Casually Completing Classics #7: The Odyssey Book 9

 Book 9

Summary Notes: Origin Story! Odysseus blinds Polyphemus and is cursed by Poseidon

I actually just read this book out loud with my kids today (8/27). I use it as one of my intro lessons most years. Partially to teach about storytelling, partially because I like it, and partially because I get to stand on chair and do my best WWE yell. ("X Gon' Give It To Ya" is Odysseus's entrance music.) Odysseus is telling is story to Alkinoos. He escapes Circe (having never given consent) raids some other islands (upsetting Zeus in the process) weathers some storms, and makes it to the land of the Cyclops. Homer spends some time explaining how stupid and uncivilized the Cyclopses are, before Odysseus and his men head inland. This is the beginning of the part of the book that I like to call, "The dumbassholing of Odysseus" where he seems to get less smart and admirable every few pages. He takes an oversized share of the goats they find on the island, and when the men find food and want to return to the ships with it, he insists they wait instead. This leads to a bunch of them getting eaten. Polyphemus calls him a ninny, so he agrees with me. They're trapped, they manage to fashion a spear from some wood they find in the back of the cave, Odysseus gets the cyclops drunk, they stab him in the eye, and escape by hiding under some giant sheep.

Much like the Trojan Horse is only vaguely and sparingly described. Homer doesn't say they have one eye until about 80% of the way through the chapter. Maybe his audience just knew? It appears they existed in other bits of Greek mythology beforehand.

Odysseus's Nobody (rendered as Nohbdy in this translation) trick is always fun. Likewise, Odysseus's boasts (which reads half WWE intro and half Team Rocket motto to me) are entertaining. Again, Odysseus is a moron, even after his crew tells him to stop, and keeps taunting Polyphemus. 

if ever motal man inquire
how you wre put to shame and blinded, tell him
Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye:
Laertes' son, whose home's on Ithaca! 

This is my personal, "If you only read one book of the Odyssey..." Odysseus is still (mostly smart), you get a cool monster, and it shows how he gets lost in the first place.

Here, have a good mashup: