Book 9 summary Flashcards
How does Odysseus’ story start?
- He names himself and begins telling the story of his long tavels after leaving Troy
Where did Odysseus go first after leaving Troy?
The city of the Cicones
What happened at the city of the Cicones?
- Odysseus and his men sacked the city, and carried away many spoils
- Odysseus wanted to leave, but his men decided to stay to plunder and feast
- Meanwhile, the Cicones called their neighbours for backup, and their army killed many Achaeans before the rest escaped
What happened when Odysseus and his men escaped Cicones?
- Zeus sent down a hurricane, so the men rested for two days
- Then a North wind sent the ships in the wrong direction
Where was the second place Odysseus arrived at, and after how long?
After nine days, the ships arrived at the land of the Lotus Eaters
What happens at the land of the Lotus Eaters
The men that ate the lotus fruit lost all desire to return home, and all memory of home- they only wanted to stay and eat lotus
- Odysseus forced them to return to the ships, tied them to the masts, and told the remaining men to set sail
Where was the third place Odysseus came to?
The land of the Cyclops
What was the land of the Cyclops like?
- No laws, no councils, no farms, no ships or traders
What did Odysseus decide to do on the land of the Cyclops?
- Odysseus and his crew went to explore whilst the other men waited on a nearby island
- When they reached the shore, they saw a large cave with flocks of sheep and goats in the yard
What did Odysseus do when he saw the Cyclops’ cave?
He left most of his men on shore, and went with twelve men to the cave, taking along a container of very strong wine.
The giant wasn’t at home, and the crew looked at his flocks, his cheese, and his buckets for milking.
What did Odysseus want to do in the giant’s cave?
- His men wanted to take what they could and run back to the ships
- However Odysseus insisted that they stay to receive the giant’s gifts (he tells the Phaeacians that he now regrets his stubbornness)
What did the Cyclops do when he came home?
He closed the entrance to the cave with a giant rock, milked his sheep and goats, and lit a fire
He noticed the men and angrily asked who they were
How did Odysseus respond to the Cyclop’s questions?
- Odysseus responded that they were Achaeans that had lost their way home, and urged Polyphemus to obey custom, respect the rules of the gods, and receive them generously
How did Polyphemus respond to Odysseus’ plea for hospitality?
- He scoffed at Odysseus’ warnings, and said that his kind doesn’t fear Zeus or any other god
- He ate two of Odysseus’ men
What did Odysseus do after Polyphemus ate two of his men?
- He wanted to kill Polyphemus, but he realised that if he killed him, he and his men would have no way out of the cave, because of the stone over the entrance
What did Polyphemus do at daw?
Lit a fire, milked his sheep and ate two more of Odysseus’ men.
He then left for the day, and shut the entrance to the cave off
What did Odysseus and his men do whilst waiting for Polyphemus to return?
- Odysseus plotted revenge, he took polyphemus’ club and his men filed it down to a point and singed it at the end
How did Odysseus enact his plan against Polyphemus?
- At dusk, Polyphemus returned, milked his sheep and goats and ate two more men
- Odysseus offered Polyphemus his strong wine, and he drank three bowls and became very drunk
- Odysseus mentioned that his name was Nobody, Polyphemus promised to eat him last in thanks, and fell asleep.
- Odysseus and his men heated up the spear and gouged out Polyphemus’ eye
What happened when Polyphemus’ eye was gouged out?
- Polyphemus screamed, and the other cyclops rushed up to his cave to ask who was hurting him
- Polyphemus responded ‘Nobody’, so the other Cyclops left
How did Odysseus and his men escape from Polyphemus’ cave?
- He arranged Polyphemus’ rams in the cave in groups of three, and lashed a man to the belly of each middle ram
- At dawn, when Polyphemus let the rams out of the cave, the men escaped too.
- They untied themselves, and all hurried to the ships
What did Odysseus do before he left the island of the Cyclops?
- He yelled back to Polyphemus that Zeus has punished him for his crimes
- In response, Polyphemus broke off the top of a cliff and threw it at the ship
- Odysseus yelled again to say it was Odysseus that blinded the Cyclops
What did Polyphemus do when Odysseus named himself?
- He remembered that a prophet had once told him that he’d be blinded by some named Odysseus and called out to his father, Poseidon, for revenge
- He prayed that Odysseus should never reach home, or that he should reach home alone and after great suffering
How does the book end?
- Polyphemus throws a final rock that throws Odysseus’ ships back to the island where the rest of the crew are waiting
- Odysseus divided up the stolen sheep, but slaughtered the old ram in Zeus’ honour
- However, the sacrifice didn’t appease the god.
- The men slept and departed at dawn
