The cyclops & nobody
“Out of the cave came mighty Polyphemus' voice: ‘Nobody, my friends, is trying to kill me by violence or treachery.’ To this they replied with winged words: ‘If you are alone, and nobody does you violence, it's an inescapable sickness that comes from Zeus: pray to the Lord Poseidon, our father.’”
—Homer, The Odyssey
Roman mosaic of Polyphemus in Villa Romana del Casale, Sicily
Polyphemus was one of the Cyclopes, a race of one-eyed giants, sons of Poseidon, the god of the sea and earthquakes. He lived in a cave at the base of Mt. Etna on the island of Sicily where he tended to his sheep. When Odysseus and his men, on their way back from the Trojan War, landed on this island, they found themselves trapped in Polyphemus' cave.
Polyphemus captured the men and began eating them one by one. To escape, Odysseus devised a plan. He introduced himself to Polyphemus as "Nobody" and offered him wine. The Cyclops, inebriated and incapacitated by the wine's effects, fell asleep. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Odysseus and his men sharpened a large wooden stake and blinded Polyphemus.
When Polyphemus awoke in agony, he cried out to the other Cyclopes for help, saying, "Nobody is hurting me!" In his pain and confusion, the other Cyclopes, thinking he spoke of nobody harming him, dismissed his cries for assistance, believing nothing was wrong.
When morning came, Polyphemus opened the cave to let his sheep out. Odysseus and his men cleverly attached themselves to the undersides of the sheep to escape. However, as they sailed away, Odysseus couldn't resist revealing his true identity, and in a fit of rage, Polyphemus threw massive rocks towards the ship, barely missing them, calling on his farther Poseidon to curse Odysseus and his crew.
To find out what happens next, you could either read the Odyssey, or better yet…join us in the Aeolian Islands at our Mythological Happy Hours on our Aeolian Odyssey detour! Unpack for a week on the enchanting island of Salina and explore the magic of these mythical islands with Taunya & Randy!
