall.

Then over the broad cavern floor he ushered

the ewes he meant to milk. He left his rams

and he-goats in the yard outside, and swung

high overhead a slab of solid rock

to close the cave. Two dozen four-wheeled wagons,

with heaving wagon teams, could not have stirred

the tonnage of that rock from where he wedged it

over the doorsill. Next he took his seat

and milked his bleating ewes. A practiced job

he made of it, giving each ewe her suckling;

thickened his milk, then, into curds and whey,

sieved out the curds to drip in withy baskets,1

and poured the whey to stand in bowls

cooling until he drank it for his supper.

When all these chores were done, he poked the fire,

heaping on brushwood. In the glare he saw us.

‘Strangers,’ he said, ‘who are you? And where from?

What brings you here by seaways—a fair traffic?

Or are you wandering rogues, who cast your lives

like dice, and ravage other folk by sea?’

We felt a pressure on our hearts, in dread

of that deep rumble and that mighty man.

But all the same I spoke up in reply:

‘We are from Troy, Achaeans, blown off course

by shifting gales on the Great South Sea;

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The Cyclops 285

1. withy baskets: baskets made from willow twigs.

Pause at line 3. Odysseus andhis men are in the cave ofthe Cyclops, Polyphemus. Towhom do the men burn anoffering?

Who is the “he” in line 3?

Re-read lines 5-23, and payattention to the Cyclops’sactions. What qualities doeshe have?

ravage (rav√ij) v.: destroy violently; ruin.

homeward bound, but taking routes and ways

uncommon; so the will of Zeus would have it.

We served under Agamemnon, son of Atreus2—

the whole world knows what city

he laid waste, what armies he destroyed.

It was our luck to come here; here we stand,

beholden for your help, or any gifts

you give—as custom is to honor strangers.

We would entreat you, great Sir, have a care

for the gods’ courtesy; Zeus will avenge

the unoffending guest.’

He answered this

from his brute chest, unmoved:

‘You are a ninny,

or else you come from the other end of nowhere,

telling me, mind the gods! We Cyclopes

care not a whistle for your thundering Zeus

or all the gods in bliss; we have more force by far.

I would not let you go for fear of Zeus—

you or your friends—unless I had a whim to.

Tell me, where was it, now, you left your ship—

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:

‘My ship?

Poseidon Lord, who sets the earth atremble,

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

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Pause at line 58. Why do youthink Odysseus lies about hisship?

Pause at line 50. Does theCyclops respect Zeus, asOdysseus does? Explain.

Underline the two gruesomeHomeric similes—extendedcomparisons using like oras—in lines 59-65.

Hospitality to strangers wasextremely important to theancient Greeks. Re-read lines38-43, and underline thewords that tell what willhappen if the Cyclops doesnot treat the Greeks well.

2. Agamemnon (ag≈¥·mem√nän≈); Atreus (†√tr≤·¥s).

and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies

to 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.

We cried aloud, lifting our hands to Zeus,

powerless, looking on at this, appalled;

but Cyclops went on filling up his belly

with manflesh and great gulps of whey,

then lay down like a mast among his sheep.

My heart beat high now at the chance of action,

and drawing the sharp sword from my hip I went

along his flank to stab him where the midriff

holds the liver. I had touched the spot

when sudden fear stayed me: if I killed him

we perished there as well, for we could never

move his ponderous doorway slab aside.

So we were left to groan and wait for morning.

When the young Dawn with fingertips of rose

lit up the world, the Cyclops built a fire

and milked his handsome ewes, all in due order,

putting the sucklings to the mothers. Then,

his chores being all dispatched, he caught

another brace3 of men to make his breakfast,

and whisked away his great door slab

to let his sheep go through—but he, behind,

reset the stone as one would cap a quiver.4

There was a din of whistling as the Cyclops

rounded his flock to higher ground, then stillness.

And now I pondered how to hurt him worst,

if but Athena granted what I prayed for.

Here are the means I thought would serve my turn:

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The Cyclops 287

3. brace (br†s) n.: pair.4. quiver (kwiv√¥r) n.: case for arrows.

Line 79 contains a famousepithet—a group of wordsused repeatedly to describe acharacter. How is Dawndescribed in this epithet?

Pause at line 87. What pre-vents Odysseus and his menfrom escaping when theCyclops leaves?

How does Odysseus showboth his bravery and hisintelligence in lines 71-78?

a club, or staff, lay there along the fold—

an olive tree, felled green and left to season

for Cyclops’ hand. And it was like a mast

a lugger5 of twenty oars, broad in the beam—

a deep-seagoing craft—might carry:

so long, so big around, it seemed. Now I

chopped out a six-foot section of this pole

and set it down before my men, who scraped it;

and when they had it smooth, I hewed again

to make a stake with pointed end. I held this

in the fire’s heart and turned it, toughening it,

then hid it, well back in the cavern, under

one of the dung piles in profusion there.

Now came the time to toss for it: who ventured

along with me? Whose hand could bear to thrust

and grind that spike in Cyclops’ eye, when mild

sleep had mastered him? As luck would have it,

the men I would have chosen won the toss—

four strong men, 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 sheepherding whim—

or a god’s bidding—none were left outside.

He hefted his great boulder into place

and sat him down to milk the bleating ewes

in 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.

My moment was at hand, and I went forward

holding an ivy bowl of my dark drink,

looking up, saying:

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5. lugger (lug√¥r) n.: type of sailboat.

Pause at line 105. What doOdysseus and his men dowith the olive tree they findin the Cyclops’s cave?

profusion (pr£·fyº√¤¥n) n.:large supply; abundance.

Pause at line 111. Apparently,it was the custom among theancient Greeks for men totoss coins, dice, or somethingelse for the honor of partici-pating in a dangerous task.Why is Odysseus happy withthe outcome?

‘Cyclops, try some wine.

Here’s liquor to wash down your scraps of men.

Taste it, and see the kind of drink we carried

under our planks. I meant it for an offering

if you would help us home. But you are mad,

unbearable, a bloody monster! After this,

will any other traveler come to see you?’

He seized and drained the bowl, and it went down

so fiery and smooth he called for more:

‘Give me another, thank you kindly. Tell me,

how are you called? I’ll make a gift will please you.

Even Cyclopes know the wine grapes grow

out of grassland and loam in heaven’s rain,

but here’s a bit of nectar and ambrosia!’

Three bowls I brought him, and he poured them down.

I saw the fuddle and flush come over him,

then I sang out in cordial tones:

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The Cyclops 289

NotesNotesOdysseus handingthe drink toPolyphemus.Relief on aGrecian marblesarcophagus (1stcentury A.D.).Museo ArcheologicoNazionale, Naples, Italy.Art Resource, NY.

Underline the alliteration—

repetition of consonantsounds in words closetogether—in line 138. Herefuddle means “drunkenness.”

Pause at line 126. Why doyou think Odysseus offers theCyclops wine?

‘Cyclops,

you ask my honorable name? Remember

the gift you promised me, and I shall tell you.

My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends,

everyone calls me Nohbdy.’

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

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 spike

deep in the embers, charring it again,

and cheered my men along with battle talk

to keep their courage up: no quitting now.

The pike of olive, green though it had been,

reddened and glowed as if about to catch.

I drew it from the coals and my four fellows

gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops

as more than natural force nerved them; straight

forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it

deep in his crater eye, and I leaned on it

turning it as a shipwright turns a drill

in planking, having men below to swing

the two-handled strap that spins it in the groove.

So with our brand we bored that great eye socket

while blood ran out around the red-hot bar.

Eyelid and lash were seared; the pierced ball

hissed broiling, and the roots popped.

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Pause at line 143. Odysseusdoesn’t tell the Cyclops hisreal name. Underline thename he uses. What worddoes the name sound like?

What happens in lines 146-167?

Underline the extended similes in lines 160-163 and166-171, which use grue-some comparisons to helpyou see how the eye isgouged out.

In a smithy6

one sees a white-hot axhead or an adze7

plunged and wrung in a cold tub, screeching steam—

the way they make soft iron hale and hard—

just so that eyeball hissed around the spike.

The Cyclops bellowed and the rock roared round him,

and we fell back in fear. Clawing his face

he tugged the bloody spike out of his eye,

threw it away, and his wild hands went groping;

then he set up a howl for Cyclopes

who lived in caves on windy peaks nearby.

Some heard him; and they came by divers8 ways

to clump around outside and call:

‘What ails you,

Polyphemus? Why do you cry so sore

in the starry night? You will not let us sleep.

Sure no man’s driving off your flock? No man

has tricked you, ruined you?’

Out of the cave

the mammoth Polyphemus roared in answer:

‘Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me. Nohbdy’s ruined me!’

To this rough shout they made a sage9 reply:

‘Ah well, if nobody has played you foul

there in your lonely bed, we are no use in pain

given by great Zeus. Let it be your father,

Poseidon Lord, to whom you pray.’

So saying

they trailed away. And I was filled with laughter

to see how like a charm the name deceived them.

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The Cyclops 291

Read the boxed passagealoud twice. On your firstreading, pause at the end ofa line if it ends in punctua-tion. Read on when the linedoes not end with a comma,dash, semicolon, colon, orperiod. On your second read-ing, focus on reading withexpression.

Re-read lines 178-191. Whathappens when Polyphemus’sfellow Cyclopes come to hisaid?

6. smithy (smi‚√≤) n.: blacksmith’s shop, where iron tools are made.7. adze (adz) n.: axlike tool with a long, curved blade.8. divers (d¢√v¥rz) adj.: diverse; various.9. sage (s†j) adj.: wise.

Now Cyclops, wheezing as the pain came on him,

fumbled to wrench away the great doorstone

and squatted in the breach with arms thrown wide

for any silly beast or man who bolted—

hoping somehow I might be such a fool.

But I kept thinking how to win the game:

death sat there huge; how could 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

fleeces, a dark violet.

Three abreast

I tied them silently together, twining

cords of willow from the ogre’s bed;

then slung a man under each middle one

to ride there safely, shielded left and right.

