The Cyclops has the upper hand, but Odysseus has a plan to even up the odds.

Hear Homer’s Greek and follow in Samuel Butler’s English here.

See the illustrated blog post here.

Odysseus and his men have blinded the Cyclops, but he is sitting in the mouth of the cave, barring their escape. How can they get past him?

Hear Homer’s Greek and follow in Samuel Butler’s English here.

See the illustrated blog post here.

When the Cyclops lights his evening fire, he spots Odysseus and his Ithacans. In the fraught exchanges which follow, it rapidly becomes clear that they cannot rely on the monster observing the ancient world’s sacred code of hospitality, and Odysseus realises that, even if he kills the monster, he and his comrades are trapped in the cave. But the resourceful Odysseus thinks of a plan.

Hear Homer’s Greek and follow in Samuel Butler’s English here.

The image, by Francisco de Goya, is of Saturn devouring one of his children.

 

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