Journal III: The Cyclops

We journeyed across the water for several more days before we came in sight of land. During that time, order was restored from the chaos that had ensued the storm of the Olympian Zeus. The Lotus' effects seemed to have left the three because they no longer cried out in anguish, but I do not doubt that the traces of the plant will endure until death, for all three always look back across the great sea with a yearning in their eyes.

Eurylochus has apologized for not returning, and made the excuse that he had not wanted to offend the Lotus Eaters by leaving when they had prepared such a feast, but I knew that it was the Flower that caused their long halt and the forgetting of the us.

It was a foggy morning when the mountainous island flowed out of the gloom and I ordered a rest so that I could explore this island. By the time we reached it, the fog had cleared away just enough to reveal a good size cave. I took fourteen men with me and headed for the shore. This time I had left Eurylochus behind to stay with the ships and had taken Tydeus. He had been one of the few that had stood by me during the storm. We had taken only a few provisions (bread and wine) with, for the cave did not look far and I thought that my men and I could traverse the distance and back before the sun had traveled very high.

I was mistaken. As we traveled the cave seemed to grow so large that it could have held my ship in the doorway, and a doorway it was. When we reached the cave dusk was approaching. Entering it revealed that this cave was or had, at one time, been occupied. There was a round of cheese as large as a chariot's wheel. As my men and I had not eaten since morning we devoured a large portion of it and set down in wait for the owner of this immense cave. Oh, if only we had left and spent our life wondering of its true nature. Then maybe those six may not have joined you, my faithful Parnassus, down in the houses of Hades.

As we sat there content a great shadow was cast and a great one-eyed giant entered and dropped his load of wood. It plummeted to the ground resulting in a monstrous thunder. I and my companions scattered and ran to occupy the back of the cave, attempting to escape the darting gaze of the eye. He returned to the entrance and brought in his ewes. After the last one had passed through he lifted a rock that was large enough to block the entrance and did so, cutting off any chance of our escaping unnoticed.

The monstrosity came and milked the ewes crooning to them. He then lit a fire which chased away the shadows and declared our presence as well as if one of us had shouted.

He stared for a moment and then spoke in a tumultuous voice. "Come hither you strangers and tell me of whence you came and for what reason. Are you pirates I wonder, or do you come of a more noble reason? I repeat, come forth."

I left the sides of my quaking men and stepped forward. "No, I prefer to stay here and discuss these matters with you. We are Achaeans from the victorious battle of Troy that is known to all. There we served under Agamemnon, and in our departure the mighty Zeus has blown us off course. We have come and are in need of the laws of the gods demanding hospitality for any that you can offer. Keep in mind that Zeus, Lord of Olympus shall take revenge on those who break this law."

The giant laughed and abandoned the fair tongue he had used to greet us for that had all been a disguise. "You fools, I am Polyphemus of the Cyclopes and I and my kind care not for the laws and orders of the gods. I shall do what I please with you and shall not heed the gods or fear their punishments!" He again shook with laughter, and threw out a new question. "Where is your ship by which you came?"

I knew that I must not tell this Polyphemus of the whereabouts of my ship for I was sure that he sought to destroy it and strand us here. I quickly comprised an answer for him, a lie.

"O great Polyphemus, the god Poseidon has dashed my ship upon the great rocks that line your shore, and has washed the shards away. This he accomplished with a wind that directed our course to this isle of yours. My crew has perished except for these sailors and I."

I expected pity, but none came. Instead he reached behind me and snatched up two of my men and beat the wall with them, cracking their skulls and letting their brains spill to the floor. He then sat down contentedly and began to eat them as if they were a snack, pulling them limb from limb. When he had finished this meal he lay down and slept. I drew my sword and went to vanquish him in his slumber, but the thought came to me that if I did kill him none would be able to move the stone at the door and we should be even more trapped. This stayed my hand and I returned to my cowering men and sat down beside Tydeus. He turned to me trembling and let loose all that had gone through his mind.

"Odysseus, I fear that monster. He does not heed the gods and holds the power to bestow upon me a journey to the House of Hades. I fear the death he brings to me, to us all." He stopped and was silent as if he was brooding.

I then answered him. "What do you fear most of death?"

He looked at me with probing eyes. "I fear for I shall not be able to return, and I fear what might happen to my family who waits patiently at home."

"Those are good reasons, and you are a good man. I believe that you shall live." I saw the fear leave his eyes for a moment and he lay down to try and sleep. I rolled over. It was now my turn to brood. Searching deep within my mind for a plan that might be able to save my men. I did not get much sleep that night.

In the morning the Cyclops milked his ewes with a tenderness that I could not imagine coming from such a creature. He grabbed another two men and made his breakfast. Then he left taking his herd with and shutting the cave behind him.

When he left I paced the cave fervently trying to come up with a plan. Athena, the clear-eyed goddess had heard my whispered prayers for wisdom and caused me to stumble and fall. I landed where the remains of the men's brains stained the floor. I quickly got up to move when something I had not noticed before caught my eye. It was a long staff made of an olive tree. It could have served for the mast of a ship several times the sizes of my own. As I stared I was now able to formulate the plan that had not come before.

I had my men cut out a section of the pole that was as tall as a man. We scraped it smooth and hewed it to a point hardening it in the fire. We hid it in the back of the cave, and then sat down to wait, biding our time until the "unfriendly giant" returned. In this time one of my men removed a coin from his pocket and they flipped it to see which four of them would join me. The coins' decision was the same as my choice which pleased me greatly. I bid those four to go and prepare their hearts for this task in any way they could; Tydeus was among them.

The rumble of the great stone announced his return and the four and I eyed each other nervously. He brought in his entire flock and then choose two more to make a meal of. One was one of the four chosen and I had to quickly point out another, but this could not be helped.

I then took one of the last three bowls of wine from the few provisions we had brought and offered it to the beast. "Oh Polyphemus of the Cyclopes, come and taste the wine of men to stay your thirst and wash down your meal. It would have been an offering had you offered us help, but I give it to you anyway for we have no different use for it, though you be a heathen monster."

He grabbed it and gulped it down asking for another which I gave him. He then began to ramble, but there was still some sense in this drawl. "What's the name of you? Speak-k up now. Tell an' I'll give you tha'- hic- gift you had been askin', for."

I answered him in the name I had devised should this ever come up. "Nohbdy, Nohbdy is my name. That is what they all call me, Nohbdy." I said this rather loud to make sure that he had understood me. He then tumbled to the ground and a snore as tumultuous as his voice erupted and nearly deafened us all.

I grabbed the olive staff and stuck it into the fire waiting until it gleamed with the glow that embers possess. I called the men over and we lugged the staff over to where the Cyclops lay in a deep sleep. We rammed it with all of our strength into his eye and steam and blood issued from the puncture. He cried out in agony and we ran from his side and scattered trying to stay out of the way of any retaliations he might have. He reached up and yanked the pole from his eye, and crawled across the floor searching. I had told my men to keep moving and to not get cornered.

His calls had aroused the other Cyclopes who inhabited the island who came to the cave and yell to quiet down the racket, and what in the world was causing him to make such a noise.

"It's Nohbdy!" he sobbed crying out in anger. "Nohbdy has tricked me and ruined me." The Cyclopes outside exchanged glances and shouted once more to be quiet before they headed on home. The Cyclops settled down and sobbed, then sparked by an idea hurled the stone out of the way waiting for us to run into his open arms which he flung apart blocking the entrance.

The last part of my plan came into effect and we tied the rams together in pairs of three and we tied a man under each middle one. I myself reserved the best of them for I being the leader was needed most. We waited until the pale dawn and the sheep moved out to pasture. Polyphemus pet each one with the gentleness I had noticed and thought inconceivable earlier. He muttered to himself cursing Nohbdy. We all passed through safely and I let go and went to untie all of the men who rolled out from under the sheep, all very stiff and sore.

We gathered the sheep and brought them with us back to the ships. I had the crew pull out a reasonable distance from shore as quickly as possible and then I called back. "Cyclops, I warned you of the gods fury to the ill-treatment of guests, and now you have paid for your mistake! Perhaps you shall pay those of the heavens more heed now that you have been taught the lesson the hard way, you beastly cannibal!"

I screamed out all of my fury that had built up and nothing could stop me. Not even as the Cyclops tore up a hill and hurled it in the direction of my voice. He missed, but it caused a wave that almost capsized the ships. I opened my mouth again and was met by protesting, all of them begging me to be silent and let it be for he might not miss the next time. Only Tydeus was silent, willing me with his glorious blue eyes.

I paid no attention to any of them and shouted once more. "Polyphemus! If any ever ask of the one who inflicted your wound tell them the name Odysseus, son of Laërtes, of the city of Ithaca has robbed you of it and put you to shame."

Polyphemus let out a shout of recognition. "It was prophesied that one of the name Odysseus should take out my eye. For all my life I had imagined a giant, larger than me, but one so small bears that title instead. Come back and I shall take back my wrongs against you and treat you as a king. I shall put Poseidon on your side for he is my father."

"I should rather kill you, and send you to a place where your father may never heal you." was all that I answer and I ordered the ships to begin.

As we left I heard the Cyclops praying to Poseidon. He begged that if I was indeed allowed to return home, that on the way I should loose all of my companions, return under strange sail, and find difficulty at my journey's end.

And so we set sail and the great curse was brought upon us.