So three sheep could convey each man. I took

the woolliest ram, the choicest of the flock,

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Odysseus escaping the cave ofPolyphemus under the belly of theram. Detail from a krater, a vesselfor holding wine (c. 510 B.C.).Badisches Landesmuseum,Karlsruhe, Germany.

Pause at line 202. What character trait helpsOdysseus defeat the Cyclops?

and hung myself under his kinky belly,

pulled up tight, with fingers twisted deep

in sheepskin ringlets for an iron grip.

So, breathing hard, we waited until morning.

When Dawn spread out her fingertips of rose

the rams began to stir, moving for pasture,

and peals of bleating echoed round the pens

where dams with udders full called for a milking.

Blinded, and sick with pain from his head wound,

the master stroked each ram, then let it pass,

but my men riding on the pectoral fleece10

the giant’s blind hands blundering never found.

Last of them all my ram, the leader, came,

weighted by wool and me with my meditations.

The Cyclops patted him, and then he said:

‘Sweet cousin ram, why lag behind the rest

in the night cave? You never linger so,

but graze before them all, and go afar

to crop sweet grass, and take your stately way

leading along the streams, until at evening

you run to be the first one in the fold.

Why, now, so far behind? Can you be grieving

over your Master’s eye? That carrion rogue11

and his accurst companions burnt it out

when he had conquered all my wits with wine.

Nohbdy will not get out alive, I swear.

Oh, had you brain and voice to tell

where he may be now, dodging all my fury!

Bashed by this hand and bashed on this rock wall

his brains would strew the floor, and I should have

rest from the outrage Nohbdy worked upon me.’

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The Cyclops 293

Pause at line 214. What isOdysseus’s plan to save him-self and his men?

Re-read lines 226-232. Howis the Cyclops’s treatment ofhis ram different from histreatment of the Greeks?

10. pectoral fleece: wool on an animal’s chest.11. carrion rogue: rotten scoundrel. Carrion is decaying flesh.

He sent us into the open, then. Close by,

I dropped and rolled clear of the ram’s belly,

going this way and that to untie the men.

With many glances back, we rounded up

his fat, stiff-legged sheep to take aboard,

and drove them down to where the good ship lay.

We saw, as we came near, our fellows’ faces

shining; then we saw them turn to grief

tallying those who had not fled from death.

I hushed them, jerking head and eyebrows up,

and in a low voice told them: ‘Load this herd;

move fast, and put the ship’s head toward the breakers.’

They all pitched in at loading, then embarked

and struck their oars into the sea. Far out,

as far offshore as shouted words would carry,

I sent a few back to the adversary:

‘O Cyclops! Would you feast on my companions?

Puny, am I, in a Caveman’s hands?

How do you like the beating that we gave you,

you damned cannibal? Eater of guests

under your roof! Zeus and the gods have paid you!’

The blind thing in his doubled fury broke

a hilltop in his hands and heaved it after us.

Ahead of our black prow it struck and sank

whelmed in a spuming geyser, a giant wave

that washed the ship stern foremost back to shore.

I got the longest boathook out and stood

fending us off, with furious nods to all

to put their backs into a racing stroke—

row, row or perish. So the long oars bent

kicking the foam sternward, making head

until we drew away, and twice as far.

Now when I cupped my hands I heard the crew

in low voices protesting:

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What is happening in lines242-255?

Pause at line 271. What hap-pens when Odysseus tauntsthe Cyclops?

adversary (ad√v¥r·ser≈≤) n.:enemy; opponent.

‘Godsake, Captain!

Why bait the beast again? Let him alone!’

‘That tidal wave he made on the first throw

all but beached us.’

‘All but stove us in!’

‘Give him our bearing with your trumpeting,

he’ll get the range and lob12 a boulder.’

‘Aye

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:

‘Cyclops,

if ever mortal man inquire

how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him

Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye:

Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!’

At this he gave a mighty sob and rumbled:

‘Now comes the weird13 upon me, spoken of old.

A wizard, grand and wondrous, lived here—Telemus,14

a son of Eurymus;15 great length of days

he had in wizardry among the Cyclopes,

and these things he foretold for time to come:

my great eye lost, and at Odysseus’ hands.

Always I had in mind some giant, armed

in giant force, would come against me here.

But this, but you—small, pitiful, and twiggy—

you put me down with wine, you blinded me.

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The Cyclops 295

Pause at line 298.Polyphemus had beenwarned by a wizard thatOdysseus would blind him. Inwhat ways is Odysseus differ-ent from the attacker theCyclops had imagined?

Odysseus ignores his men’sadvice and continues totaunt the Cyclops in lines282-287. What doesOdysseus’s behavior revealabout him?

Odysseus’s men speak for thefirst time in lines 275-281.What is their reaction totheir captain’s behavior?

12. lob (läb) v.: toss.13. weird (wird) n.: fate.14. Telemus (tel√¥·m¥s).15. Eurymus (yº√r≤·m¥s).

Come back, Odysseus, and I’ll treat you well,

praying the god of earthquake to befriend you—

his son I am, for he by his avowal

fathered me, and, if he will, he may

heal me of this black wound—he and no other

of all the happy gods or mortal men.’

Few words I shouted in reply to him:

‘If I could take your life I would and take

your time away, and hurl you down to hell!

The god of earthquake could not heal you there!’

At this he stretched his hands out in his darkness

toward 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

see his home: Laertes’ son, I mean,

who kept his hall on Ithaca. Should destiny

intend that he shall see his roof again

among his family in his fatherland,

far be that day, and dark the years between.

Let him lose all companions, and return

under strange sail to bitter days at home.’ . . .”

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Pause at line 308. TheCyclops has asked Odysseusto come back and says he’lltreat him well. UnderlineOdysseus’s reply. Then, readon and underline theCyclops’s curse on Odysseusand his men.

Review the Cyclops’s curse.What might happen next?

The Cyclops 297

The CyclopsHero Chart What makes a hero? Listed in the left-hand column of the chart

below are some heroic traits. Give examples from “The Cyclops” to show

whether or not Odysseus displays these traits. At the bottom of the chart is a

row for weaknesses. If you find weaknesses in Odysseus, cite details from the

story to support your opinion.

Cop

yrig

ht ©

by

Hol

t,R

ineh

art

and

Win

ston

.A

ll ri

ghts

res

erve

d.

Intelligence and resourcefulness

Bravery and loyalty

Weaknesses

Strength

Details from “The Cyclops”Key Traits of a Hero

Complete the sample test item below. The box at the right explains why three of the

choices are not correct.

The Cyclops

Skills ReviewSkills Review


Explanation of the Correct Answer

The correct answer is D; it offers the

most information about what an epic

poem is.

A is incorrect; many poems, even very

short ones, tell stories. Epics are not

lyric poems, as B claims. Epics are seri-

ous, not humorous, as C states.

Sample Test Item

The best description of an epic poem

is a —

A poem that tells a story

B lyric poem that reveals emotions

C wildly exaggerated, humorous poem

D long narrative poem about the

deeds of a heroic character

3. How does the Cyclops treat the

Greeks?

A He devours some of them.

B He opens his home to them.

C He helps them on their way.

D He kills all of them.

4. How does Odysseus win the battle

with the Cyclops?

F He tricks the Cyclops.

G He kills the giant.

H He calls on Zeus to help him.

J He betrays his men.

1. When he first speaks to the Cyclops,

Odysseus warns him that —

A the Greeks will kill him

B the Greeks want his land

C Zeus will avenge the Greeks if

Cyclops is not courteous

D Zeus will kill the Cyclops if he

doesn’t give them money

2. The interaction between Odysseus

and the Cyclops is —

F an external conflict

G not important to the story

H a universal theme

J part of the setting

DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of each correct answer.

Cop

yrig

ht ©

by

Hol

t,R

ineh

art

and

Win

ston

.A

ll ri

ghts

res

erve

d.

Literary SkillsAnalyze

characteristics ofepic poetry,

including heroesand theirexternalconflicts.

The Cyclops 299

Skills ReviewSkills Review

1. Vulcan a. Olympics

2. Ceres b. tantalize

3. Mount Olympus c. titanic

4. Titans d. cereal

5. Tantalus e. volcano

Words from MythsMyths often attempt to explain the mysteries of nature, the origins of

rituals, and the relationships between gods and humans. Many words from

Greek and Roman myths live on in the English language. For example, some

common English words are derived from the names of Greek and Roman

gods and goddesses.

DIRECTIONS: Match each Greek or Roman god’s or goddess’s name or home

with the English word that is derived from it.

The Cyclops

Vocabulary in Context

DIRECTIONS: Complete the paragraph below by writing a word from the

word box to fit each numbered blank. Use each word only once.

ravage

profusion

adversary

Word BoxWord BoxAs the epic poem the Odyssey reveals, Odysseus had more than one

(1) . In fact, he had a (2)

of enemies, both monsters and men—and even gods. Some of his enemies

hated Odysseus so much they actually wanted to

(3) him and his men, while others were content to

prevent him from reaching home.

Cop

yrig

ht ©

by

Hol

t,R

ineh

art

and

Win

ston

.A

ll ri

ghts

res

erve

d.

VocabularySkillsIdentify wordsfrom Greek andRoman myths.Use words incontext.

Student Pages with Answers 143

The

Cyc

lop

s

283

rava

ge

(rav

√ij)

v.:d

estr

oy

vio

len

tly;

ru

in.

The

Cyc

lops

pla

nned

to

rava

geO

dyss

eus

and

his

men

by

eati

ng t

hem

.

pro

fusi

on

(pr£

·fyº

√¤¥n

) n

.:la

rge

sup

ply

;

abu

nd

ance

.

Wit

h su

ch a

larg

e flo

ck o

fshe

ep,t

he C

yclo

ps h

ada

prof

usi

onof

milk

,che

ese,

and

woo

l.

adve

rsar

y(a

d√v

¥r·s

er≈≤

) n

.:en

emy;

op

po

nen

t.

Ody

sseu

s ha

d to

find

a w

ay t

o de

feat

his

ad

vers

ary,

the

Cyc

lops

.

PREV

IEW

SEL

ECTI

ON

VOCA

BULA

RYTh

e fo

llow

ing

wo

rds

app

ear

in “

The

Cyc

lop

s.”

Bec

om

e fa

mili

ar w

ith

th

em

bef

ore

yo

u b

egin

rea

din

g.

Copyright © by Holt,Rinehart and Winston.All rights reserved.

WO

RDS

FRO

M G

REEK

AND

RO

MAN

MYT

HSM

any

wo

rds

we

use

in E

ng

lish

to

day

co

me

fro

m G

reek

an

d R

om

an m

yth

s. F

or

exam

ple

, a jo

urn

ey o

r q

ues

t is

oft

en c

alle

d a

n o

dys

sey,

nam

ed f

or

the

Od

ysse

y,

the

epic

po

em f

rom

wh

ich

“Th

e C

yclo

ps”

is t

aken

. Oth

er w

ord

s fr

om

“Th

e

Cyc

lop

s” t

hat

hav

e b

een

han

ded

do

wn

are

am

bro

sia,

mea

nin

g “

foo

d o

f th

e

go

ds,

” an

d n

ecta

r,m

ean

ing

“d

rin

k o

f th

e g

od

s.”

Loo

k at

th

e ch

art

bel

ow

to

lear

n o

f o

ther

wo

rds

han

ded

do

wn

fro

m G

reek

an

d R

om

an m

yth

s.

Na

me

s fr

om

Gre

ek

an

d R

om

an

My

ths

En

gli

sh W

ord

s

Cer

es,R

om

an g

od

des

s o

f ag

ricu

ltu

re a

nd

fer

tilit

yce

real

Mo

un

t O

lym

pu

s,le

gen

dar

y h

om

e o

f g

od

s an

d

go

dd

esse

sO

lym

pic

s

Tan

talu

s,ch

arac

ter

fro

m G

reek

myt

h w

ho

se

foo

d a

nd

dri

nk

wer

e ke

pt

just

ou

t o

f h

is r

each

,

as p

un

ish

men

tta

nta

lize

Tita

ns,

race

of

gia

nt

Gre

ek g

od

s an

d g

od

des

ses

wh

o c

ame

bef

ore

th

e O

lym

pia

ns

tita

nic

Vu

lcan

,Ro

man

go

d o

f fi

re a

nd

met

alw

ork

ers

volc

ano

282

Co

llect

ion

10:

Epic

an

d M

yth

Part

1

In a

nci

ent

Gre

ece,

her

oes

in e

pic

po

ems

like

the

Od

ysse

yre

pre

sen

ted

th

e

hig

hes

t va

lues

of

Gre

ek c

ivili

zati

on

. In

Ho

mer

’s d

ay, h

ero

es w

ere

tho

ug

ht

of

as a

sp

ecia

l cla

ss o

f m

en, s

om

ewh

ere

bet

wee

n t

he

go

ds

and

ord

inar

y h

um

an

bei

ng

s. A

s yo

u r

ead

“Th

e C

yclo

ps,

” se

e h

ow

Od

ysse

us

use

s h

is s

pec

ial

qu

alit

ies

to s

ave

him

self

an

d h

is m

en f

rom

bec

om

ing

a m

on

ster

’s m

eal.

LITE

RARY

FO

CUS:

HER

OES

AT

LARG

EEp

ics

are

lon

g n

arra

tive

po

ems

that

tel

l of

the

gre

at d

eed

s o

f a

her

o. I

n a

n

epic

, th

e m

ain

ch

arac

ter

is t

he

her

o. (

In m

any

epic

s th

e h

ero

’s e

nem

y is

als

o

a m

ajo

r ch

arac

ter.)

Her

oes

usu

ally

rep

rese

nt

qu

alit

ies

that

th

eir

soci

ety

adm

ires

. So

me

peo

ple

to

day

, fo

r ex

amp

le, s

ee s

po

rts

star

s, p

op

ula

r si

ng

ers,

gre

at s

cien

tist

s, o

r fi

refi

gh

ters

as

thei

r h

ero

es. I

n e

pic

s to

ld lo

ng

ag

o, t

he

her

oes

are

oft

en s

up

erh

um

an w

arri

ors

, wh

o s

et o

ff o

n jo

urn

eys

to w

in

som

eth

ing

of

gre

at v

alu

e fo

r th

emse

lves

an

d f

or

thei

r p

eop

le.

The

con

flic

ts,o

r st

rug

gle

s b

etw

een

op

po

sin

g f

orc

es, i

n a

n e

pic

are

usu

ally

exte

rnal

,as

the

her

oes

bat

tle

arm

ies,

mo

nst

ers,

or

the

forc

es o

f n

atu

re. E

pic

her

oes

can

als

o f

ace

inte

rnal

co

nfl

icts—

cau

sed

by

fear

, do

ub

t, w

eakn

ess,

and

so

on

.

•Fi

rst,

rea

d “

The

Cyc

lop

s” f

or

enjo

ymen

t. T

hen

, co

nsi

der

wh

at t

he

adve

n-

ture

rev

eals

ab

ou

t th

e va

lues

of

the

anci

ent

Gre

eks.

READ

ING

SKIL

LS:

MO

NITO

R YO

UR C

OM

PREH

ENSI

ON

Go

od

rea

der

s p

ause

occ

asio

nal

ly t

o m

ake

sure

th

ey u

nd

erst

and

wh

at t

hey

hav

e re

ad. W

hen

yo

u r

ead

a lo

ng

, act

ion

-fill

ed p

oem

su

ch a

s th

is o

ne,

it is

imp

ort

ant

to s

tay

on

to

p o

f ev

ents—

to u

nd

erst

and

wh

at is

hap

pen

ing

.

Pau

se d

uri

ng

yo

ur

read

ing

to

ask

yo

urs

elf

the

follo

win

g q

ues

tio

ns:

•W

hat

has

hap

pen

ed s

o f

ar?

•W

hat

has

cau

sed

th

ose

eve

nts

?

•W

hat

are

th

e m

ost

imp

ort

ant

even

ts in

th

is e

pis

od

e?

•W

hen

do

th

e ev

ents

tak

e p

lace

?

•W

hat

mig

ht

hap

pen

nex

t?


“The

Cyc

lops

” fr

om t

he O

dyss

eyby

Hom

er

Lit

era

ry S

kills

Und

erst

and

char

acte

rist

ics

ofep

ic p

oetr

y,in

clud

ing

hero

esan

d th

eir

exte

rnal

conf

licts

.

Readin

gSkills

Mon

itor

you

rco

mpr

ehen

sion

.

Voca

bula

rySkills

Lear

n w

ords

from

Gre

ek a

ndRo

man

myt

hs.

Collection 10Student pages 282–283

144 The Holt Reader: Teacher’s Manual

“We

lit a

fir

e,bu

rnt

an o

ffer

ing,

and

took

som

e ch

eese

to

eat;

then

sat

in s

ilen

ce

arou

nd

the

embe

rs,w

aiti

ng.

Wh

en h

e ca

me

he

had

a lo

ad o

fdr

y bo

ugh

s on

his

sh

ould

er

to s

toke

his

fir

e at

su

pper

tim

e.H

e du

mpe

d it

wit

h a

gre

at c

rash

into

th

at h

ollo

w c

ave,

and

we

all s

catt

ered

fas

t to

th

e fa

r w

all.

Th

en o

ver

the

broa

d ca

vern

flo

or h

e u

sher

ed

the

ewes

he

mea

nt

to m

ilk.H

e le

ft h

is r

ams

and

he-

goat

s in

th

e ya

rd o

uts

ide,

and

swu

ng

hig

h o

verh

ead

a sl

ab o

fso

lid r

ock

to c

lose

th

e ca

ve.T

wo

doze

n f

our-

wh

eele

d w

agon

s,

wit

h h

eavi

ng

wag

on t

eam

s,co

uld

not

hav

e st

irre

d

the

ton

nag

e of

that

roc

k fr

om w

her

e h

e w

edge

d it

over

th

e do

orsi

ll.N

ext

he

took

his

sea

t

and

milk

ed h

is b

leat

ing

ewes

.A p

ract

iced

job

he

mad

e of

it,g

ivin

g ea

ch e

we

her

su

cklin

g;

thic

ken

ed h

is m

ilk,t

hen

,in

to c

urd

s an

d w

hey

,

siev

ed o

ut

the

curd

s to

dri

p in

wit

hy b

aske

ts,1

and

pou

red

the

wh

ey t

o st

and

in b

owls

cool

ing

un

til h

e dr

ank

it f

or h

is s

upp

er.

Wh

en a

ll th

ese

chor

es w

ere

don

e,h

e po

ked

the

fire

,

hea

pin

g on

bru

shw

ood.

In t

he

glar

e h

e sa

w u

s.

‘Str

ange

rs,’

he

said

,‘w

ho

are

you

? A

nd

wh

ere

from

?

Wh

at b

rin

gs y

ou h

ere

by s

eaw

ays—

a fa

ir t

raff

ic?

Or

are

you

wan

deri

ng

rogu

es,w

ho

cast

you

r liv

es

like

dice

,an

d ra

vage

oth

er f

olk

by s

ea?’

We

felt

a p

ress

ure

on

ou

r h

eart

s,in

dre

ad

ofth

at d

eep

rum

ble

and

that

mig

hty

man

.

Bu

t al

l th

e sa

me

I sp

oke

up

in r

eply

:

‘We

are

from

Tro

y,A

chae

ans,

blow

n o

ffco

urs

e

by s

hif

tin

g ga

les

on t

he

Gre

at S

outh

Sea

;

5 10 15 20 25 30


The

Cyc

lop

s

285

1.w

ith

y b

aske

ts:b

aske

ts m

ade

fro

m w

illo

w t

wig

s.

Pau

se a

t lin

e 3.

Od

ysse

us

and

his

men

are

in t

he

cave

of

the

Cyc

lop

s, P

oly

ph

emu

s. T

ow

ho

m d

o t

he

men

bu

rn a

no

ffer

ing

?

Wh

o is

th

e “h

e” in

lin

e 3?

Re-

read

lin

es 5-

23, a

nd

pay

atte

nti

on

to

th

e C

yclo

ps’

sac

tio

ns.

Wh

at q

ual

itie

s d

oes

he

hav

e?

rava

ge

(rav

√ij)

v.:d

estr

oy

vio

len

tly;

ru

in.

the

Cyc

lop

s

to t

he

go

ds

He

is e

no

rmo

usl

y

stro

ng

an

d s

kille

d.

The

Ody

ssey

is t

he s

tory

oft

he a

ttem

pt o

fa G

reek

sol

dier

,Ody

sseu

s,

to r

etur

n to

his

hom

e fo

llow

ing

the

Troj

an W

ar.A

n ep

ic,t

he

Ody

ssey

is c

ompo

sed

ofm

any

diffe

rent

sto

ries

,or

epis

odes

,in

whi

ch t

he h

ero,

Ody

sseu

s,fa

ces

all s

orts

ofc

halle

nges

.

In t

his

adve

ntur

e,O

dyss

eus

desc

ribe

s hi

s en

coun

ter

wit

h th

e

Cyc

lops

,Pol

yphe

mus

(päl≈

i·f≤√m¥s),

Pose

idon

’s on

e-ey

ed m

onst

er

son.

Poly

phem

us m

ay r

epre

sent

the

bru

te fo

rces

tha

t an

y he

ro m

ust

over

com

e be

fore

he

can

reac

h ho

me.

To s

urvi

ve,O

dyss

eus

mus

t re

ly

on t

he s

peci

al in

telli

genc

e as

soci

ated

wit

h hi

s na

me.

Ody

sseu

s is

the

clev

eres

t of

the

Gre

ek h

eroe

s be

caus

e he

is g

uide

d by

the

god

dess

of

wis

dom

,Ath

ena.

It is

Ody

sseu

s’s fa

med

cur

iosi

ty t

hat

lead

s hi

m t

o th

e C

yclo

ps’s

cave

and

tha

t m

akes

him

insi

st o

n w

aiti

ng fo

r th

e ba

rbar

ic g

iant

.

Ody

sseu

s is

spe

akin

g to

the

cour

t ofK

ing

Alc

inou

s (al·sin√£·¥s).


284

Co

llect

ion

10:

Epic

an

d M

yth

Part

1

Ho

mer

tran

slat

ed b

yR

ob

ert

Fitz

ger

ald

The

Cyc

lop

s (d

etai

l) (

late

19t

h o

r ea

rly

20th

cen

tury

) b

y O

dilo

n R

edo

n.

Rijksmuseum Kroller-Muller, Otterlo, the Netherlands. Bridgeman Art Library.

Notes

Notes

Fro

m T

he

Od

ysse

yb

y H

om

er, t

ran

slat

ed b

yR

ob

ert

Fitz

ger

ald

. Co

pyr

igh

t ©

196

1, 1

963

by

Ro

ber

t Fi

tzg

eral

d; c

op

yrig

ht

ren

ewed

© 1

989

by

Ben

edic

t R

. C. F

itzg

eral

d. R

epri

nte

d b

y p

erm

issi

on

of

Farr

ar, S

trau

s &

Gir

ou

x, L

LC.



and

cau

ght

two

in h

is h

ands

like

squ

irm

ing

pupp

ies

to b

eat

thei

r br

ain

s ou

t,sp

atte

rin

g th

e fl

oor.

Th

en h

e di

smem

bere

d th

em a

nd

mad

e h

is m

eal,

gapi

ng

and

cru

nch

ing

like

a m

oun

tain

lion—

ever

yth

ing:

inn

ards

,fle

sh,a

nd

mar

row

bon

es.

We

crie

d al

oud,

lifti

ng

our

han

ds t

o Z

eus,

pow

erle

ss,l

ooki

ng

on a

t th

is,a

ppal

led;

but

Cyc

lops

wen

t on

fill

ing

up

his

bel

ly

wit

h m

anfl

esh

an

d gr

eat

gulp

s of

wh

ey,

then

lay

dow

n li

ke a

mas

t am

ong

his

sh

eep.

My

hea

rt b

eat

hig

h n

ow a

t th

e ch

ance

of

acti

on,

and

draw

ing

the

shar

p sw

ord

from

my

hip

I w

ent

alon

g h

is f

lan

k to

sta

b h

im w

her

e th

e m

idri

ff

hol

ds t

he

liver

.I h

ad t

ouch

ed t

he

spot

wh

en s

udd

en f

ear

stay

ed m

e:if

I ki

lled

him

we

peri

shed

th

ere

as w

ell,

for

we

cou

ld n

ever

mov

e h

is p

onde

rou

s do

orw

ay s

lab

asid

e.

So w

e w

ere

left

to

groa

n a

nd

wai

t fo

r m

orn

ing.

Wh

en t

he

you

ng

Daw

n w

ith

fin

gert

ips

ofro

se

lit u

p th

e w

orld

,th

e C

yclo

ps b

uilt

a f

ire

and

milk

ed h

is h

ands

ome

ewes

,all

in d

ue

orde

r,

putt

ing

the

suck

lings

to

the

mot

her

s.T

hen

,

his

ch

ores

bei

ng

all d

ispa

tch

ed,h

e ca

ugh

t

anot

her

bra

ce3

ofm

en t

o m

ake

his

bre

akfa

st,

and

wh

iske

d aw

ay h

is g

reat

doo

r sl

ab

to le

t h

is s

hee

p go

th

rou

gh—

but

he,

beh

ind,

rese

t th

e st

one

as o

ne

wou

ld c

ap a

qu

iver

.4

Th

ere

was

a d

in o

fw

his

tlin

g as

th

e C

yclo

ps

rou

nde

d h

is f

lock

to

hig

her

gro

un

d,th

en s

tilln

ess.

An

d n

ow I

pon

dere

d h

ow t

o hu

rt h

im w

orst

,

ifbu

t A

then

a gr

ante

d w

hat

I p

raye

d fo

r.

Her

e ar

e th

e m

ean

s I

thou

ght

wou

ld s

erve

my

turn

:

65 70 75 80 85 90


The

Cyc

lop

s

287

3.b

race

(br†

s) n

.:p

air.

4.q

uiv

er(k

wiv

√¥r)

n.:

case

fo

r ar

row

s.

Lin

e 79

co

nta

ins

a fa

mo

us

epit

het—

a g

rou

p o

f w

ord

su

sed

rep

eate

dly

to

des

crib

e a

char

acte

r. H

ow

is D

awn

des

crib

ed in

th

is e

pit

het

?

Pau

se a

t lin

e 87

. Wh

at p

re-

ven

ts O

dys

seu

s an

d h

is m

enfr

om

esc

apin

g w

hen

th

eC

yclo

ps

leav

es?

Ho

w d

oes

Od

ysse

us

sho

wb

oth

his

bra

very

an

d h

isin

telli

gen

ce in

lin

es 7

1-78

?

The

Cyc

lop

s re

pla

ces

the

gre

at s

ton

e sl

ab

bef

ore

th

ey c

an

esca

pe.

He

sho

ws

bra

very

by

his

will

ing

nes

s to

sta

b

the

Cyc

lop

s, a

nd

inte

l-

ligen

ce in

th

inki

ng

abo

ut

the

con

se-

qu

ence

s o

f h

is a

ctio

n

and

dec

idin

g t

o w

ait.

Daw

n is

des

crib

ed a

s a

you

ng

wo

man

wit

h

rosy

fin

ger

tip

s.

hom

ewar

d bo

un

d,bu

t ta

kin

g ro

ute

s an

d w

ays

un

com

mon

;so

the

will

of

Zeu

s w

ould

hav

e it

.

We

serv

ed u

nde

r A

gam

emn

on,s

on o

fA

treu

s2 —

the

wh

ole

wor

ld k

now

s w

hat

cit

y

he

laid

was

te,w

hat

arm

ies

he

dest

roye

d.

It w

as o

ur

luck

to

com

e h

ere;

her

e w

e st

and,

beh

olde

n f

or y

our

hel

p,or

any

gif

ts

you

giv

e—as

cu

stom

is t

o h

onor

str

ange

rs.

We

wou

ld e

ntr

eat

you

,gre

at S

ir,h

ave

a ca

re

for

the

gods

’cou

rtes

y;Z

eus

will

ave

nge

the

un

offe

ndi

ng

gues

t.’

He

answ

ered

th

is

from

his

bru

te c

hes

t,u

nm

oved

:

‘You

are

a n

inny

,

or e

lse

you

com

e fr

om t

he

oth

er e

nd

ofn

owh

ere,

telli

ng

me,

min

d th

e go

ds! W

e C

yclo

pes

care

not

a w

his

tle

for

you

r th

un

deri

ng

Zeu

s

or a

ll th

e go

ds in

blis

s;w

e h

ave

mor

e fo

rce

by f

ar.

I w

ould

not

let

you

go

for

fear

of

Zeu

s—

you

or

you

r fr

ien

ds—

un

less

I h

ad a

wh

im t

o.

Tell

me,

wh

ere

was

it,n

ow,y

ou le

ft y

our

ship—

arou

nd

the

poin

t,or

dow

n t

he

shor

e,I

won

der?

’

He

thou

ght

he’

d fi

nd

out,

but

I sa

w t

hro

ugh

th

is,

and

answ

ered

wit

h a

rea

dy li

e:

‘My

ship

?

Pose

idon

Lor

d,w

ho

sets

th

e ea

rth

atr

embl

e,

brok

e it

up

on t

he

rock

s at

you

r la

nd’

s en

d.

A w

ind

from

sea

war

d se

rved

him

,dro

ve u

s th

ere.

We

are

surv

ivor

s,th

ese

good

men

an

d I.’

Nei

ther

rep

ly n

or p

ity

cam

e fr

om h

im,

but

in o

ne

stri

de h

e cl

utc

hed

at

my

com

pan

ion

s

35 40 45 50 55 60


286

Co

llect

ion

10:

Epic

an

d M

yth

Part

1

Pau

se a

t lin

e 58

. Wh

y d

o y

ou

thin

k O

dys

seu

s lie

s ab

ou

t h

issh

ip?

Pau

se a

t lin

e 50

. Do

es t

he

Cyc

lop

s re

spec

t Ze

us,

as

Od

ysse

us

do

es?

Exp

lain

.

