Meta Description: Join Dr. David Noe and Dr. Jeff Winkle in the Vomitorium as they tackle The Odyssey Book 9. From the Lotus Eaters to the blinding of Polyphemus, we explore the definition of civilization, the power of a fake name, and the dangers of unmixed wine.
Introduction: Bone-Chilling Days in the Vomitorium
Welcome back to the “Vomitorium,” listeners! In Episode 26 of the Ad Navseam Podcast, hosts Dr. Jeff Winkle and Dr. David Noe are braving the Michigan winter. It is a “bone-chilling” day outside, but inside the studio, the conversation is heating up as they dive into one of the most famous narratives in Western literature: Book 9 of Homer’s Odyssey.
Before launching the ship, the hosts send a special shout-out to Kelly Hastings in balmy Jacksonville, Florida. Kelly is a unique fan because her favorite part of the podcast is apparently the ads. She skips the content to get to the sales pitch. We salute you, Kelly. You are the dream demographic.
Today, we are looking at the start of the Apologoi (Tales)—the famous flashback sequence where Odysseus tells his own story to the Phaeacians. This includes the raid on the Cicones, the drug-induced apathy of the Lotus Eaters, and the terrifying encounter with the Cyclops, Polyphemus.
The Setup: Flashback Mode
Readers of the Odyssey often get confused about the timeline. Books 1–4 are about Telemachus. Books 5–8 cover Odysseus leaving Calypso and arriving in Scheria (Land of the Phaeacians). In Book 9, the timeline jumps back. Odysseus is sitting at a banquet hosted by King Alcinous. He finally reveals his identity: “I am Odysseus, son of Laertes.” He then begins to recount the three years of adventures that brought him from Troy to the middle of the ocean.
Adventure 1: The Cicones (The Danger of Greed)
The first stop after leaving Troy is Ismarus, the land of the Cicones. This starts as a standard pirate raid. Odysseus and his men sack the city, kill the men, and enslave the women. The Mistake: Odysseus tells his men to cut and run (“Back to the ships!”) But the men, described as “great fools,” refuse. They stay on the beach, slaughtering sheep and drinking wine. The Consequence: The Cicones get reinforcements. A battle ensues, and Odysseus loses six men from each ship.
The Lesson: This establishes a pattern for the rest of the journey. Odysseus usually has the right idea; his men usually louse it up through greed or insubordination.
Adventure 2: The Lotus Eaters (The Danger of Forgetting)
Next, a storm blows them to the land of the Lotus Eaters. These people are not violent; they are drug addicts. They offer the crew the “honey-sweet fruit” of the lotus. The Threat: The danger here is not death, but the loss of Nostos (Homecoming). Those who eat the lotus “lose their hope of home.” They just want to stay, hang out, and munch flowers forever. Odysseus has to physically drag his weeping men back to the ships and tie them under the benches. It is the ancient equivalent of an intervention.
Adventure 3: The Cyclops (The Danger of Savagery)
Now for the main event. They arrive at the land of the Cyclopes.
Homer describes the Cyclopes (specifically Polyphemus) not just as monsters, but as the antithesis of civilization.
- No Agriculture: They don’t plow or sow; the earth produces wheat and grapes automatically (a twisted “Golden Age”).
- No Assemblies (Themis): They have no laws or council meetings.
- No Community: Each Cyclops lives in his own cave, ruling his own wife and children, ignoring his neighbors.
- No Ships: They have no technology to travel or trade.
In Greek terms, they are barbarians. Civilization = Agriculture + Law + Ships. The Cyclopes have none of these.
The Cave and the Crime: Odysseus and 12 men enter Polyphemus’s cave. They find massive cheeses and crates of milk. The men beg Odysseus: “Let’s steal the cheese and run!” Odysseus refuses. Why? Curiosity and Greed. He wants to see the monster, and he hopes to get a guest-gift (xeineion). It is a fatal error.
The Encounter: Polyphemus returns, driving his flocks. He seals the cave mouth with a massive stone slab—so heavy that “22 four-wheeled wagons” couldn’t budge it. When he spots the Greeks, Odysseus tries to play the diplomat. He invokes Zeus Xenios (Protector of Guests). Polyphemus laughs: “We Cyclopes do not care about Zeus… we are much stronger.” To prove his point, he grabs two men, dashes their brains out “like puppies,” and eats them raw—bones and all.
The Trap:
Odysseus draws his sword to kill the giant, but stops. If he kills Polyphemus, who will move the stone slab? They will die in the cave. He needs a plan that involves Metis (Cunning).
The Weapon: Maron’s Wine
Odysseus brought a secret weapon: a skin of super-strong wine given to him by Maron, a priest of Apollo back in Ismarus. This wine is so potent that it is normally diluted 20 parts water to 1 part wine. It smells ambrosial. Odysseus offers it to Polyphemus. The giant loves it and drinks it unmixed (neat). He gets hammered.
The Name Trick: In his drunken stupor, Polyphemus asks Odysseus his name, promising a “guest gift” in return. Odysseus replies: “My name is Outis (Nobody).” Polyphemus chuckles: “Well, Nobody, my gift is that I will eat you last.”
The Blinding and the Escape
Polyphemus passes out, vomiting wine and human flesh (a lovely image). Odysseus and his men take a sharpened stake of olive wood, heat it in the fire until it glows, and drive it into the Cyclops’s single eye. The description is brutal and technical, comparing the sizzling eye to a blacksmith tempering an axe in cold water.
Polyphemus screams for help. The other Cyclopes gather outside the sealed cave. “What’s wrong, Polyphemus? Is someone hurting you?” Polyphemus yells back: “Nobody is hurting me! Nobody is killing me!” The neighbors reply: “Well, if nobody is hurting you, it must be a sickness from Zeus. Pray to your father Poseidon.” And they walk away. Dr. Noe points out the pun: In Greek, “Nobody” is Outis. But in the conditional (“if nobody”), it becomes Me tis. This sounds exactly like Metis (Cunning/Intelligence). Odysseus’s cunning (metis) is literally his name.
The Escape:
The next morning, blindly feeling for his sheep, Polyphemus lets the flock out. Odysseus ties the men under the bellies of the sheep. Odysseus himself clings to the belly of the lead ram. They escape to the ship.
The Hubris: The Fatal Mistake
They are safe. They are rowing away. But Odysseus cannot keep his mouth shut. His Hubris kicks in. He needs the credit. He shouts back: “Cyclops! If anyone asks who blinded you, tell them it was Odysseus, sacker of cities, son of Laertes, from Ithaca!” Polyphemus realizes a prophecy in order. He prays to his father, Poseidon:
“Grant that Odysseus… may never reach his home… or if he does, let him come late, in bad case, with the loss of all his companions… and find trouble in his house.”
This curse sets the plot for the entire rest of the poem. Because Odysseus had to sign his work, he lost his ships, his men, and ten years of his life.
Latin & Greek Language Spotlight
For our students of the classics and mythology, here are the key terms from this episode to furnish your mental lexicon:
- Nostos: Homecoming. The central theme of the Odyssey. (Root of “Nostalgia” – pain for home).
- Xenia: Guest-friendship. The sacred law of hospitality violated by Polyphemus.
- Metis: Cunning, craftiness, intelligence. Odysseus’s defining trait.
- Outis: “Nobody.” The name Odysseus uses to trick the Cyclops.
- Hubris: Excessive pride. Odysseus revealing his true name.
- Apologoi: “Tales” or “Yarns.” The section of the epic (Books 9-12) told in the first person.
- Polutropos: “Man of many turns” or “Complicated.” Homer’s first adjective for Odysseus.
Sponsors
This deep dive into the Cyclops’s cave was brought to you by:
- Hackett Publishing: For affordable, high-quality translations of Homer (like the Lombardo version used here). Use code AN2020 for 20% off at hackettpublishing.com.
- Ratio Coffee: Don’t drink your coffee unmixed like a Cyclops; brew it perfectly with the Ratio 6. Use code ANCO for 15% off at ratiocoffee.com.
The Gustatory Parting Shot
We leave you with a quote from the late comedian Mitch Hedberg, perfect for hungry sailors:
“I like rice. Rice is great if you’re hungry and want 2,000 of something.”Until next time, keep your wine mixed and your name secret. Valete!