Un

der

line

the

two

gru

eso

me

Ho

mer

ic s

imile

s—ex

ten

ded

com

par

iso

ns

usi

ng

like

or

as—

in li

nes

59-

65.

Ho

spit

alit

y to

str

ang

ers

was

extr

emel

y im

po

rtan

t to

th

ean

cien

t G

reek

s. R

e-re

ad li

nes

38-

43, a

nd

un

der

line

the

wo

rds

that

tel

l wh

at w

illh

app

en if

th

e C

yclo

ps

do

esn

ot

trea

t th

e G

reek

s w

ell.

2.A

gam

emn

on

(ag

≈¥·m

em√n

än≈)

; Atr

eus

(†√t

r≤·¥

s).

No

; th

e C

yclo

ps

has

no

resp

ect

for

the

go

ds;

he

says

he

and

his

kin

d a

re s

tro

ng

er t

han

the

go

ds.

He

do

esn

’t w

ant

the

Cyc

lop

s to

des

tro

y th

e

ship

; he

wan

ts t

he

Cyc

lop

s to

pit

y th

em

and

tre

at t

hem

wel

l.



‘Cyc

lops

,try

som

e w

ine.

Her

e’s

liqu

or t

o w

ash

dow

n y

our

scra

ps o

fm

en.

Tast

e it

,an

d se

e th

e ki

nd

ofdr

ink

we

carr

ied

un

der

our

plan

ks.I

mea

nt

it f

or a

n o

ffer

ing

ifyo

u w

ould

hel

p u

s h

ome.

Bu

t yo

u a

re m

ad,

un

bear

able

,a b

lood

y m

onst

er! A

fter

th

is,

will

any

oth

er t

rave

ler

com

e to

see

you

?’

He

seiz

ed a

nd

drai

ned

th

e bo

wl,

and

it w

ent

dow

n

so f

iery

an

d sm

ooth

he

calle

d fo

r m

ore:

‘Giv

e m

e an

oth

er,t

han

k yo

u k

indl

y.Te

ll m

e,

how

are

you

cal

led?

I’ll

mak

e a

gift

will

ple

ase

you

.

Even

Cyc

lope

s kn

ow t

he

win

e gr

apes

gro

w

out

ofgr

assl

and

and

loam

in h

eave

n’s

rain

,

but

her

e’s

a bi

t of

nec

tar

and

ambr

osia

!’

Th

ree

bow

ls I

bro

ugh

t h

im,a

nd

he

pou

red

them

dow

n.

I sa

w t

he

fudd

le a

nd

flu

sh c

ome

over

him

,

then

I s

ang

out

in c

ordi

al t

ones

:

125

130

135


The

Cyc

lop

s

289

Notes

Notes

Od

ysse

us

han

din

gth

e d

rin

k to

Poly

ph

emu

s.R

elie

f o

n a

Gre

cian

mar

ble

sarc

op

hag

us

(1st

cen

tury

A.D

.).

Mu

seo

Arc

heo

log

ico

Naz

ion

ale,

Nap

les,

Ital

y.A

rt R

eso

urc

e, N

Y.

Un

der

line

the alliteration—

rep

etit

ion

of

con

son

ant

sou

nd

s in

wo

rds

clo

seto

get

her—

in li

ne

138.

Her

efu

dd

le m

ean

s “d

run

ken

nes

s.”

Pau

se a

t lin

e 12

6. W

hy

do

you

th

ink

Od

ysse

us

off

ers

the

Cyc

lop

s w

ine?

Od

ysse

us

wan

ts t

o g

et

the

Cyc

lop

s d

run

k so

he’

ll b

e ea

sier

to

atta

ck.

a cl

ub,

or s

taff

,lay

th

ere

alon

g th

e fo

ld—

an o

live

tree

,fel

led

gree

n a

nd

left

to

seas

on

for

Cyc

lops

’han

d.A

nd

it w

as li

ke a

mas

t

a lu

gger

5of

twen

ty o

ars,

broa

d in

th

e be

am—

a de

ep-s

eago

ing

craf

t—m

igh

t ca

rry:

so lo

ng,

so b

ig a

rou

nd,

it s

eem

ed.N

ow I

chop

ped

out

a si

x-fo

ot s

ecti

on o

fth

is p

ole

and

set

it d

own

bef

ore

my

men

,wh

o sc

rape

d it

;

and

wh

en t

hey

had

it s

moo

th,I

hew

ed a

gain

to m

ake

a st

ake

wit

h p

oin

ted

end.

I h

eld

this

in t

he

fire

’s h

eart

an

d tu

rned

it,t

ough

enin

g it

,

then

hid

it,w

ell b

ack

in t

he

cave

rn,u

nde

r

one

ofth

e du

ng

pile

s in

pro

fusi

onth

ere.

Now

cam

e th

e ti

me

to t

oss

for

it:w

ho

ven

ture

d

alon

g w

ith

me?

Wh

ose

han

d co

uld

bea

r to

th

rust

and

grin

d th

at s

pike

in C

yclo

ps’e

ye,w

hen

mild

slee

p h

ad m

aste

red

him

? A

s lu

ck w

ould

hav

e it

,

the

men

I w

ould

hav

e ch

osen

won

th

e to

ss—

fou

r st

ron

g m

en,a

nd

I m

ade

five

as

capt

ain

.

At

even

ing

cam

e th

e sh

eph

erd

wit

h h

is f

lock

,

his

woo

lly f

lock

.Th

e ra

ms

as w

ell,

this

tim

e,

ente

red

the

cave

:by

som

e sh

eeph

erdi

ng

wh

im—

or a

god

’s b

iddi

ng—

non

e w

ere

left

ou

tsid

e.

He

hef

ted

his

gre

at b

ould

er in

to p

lace

and

sat

him

dow

n t

o m

ilk t

he

blea

tin

g ew

es

in p

rope

r or

der,

put

the

lam

bs t

o su

ck,

and

swif

tly

ran

th

rou

gh a

ll h

is e

ven

ing

chor

es.

Th

en h

e ca

ugh

t tw

o m

ore

men

an

d fe

aste

d on

th

em.

My

mom

ent

was

at

han

d,an

d I

wen

t fo

rwar

d

hol

din

g an

ivy

bow

l of

my

dark

dri

nk,

look

ing

up,

sayi

ng:

95 100

105

110

115

120


288

Co

llect

ion

10:

Epic

an

d M

yth

Part

1

5.lu

gg

er(l

ug

√¥r)

n.:

typ

e o

f sa

ilbo

at.

Pau

se a

t lin

e 10

5. W

hat

do

Od

ysse

us

and

his

men

do

wit

h t

he

oliv

e tr

ee t

hey

fin

din

th

e C

yclo

ps’

s ca

ve?

pro

fusi

on

(pr£

·fyº

√¤¥n

) n

.:la

rge

sup

ply

; ab

un

dan

ce.

Pau

se a

t lin

e 11

1. A

pp

aren

tly,

it w

as t

he

cust

om

am

on

g t

he

anci

ent

Gre

eks

for

men

to

toss

co

ins,

dic

e, o

r so

met

hin

gel

se f

or

the

ho

no

r o

f p

arti

ci-

pat

ing

in a

dan

ger

ou

s ta

sk.

Wh

y is

Od

ysse

us

hap

py

wit

hth

e o

utc

om

e?

They

car

ve it

an

d

har

den

it in

to a

sh

arp

stak

e.

The

men

he

wo

uld

hav

e ch

ose

n w

on

th

e

toss

.



In a

sm

ithy

6

one

sees

a w

hit

e-h

ot a

xhea

d or

an

adz

e7

plu

nge

d an

d w

run

g in

a c

old

tub,

scre

ech

ing

stea

m—

the

way

th

ey m

ake

soft

iron

hal

e an

d h

ard—

just

so

that

eye

ball

his

sed

arou

nd

the

spik

e.

Th

e C

yclo

ps b

ello

wed

an

d th

e ro

ck r

oare

d ro

un

d h

im,

and

we

fell

back

in f

ear.

Cla

win

g h

is f

ace

he

tugg

ed t

he

bloo

dy s

pike

ou

t of

his

eye

,

thre

w it

aw

ay,a

nd

his

wild

han

ds w

ent

grop

ing;

then

he

set

up

a h

owl f

or C

yclo

pes

wh

o liv

ed in

cav

es o

n w

indy

pea

ks n

earb

y.

Som

e h

eard

him

;an

d th

ey c

ame

by d

iver

s8w

ays

to c

lum

p ar

oun

d ou

tsid

e an

d ca

ll:

‘Wh

at a

ils y

ou,

Poly

phem

us?

Why

do

you

cry

so

sore

in t

he

star

ry n

igh

t? Y

ou w

ill n

ot le

t u

s sl

eep.

Sure

no

man

’s d

rivi

ng

off

you

r fl

ock?

No

man

has

tri

cked

you

,ru

ined

you

?’

Ou

t of

the

cave

the

mam

mot

h P

olyp

hem

us

roar

ed in

an

swer

:

‘Noh

bdy,

Noh

bdy’

s tr

icke

d m

e.N

ohbd

y’s

ruin

ed m

e!’

To t

his

rou

gh s

hou

t th

ey m

ade

a sa

ge9

repl

y:

‘Ah

wel

l,if

nob

ody

has

pla

yed

you

fou

l

ther

e in

you

r lo

nel

y be

d,w

e ar

e n

o u

se in

pai

n

give

n b

y gr

eat

Zeu

s.Le

t it

be

you

r fa

ther

,

Pose

idon

Lor

d,to

wh

om y

ou p

ray.’

So s

ayin

g

they

tra

iled

away

.An

d I

was

fill

ed w

ith

lau

ghte

r

to s

ee h

ow li

ke a

ch

arm

th

e n

ame

dece

ived

th

em.

170

175

180

185

190


The

Cyc

lop

s

291

Rea

d t

he

bo

xed

pas

sag

eal

ou

d t

wic

e. O

n y

ou

r fi

rst

read

ing

, pau

se a

t th

e en

d o

fa

line

if it

en

ds

in p

un

ctu

a-ti

on

. Rea

d o

n w

hen

th

e lin

ed

oes

no

t en

d w

ith

a c

om

ma,

das

h, s

emic

olo

n, c

olo

n, o

rp

erio

d. O

n y

ou

r se

con

d r

ead

-in

g, f

ocu

s o

n r

ead

ing

wit

hex

pre

ssio

n.

Re-

read

lin

es 1

78-

191.

Wh

ath

app

ens

wh

en P

oly

ph

emu

s’s

fello

w C

yclo

pes

co

me

to h

isai

d?

6.sm

ith

y (s

mi‚

√≤)

n.:

bla

cksm

ith

’s sh

op

, wh

ere

iro

n t

oo

ls a

re m

ade.

7.ad

ze(a

dz)

n.:

axlik

e to

ol w

ith

a lo

ng

, cu

rved

bla

de.

8.d

iver

s(d

¢√v¥

rz)

adj.:

div

erse

; var

iou

s.9.

sag

e(s

†j)

adj.:

wis

e.

They

th

ink

Poly

ph

emu

s te

lls t

hem

that

no

bo

dy

has

hu

rt

him

, so

th

ey g

o a

way

.

‘Cyc

lops

,

you

ask

my

hon

orab

le n

ame?

Rem

embe

r

the

gift

you

pro

mis

ed m

e,an

d I

shal

l tel

l you

.

My

nam

e is

Noh

bdy:

mot

her

,fat

her

,an

d fr

ien

ds,

ever

yon

e ca

lls m

e N

ohbd

y.’

An

d h

e sa

id:

‘Noh

bdy’

s m

y m

eat,

then

,aft

er I

eat

his

fri

ends

.

Oth

ers

com

e fi

rst.

Th

ere’

s a

nob

le g

ift,

now

.’

Even

as

he

spok

e,h

e re

eled

an

d tu

mbl

ed b

ackw

ard,

his

gre

at h

ead

lolli

ng

to o

ne

side

;an

d sl

eep

took

him

like

any

cre

atu

re.D

run

k,h

iccu

pin

g,

he

drib

bled

str

eam

s of

liqu

or a

nd

bits

of

men

.

Now

,by

the

gods

,I d

rove

my

big

han

d sp

ike

deep

in t

he

embe

rs,c

har

rin

g it

aga

in,

and

chee

red

my

men

alo

ng

wit

h b

attl

e ta

lk

to k

eep

thei

r co

ura

ge u

p:n

o qu

itti

ng

now

.

Th

e pi

ke o

fol

ive,

gree

n t

hou

gh it

had

bee

n,

redd

ened

an

d gl

owed

as

ifab

out

to c

atch

.

I dr

ew it

fro

m t

he

coal

s an

d m

y fo

ur

fello

ws

gave

me

a h

and,

lugg

ing

it n

ear

the

Cyc

lops

as m

ore

than

nat

ura

l for

ce n

erve

d th

em;s

trai

ght

forw

ard

they

spr

inte

d,lif

ted

it,a

nd

ram

med

it

deep

in h

is c

rate

r ey

e,an

d I

lean

ed o

n it

turn

ing

it a

s a

ship

wri

ght

turn

s a

drill

in p

lan

kin

g,h

avin

g m

en b

elow

to

swin

g

the

two-

han

dled

str

ap t

hat

spi

ns

it in

th

e gr

oove

.

So w

ith

ou

r br

and

we

bore

d th

at g

reat

eye

soc

ket

wh

ile b

lood

ran

ou

t ar

oun

d th

e re

d-h

ot b

ar.

Eye

lid a

nd

lash

wer

e se

ared

;th

e pi

erce

d ba

ll

his

sed

broi

ling,

and

the

root

s po

pped

.

140

145

150

155

160

165


290

Co

llect

ion

10:

Epic

an

d M

yth

Part

1

Pau

se a

t lin

e 14

3. O

dys

seu

sd

oes

n’t

tel

l th

e C

yclo

ps

his

real

nam

e. U

nd

erlin

e th

en

ame

he

use

s. W

hat

wo

rdd

oes

th

e n

ame

sou

nd

like

?

Wh

at h

app

ens

in li

nes

14

6-16

7?

Un

der

line

the

exte

nd

ed

sim

iles

in li

nes

160-

163

and

166-

171,

wh

ich

use

gru

e-so

me

com

par

iso

ns

to h

elp

you

see

ho

w t

he

eye

isg

ou

ged

ou

t.

It s

ou

nd

s lik

e

“no

bo

dy.

”

The

Cyc

lop

s p

asse

s o

ut

dru

nk.

Od

ysse

us

char

s

the

stak

e in

th

e fi

re,

chee

rs o

n h

is m

en, a

nd

wit

h f

ou

r h

elp

ers,

gri

nd

s o

ut

the

Cyc

lop

s’s

eye.



and

hun

g m

ysel

fu

nde

r h

is k

inky

bel

ly,

pulle

d u

p ti

ght,

wit

h f

inge

rs t

wis

ted

deep

in s

hee

pski

n r

ingl

ets

for

an ir

on g

rip.

So,b

reat

hin

g h

ard,

we

wai

ted

un

til m

orn

ing.

Wh

en D

awn

spr

ead

out

her

fin

gert

ips

ofro

se

the

ram

s be

gan

to

stir

,mov

ing

for

past

ure

,

and

peal

s of

blea

tin

g ec

hoe

d ro

un

d th

e pe

ns

wh

ere

dam

s w

ith

udd

ers

full

calle

d fo

r a

milk

ing.

Blin

ded,

and

sick

wit

h p

ain

fro

m h

is h

ead

wou

nd,

the

mas

ter

stro

ked

each

ram

,th

en le

t it

pas

s,

but

my

men

rid

ing

on t

he

pect

oral

fle

ece10

the

gian

t’s b

lind

han

ds b

lun

deri

ng

nev

er f

oun

d.

Last

of

them

all

my

ram

,th

e le

ader

,cam

e,

wei

ghte

d by

woo

l an

d m

e w

ith

my

med

itat

ion

s.

Th

e C

yclo

ps p

atte

d h

im,a

nd

then

he

said

:

‘Sw

eet

cou

sin

ram

,why

lag

beh

ind

the

rest

in t

he

nig

ht

cave

? Yo

u n

ever

lin

ger

so,

but

graz

e be

fore

th

em a

ll,an

d go

afa

r

to c

rop

swee

t gr

ass,

and

take

you

r st

atel

y w

ay

lead

ing

alon

g th

e st

ream

s,u

nti

l at

even

ing

you

ru

n t

o be

th

e fi

rst

one

in t

he

fold

.

Why

,now

,so

far

beh

ind?

Can

you

be

grie

vin

g

over

you

r M

aste

r’s

eye?

Th

at c

arri

on r

ogu

e11

and

his

acc

urs

t co

mpa

nio

ns

burn

t it

ou

t

wh

en h

e h

ad c

onqu

ered

all

my

wit

s w

ith

win

e.

Noh

bdy

will

not

get

ou

t al

ive,

I sw

ear.

Oh

,had

you

bra

in a

nd

voic

e to

tel

l

wh

ere

he

may

be

now

,dod

gin

g al

l my

fury

!

Bas

hed

by

this

han

d an

d ba

shed

on

th

is r

ock

wal

l

his

bra

ins

wou

ld s

trew

th

e fl

oor,

and

I sh

ould

hav

e

rest

fro

m t

he

outr

age

Noh

bdy

wor

ked

upo

n m

e.’

215

220

225

230

235

240


The

Cyc

lop

s

293

Pau

se a

t lin

e 21

4. W

hat

isO

dys

seu

s’s

pla

n t

o s

ave

him

-se

lf a

nd

his

men

?

Re-

read

lin

es 2

26-

232.

Ho

wis

th

e C

yclo

ps’

s tr

eatm

ent

of

his

ram

dif

fere

nt

fro

m h

istr

eatm

ent

of

the

Gre

eks?

10.

pec

tora

l fle

ece:

wo

ol o

n a

n a

nim

al’s

ch

est.

11.

carr

ion

ro

gu

e:ro

tten

sco

un

dre

l. C

arri

on

is d

ecay

ing

fle

sh.

He

spea

ks k

ind

ly t

o

the

ram

an

d p

ets

him

;

he

eats

th

e G

reek

s.

He

and

his

men

will

hid

e th

emse

lves

un

der

the

ram

s an

d e

scap

e

wh

en t

he

Cyc

lop

s le

ts

his

flo

ck o

ut

in t

he

mo

rnin

g.

Now

Cyc

lops

,wh

eezi

ng

as t

he

pain

cam

e on

him

,

fum

bled

to

wre

nch

aw

ay t

he

grea

t do

orst

one

and

squ

atte

d in

th

e br

each

wit

h a

rms

thro

wn

wid

e

for

any

silly

bea

st o

r m

an w

ho

bolt

ed—

hop

ing

som

ehow

I m

igh

t be

su

ch a

foo

l.

Bu

t I

kept

th

inki

ng

how

to

win

th

e ga

me:

deat

h s

at t

her

e hu

ge;h

ow c

ould

we

slip

aw

ay?

I dr

ew o

n a

ll m

y w

its,

and

ran

th

rou

gh t

acti

cs,

reas

onin

g as

a m

an w

ill f

or d

ear

life,

un

til a

tri

ck c

ame—

and

it p

leas

ed m

e w

ell.

Th

e C

yclo

ps’r

ams

wer

e h

ands

ome,

fat,

wit

h h

eavy

flee

ces,

a da

rk v

iole

t.

Th

ree

abre

ast

I ti

ed t

hem

sile

ntl

y to

geth

er,t

win

ing

cord

s of

will

ow f

rom

th

e og

re’s

bed

;

then

slu

ng

a m

an u

nde

r ea

ch m

iddl

e on

e

to r

ide

ther

e sa

fely

,sh

ield

ed le

ft a

nd

righ

t.

So t

hre

e sh

eep

cou

ld c

onve

y ea

ch m

an.I

too

k

the

woo

llies

t ra

m,t

he

choi

cest

of

the

floc

k,

195

200

205

210


292

Co

llect

ion

10:

Epic

an

d M

yth

Part

1

Od

ysse

us

esca

pin

g t

he

cave

of

Poly

ph

emu

s u

nd

er t

he

bel

ly o

f th

era

m. D

etai

l fro

m a

kra

ter,

a ve

ssel

for

ho

ldin

g w

ine

(c. 5

10 B

.C.)

.B

adis

ches

Lan

des

mu

seu

m,

Kar

lsru

he,

Ger

man

y.

Pau

se a

t lin

e 20

2. W

hat

ch

arac

ter

trai

th

elp

sO

dys

seu

s d

efea

t th

e C

yclo

ps?

His

inte

llig

ence

hel

ps

him

. Od

ysse

us

is

kno

wn

fo

r h

is c

leve

r-

nes

s.



‘God

sake

,Cap

tain

!

Why

bai

t th

e be

ast

agai

n?

Let

him

alo

ne!

’

‘Th

at t

idal

wav

e h

e m

ade

on t

he

firs

t th

row

all b

ut

beac

hed

us.’

‘All

but

stov

e u

s in

!’

‘Giv

e h

im o

ur

bear

ing

wit

h y

our

tru

mpe

tin

g,

he’

ll ge

t th

e ra

nge

an

d lo

b12a

bou

lder

.’

‘Aye

He’

ll sm

ash

ou

r ti

mbe

rs a

nd

our

hea

ds t

oget

her

!’

I w

ould

not

hee

d th

em in

my

glor

yin

g sp

irit

,

but

let

my

ange

r fl

are

and

yelle

d:

‘Cyc

lops

,

ifev

er m

orta

l man

inqu

ire

how

you

wer

e pu

t to

sh

ame

and

blin

ded,

tell

him

Ody

sseu

s,ra

ider

of

citi

es,t

ook

you

r ey

e:

Laer

tes’

son

,wh

ose

hom

e’s

on I

thac

a!’

At

this

he

gave

a m

igh

ty s

ob a

nd

rum

bled

:

‘Now

com

es t

he

wei

rd13

upo

n m

e,sp

oken

of

old.

A w

izar

d,gr

and

and

won

drou

s,liv

ed h

ere—

Tele

mu

s,14

a so

n o

fE

ury

mu

s;15

grea

t le

ngt

h o

fda

ys

he

had

in w

izar

dry

amon

g th

e C

yclo

pes,

and

thes

e th

ings

he

fore

told

for

tim

e to

com

e:

my

grea

t ey

e lo

st,a

nd

at O

dyss

eus’

han

ds.

Alw

ays

I h

ad in

min

d so

me

gian

t,ar

med

in g

ian

t fo

rce,

wou

ld c

ome

agai

nst

me

her

e.

Bu

t th

is,b

ut

you—

smal

l,pi

tifu

l,an

d tw

iggy—

you

pu

t m

e do

wn

wit

h w

ine,

you

blin

ded

me.

280

285

290

295


The

Cyc

lop

s

295

Pau

se a

t lin

e 29

8.Po

lyp

hem

us

had

bee

nw

arn

edb

y a

wiz

ard

th

atO

dys

seu

s w

ou

ld b

lind

him

. In

wh

at w

ays

is O

dys

seu

s d

iffe

r-en

t fr

om

th

e at

tack

er t

he

Cyc

lop

s h

ad im

agin

ed?

Od

ysse

us

ign

ore

s h

is m

en’s

advi

ce a

nd

co

nti

nu

es t

ota

un

t th

e C

yclo

ps

in li

nes

282-

287.

Wh

at d

oes

Od

ysse

us’

s b

ehav

ior

reve

alab

ou

t h

im?

Od

ysse

us’

s m

en s

pea

k fo

r th

efi

rst

tim

e in

lin

es 2

75-

281.

Wh

at is

th

eir

reac

tio

n t

oth

eir

cap

tain

’s b

ehav

ior?

12.

lob

(lä

b)

v.:t

oss

.13

.w

eird

(wir

d)

n.:

fate

.14

.Te

lem

us

(tel

√¥·m

¥s).

15.

Eury

mu

s (y

º√r

≤·m

¥s).

They

are

an

gry

wit

h

him

fo

r sh

ow

ing

off

and

en

dan

ger

ing

th

eir

lives

.

Od

ysse

us

crav

es g

lory

;

he

can

be

care

less

of

his

men

’s li

ves;

he

wan

ts v

eng

ean

ce.

The

Cyc

lop

s h

ad im

ag-

ined

a m

igh

ty g

ian

t as

his

att

acke

r; in

stea

d h

e

reg

ard

s O

dys

seu

s as

“sm

all,

pit

ifu

l, an

d

twig

gy.

”

He

sen

t u

s in

to t

he

open

,th

en.C

lose

by,

I dr

oppe

d an

d ro

lled

clea

r of

the

ram

’s b

elly

,

goin

g th

is w

ay a

nd

that

to

un

tie

the

men

.

Wit

h m

any

glan

ces

back

,we

rou

nde

d u

p

his

fat

,sti

ff-l

egge

d sh

eep

to t

ake

aboa

rd,

and

drov

e th

em d

own

to

wh

ere

the

good

sh

ip la

y.

We

saw

,as

we

cam

e n

ear,

our

fello

ws’

face

s

shin

ing;

then

we

saw

th

em t

urn

to

grie

f

tally

ing

thos

e w

ho

had

not

fle

d fr

om d

eath

.

I hu

shed

th

em,j

erki

ng

hea

d an

d ey

ebro

ws

up,

and

in a

low

voi

ce t

old

them

:‘Lo

ad t

his

her

d;

mov

e fa

st,a

nd

put

the

ship

’s h

ead

tow

ard

the

brea

kers

.’

Th

ey a

ll pi

tch

ed in

at

load

ing,

then

em

bark

ed

and

stru

ck t

hei

r oa

rs in

to t

he

sea.

Far

out,

as f

ar o

ffsh

ore

as s

hou

ted

wor

ds w

ould

car

ry,

I se

nt

a fe

w b

ack

to t

he

adve

rsar

y:

‘O C

yclo

ps! W

ould

you

fea

st o

n m

y co

mpa

nio

ns?

Pu

ny,a

m I

,in

a C

avem

an’s

han

ds?

How

do

you

like

th

e be

atin

g th

at w

e ga

ve y

ou,

you

dam

ned

can

nib

al?

Eat

er o

fgu

ests

un

der

you

r ro

of! Z

eus

and

the

gods

hav

e pa

id y

ou!’

Th

e bl

ind

thin

g in

his

dou

bled

fu

ry b

roke

a h

illto

p in

his

han

ds a

nd

hea

ved

it a

fter

us.

Ah

ead

ofou

r bl

ack

prow

it s

tru

ck a

nd

san

k

wh

elm

ed in

a s

pum

ing

geys

er,a

gia

nt

wav

e

that

was

hed

th

e sh

ip s

tern

for

emos

t ba

ck t

o sh

ore.

I go

t th

e lo

nge

st b

oath

ook

out

and

stoo

d

fen

din

g u

s of

f,w

ith

fu

riou

s n

ods

to a

ll

to p

ut

thei

r ba

cks

into

a r

acin

g st

roke—

row

,row

or

peri

sh.S

o th

e lo

ng

oars

ben

t

kick

ing

the

foam

ste

rnw

ard,

mak

ing

hea

d

un

til w

e dr

ew a

way

,an

d tw

ice

as f

ar.

Now

wh

en I

cu

pped

my

han

ds I

hea

rd t

he

crew

in lo

w v

oice

s pr

otes

tin

g:

245

250

255

260

265

270

275


294

Co

llect

ion

10:

Epic

an

d M

yth

Part

1

Wh

at is

hap

pen

ing

in li

nes

242-

255?

Pau

se a

t lin

e 27

1. W

hat

hap

-p

ens

wh

en O

dys

seu

s ta

un

tsth

e C

yclo

ps?

adve

rsar

y(a

d√v

¥r·s

er≈≤

) n

.:en

emy;

op

po

nen

t.

Od

ysse

us

and

his

men

hav

e es

cap

ed f

rom

th

e

Cyc

lop

s. T

hey

ste

al h

is

shee

p a

nd

set

sai

l fro

m

his

isla

nd

.

Cyc

lop

s th

row

s a

hill

top

in f

ron

t o

f

Od

ysse

us’

s b

oat

, cau

s-

ing

a w

ave

that

sen

ds

them

bac

k to

sh

ore

.

Od

ysse

us

pu

shes

th

em

off

wit

h a

bo

ath

oo

k,

and

th

e m

en r

ow

th

e

bo

at b

ack

ou

t to

sea

.



The

Cyc

lop

s

297

The

Cycl

ops

Her

o Ch

art

Wh

at m

akes

a h

ero?

Lis

ted

in t

he

left

-han

d co

lum

n o

fth

e ch

art

belo

w a

re s

ome

her

oic

trai

ts.G

ive

exam

ples

fro

m “

Th

e C

yclo

ps”

to s

how

wh

eth

er o

r n

ot O

dyss

eus

disp

lays

th

ese

trai

ts.A

t th

e bo

ttom

of

the

char

t is

a

row

for

wea

knes

ses.

Ifyo

u f

ind

wea

knes

ses

in O

dyss

eus,

cite

det

ails

fro

m t

he

stor

y to

su

ppor

t yo

ur

opin

ion

.


Inte

llig

ence

an

d r

eso

urc

efu

lnes

s

Bra

very

an

d lo

yalt

y

Wea

knes

ses

Stre

ng

th

De

tail

s fr

om

“Th

e C

ycl

op

s”K

ey

Tra

its

of

a H

ero

He

wit

hh

old

s in

form

atio

n a

bo

ut

his

ship

. He

tells

th

e C

yclo

ps

that

his

nam

e is

No

hb

dy.

He

thin

ks u

p a

pla

no

f es

cap

e. H

e fo

rges

a s

take

fro

m a

no

live

tree

. He

get

s th

e C

yclo

ps

dru

nk.

He

use

s th

e ra

ms

to c

arry

his

men

ou

t o

f th

e ca

ve.

He

stab

s th

e C

yclo

ps

wit

h t

he

hu

ge

stak

e. H

e p

ush

es t

he

ship

ou

t o

fd

ang

er w

ith

a b

oat

ho

ok.

He

stab

s th

e C

yclo

ps

in t

he

eye.

He

spea

ks u

p t

o t

he

Cyc

lop

s an

d t

hre

at-

ens

him

. He

pro

mo

tes

and

fig

hts

fo

rth

e re

pu

tati

on

of

his

go

ds.

He

trie

sto

res

cue

as m

any

of

his

men

as

he

can

.

He

is p

rou

d a

nd

ven

gef

ul.

He

giv

esin

to

bu

llyin

g a

nd

tau

nti

ng

th

eg

ian

t, c

ausi

ng

th

e C

yclo

ps

to p

ut

ate

rrib

le c

urs

e o

n h

im a

nd

his

men

.

Com

e ba

ck,O

dyss

eus,

and

I’ll

trea

t yo

u w

ell,

pray

ing

the

god

ofea

rth

quak

e to

bef

rien

d yo

u—

his

son

I a

m,f

or h

e by

his

avo

wal

fath

ered

me,

and,

ifh

e w

ill,h

e m

ay

hea

l me

ofth

is b

lack

wou

nd—

he

and

no

oth

er

ofal

l th

e h

appy

god

s or

mor

tal m

en.’

Few

wor

ds I

sh

oute

d in

rep

ly t

o h

im:

‘If

I co

uld

tak

e yo

ur

life

I w

ould

an

d ta

ke

you

r ti

me

away

,an

d hu

rl y

ou d

own

to

hel

l!

Th

e go

d of

eart

hqu

ake

cou

ld n

ot h

eal y

ou t

her

e!’

At

this

he

stre

tch

ed h

is h

ands

ou

t in

his

dar

knes

s

tow

ard

the

sky

ofst

ars,

and

pray

ed P

osei

don

:

‘O h

ear

me,

lord

,blu

e gi

rdle

r of

the

isla

nds

,

ifI

am t

hin

e in

deed

,an

d th

ou a

rt f

ath

er:

gran

t th

at O

dyss

eus,

raid

er o

fci

ties

,nev

er

see

his

hom

e:La

erte

s’so

n,I

mea

n,

wh

o ke

pt h

is h

all o

n I

thac

a.Sh

ould

des

tiny

inte

nd

that

he

shal

l see

his

roo

fag

ain

amon

g h

is f

amily

in h

is f

ath

erla

nd,

far

be t

hat

day

,an

d da

rk t

he

year

s be

twee

n.

Let

him

lose

all

com

pan

ion

s,an

d re

turn

un

der

stra

nge

sai

l to

bitt

er d

ays

at h

ome.

’...

”

300

305

310

315

320


296

Co

llect

ion

10:

Epic

an

d M

yth

Part

1

Pau

se a

t lin

e 30

8. T

he

Cyc

lop

s h

as a

sked

Od

ysse

us

to c

om

e b

ack

and

say

s h

e’ll

trea

t h

im w

ell.

Un

der

line

Od

ysse

us’

s re

ply

. Th

en, r

ead

on

an

d u

nd

erlin

e th

eC

yclo

ps’

s cu

rse

on

Od

ysse

us

and

his

men

.

Rev

iew

th

e C

yclo

ps’

s cu

rse.

Wh

at m

igh

t h

app

en n

ext?

The

curs

e m

ay in

dee

d

com

e tr

ue.

Od

ysse

us

may

sti

ll h

ave

a lo

ng

and

har

d jo

urn

ey

ho

me

to It

hac

a; h

e

may

fin

d t

rou

ble

s

wh

en h

e g

ets

ho

me.



The

Cyc

lop

s

299

Skill

s Re

view

Skill

s Re

view

1.V

ulc

ana.

Oly

mp

ics

2.C

eres

b.

tan

taliz

e

3.M

ou

nt

Oly

mp

us

c.ti

tan

ic

4.Ti

tan

sd

.ce

real

5.Ta

nta

lus

e.vo

lcan

o

Wor

ds f

rom

Myt

hsM

yth

s o

ften

att

emp

t to

exp

lain

th

e m

yste

ries

of

nat

ure

, th

e o

rig

ins

of

ritu

als,

an

d t

he

rela

tio

nsh

ips

bet

wee

n g

od

s an

d h

um

ans.

Man

y w

ord

s fr

om

Gre

ek a

nd

Ro

man

myt

hs

live

on

in t

he

Eng

lish

lan

gu

age.

Fo

r ex

amp

le, s

om

e

com

mo

n E

ng

lish

wo

rds

are

der

ived

fro

m t

he

nam

es o

f G

reek

an

d R

om

an

go

ds

and

go

dd

esse

s.

DIR

ECTI

ON

S:M

atch

eac

h G

reek

or

Ro

man

go

d’s

or

go

dd

ess’

s n

ame

or

ho

me

wit

h t

he

Eng

lish

wo

rd t

hat

is d

eriv

ed f

rom

it.

The

Cycl

ops

Voca

bula

ry i

n Co

ntex

t

DIR

ECTI

ON

S:C

om

ple

te t

he

par

agra

ph

bel

ow

by

wri

tin

g a

wo

rd f

rom

th

e

wo

rd b

ox

to f

it e

ach

nu

mb

ered

bla

nk.

Use

eac

h w

ord

on

ly o

nce

.

rava

ge

pro

fusi

on

adve

rsar

y

Wor

d Bo

xW

ord

Box

As

the

epic

po

em t

he

Od

ysse

yre

veal

s, O

dys

seu

s h

ad m

ore

th

an o

ne

(1)

. In

fac

t, h

e h

ad a

(2)

of

enem

ies,

bo

th m

on

ster

s an

d m

en—

and

eve

n g

od

s. S

om

e o

f h

is e

nem

ies

hat

ed O

dys

seu

s so

mu

ch t

hey

act

ual

ly w

ante

d t

o

(3)

him

an

d h

is m

en, w

hile

oth

ers

wer

e co

nte

nt

to

pre

ven

t h

im f

rom

rea

chin

g h

om

e.


Voca

bula

rySkills

Iden

tify

wor

dsfr

om G

reek

and

Rom

an m

yths

.U

se w

ords

inco

ntex

t.

e d a c b

rava

ge

pro

fusi

on

adve

rsar

y

Co

mp

lete

th

e sa

mp

le t

est

item

bel

ow

. Th

e b

ox

at t

he

rig

ht

exp

lain

s w

hy

thre

e o

f th

e

cho

ices

are

no

t co

rrec

t.

The

Cycl

ops

Skill

s Re

view

Skill

s Re

view

298

Co

llect

ion

10:

Epic

an

d M

yth

Part

1

Ex

pla

na

tio

n o

f th

e C

orr

ect

An

swe

r

The

corr

ect

answ

er is

D; i

t o

ffer

s th

e

mo

st in

form

atio

n a

bo

ut

wh

at a

n e

pic

po

em is

.

Ais

inco

rrec

t; m

any

po

ems,

eve

n v

ery

sho

rt o

nes

, tel

l sto

ries

. Ep

ics

are

no

t

lyri

c p

oem

s, a

s B

clai

ms.

Ep

ics

are

seri

-

ou

s, n

ot

hu

mo

rou

s, a

s C

stat

es.

Sa

mp

le T

est

Ite

m

The

bes

td

escr

ipti

on

of

an e

pic

po

em

is a

—

Ap

oem

th

at t

ells

a s

tory

Bly

ric

po

em t

hat

rev

eals

em

oti

on

s

Cw

ildly

exa

gg

erat

ed, h

um

oro

us

po

em

Dlo

ng

nar

rati

ve p

oem

ab

ou

t th

e

dee

ds

of

a h

ero

ic c

har

acte

r

3.

Ho

w d

oes

th

e C

yclo

ps

trea

t th

e

Gre

eks?

AH

e d

evo

urs

so

me

of

them

.

BH

e o

pen

s h

is h

om

e to

th

em.

CH

e h

elp

s th

em o

n t

hei

r w

ay.

DH

e ki

lls a

ll o

f th

em.

4.H

ow

do

es O

dys

seu

s w

in t

he

bat

tle

wit

h t

he

Cyc

lop

s?

FH

e tr

icks

th

e C

yclo

ps.

GH

e ki

lls t

he

gia

nt.

HH

e ca

lls o

n Z

eus

to h

elp

him

.

JH

e b

etra

ys h

is m

en.

1.W

hen

he

firs

t sp

eaks

to

th

e C

yclo

ps,

Od

ysse

us

war

ns

him

th

at —

Ath

e G

reek

s w

ill k

ill h

im

Bth

e G

reek

s w

ant

his

lan

d

CZe

us

will

ave

ng

e th

e G

reek

s if

Cyc

lop

s is

no

t co

urt

eou

s

DZe

us

will

kill

th

e C

yclo

ps

if h

e

do

esn

’t g

ive

them

mo

ney

2.Th

e in

tera

ctio

n b

etw

een

Od

ysse

us

and

th

e C

yclo

ps

is —

F an

ext

ern

al c

on

flic

t

Gn

ot

imp

ort

ant

to t

he

sto

ry

Ha

un

iver

sal t

hem

e

Jp

art

of

the

sett

ing

DIR

ECTI

ON

S:C

ircl

e th

e le

tter

of

each

co

rrec

t an

swer

.


Lit

era

ry S

kills

Ana

lyze

char

acte

rist

ics

ofep

ic p

oetr

y,in

clud

ing

hero

esan

d th

eir

exte

rnal

conf

licts

.


Graphic Organizers 221

Co

pyr

igh

t ©

by

Ho

lt, R

ineh

art

and

Win

sto

n. A

ll ri

gh

ts r

eser

ved

.

Name Date

Selection Title

Hero:

Deeds:

Values:

Epic Hero Map

An epic is a narrative told in elevated language, which relates the great deeds of a hero who

embodies the values of a society. In the map below, write the name of the epic hero. Then,

write examples of the hero’s deeds. Finally, explain what values the deeds reveal.

“The Cyclops” from the Odyssey...282 Part 1 Collection 10: Epic and Myth In ancient Greece,...

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Transcript of “The Cyclops” from the Odyssey...282 Part 1 Collection 10: Epic and Myth In ancient Greece,...