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Why Does Odysseus Say He Lost So Many Men To The Cicones

1556 Words7 Pages

DIRECTIONS: Answer in at least 3-4 complete sentences, and where necessary please include a short quote to support your response.

1) Review lines 43-70. Why does Odysseus say he lost so many men to the Cicones?

Odysseus says that he lost so many man because of the fierce battle in which he lost six men at arms per ship: “the Cicones broke our lines and beat us down at last. Out of each ship, six men-at-arms were killed”(213). The Cicones had combined with their reinforcements and managed to overpower Odysseus and his men. Odysseus and his men had sacked the city and killed all the Cicones.

2) Review lines 92-118. How does the Land of the Lotus Eaters serve as a temptation?

The Land of the Lotus Eaters serves as a temptaiton …show more content…

In these lines, Homer presents an epic simile. What is being compared to what?

Polyphemus’ bursting eyeball and “its cracking roots” that blazed is being compared to to a black smith that is dipping a glowing weapon in a cold bath as wel as the metals that screech steam. Homer is comparing both instances and objects that are blazed and screech: “the metal screeches steam and its temper hardens—that’s the iron’s strength— so the eye of the Cyclops sizzled round that stake!” (223). Homer uses this epic similie adeptly to help the reader understand the circumstances in which the cyclops was in.

11) Review lines 450-460. What joke has Odysseus played upon Polyphemus?

The joke that Odysseus played upon Polyphemus was getting him to tell his fellow neighbors that ‘nobody’ was killing him. The cyclops says: “‘Nobody, friends’—Polyphemus bellowed back from his cave— ‘Nobody’s killing me now by fraud and not by force’”(224). This joke is clever and well-planned because it saved the life of Odysseus and his men.

12) Review page 224-225. How did Odysseus and his men actually escape?

Odysseus and his men actually escaped by hanging on to the guts of the flock. Each man would take three sheep and ride the one in the middle while the two on the side act as a shield: “I took …show more content…

Your filthy crimes came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal, daring to eat your guests in your own house—so Zeus and the other gods have paid you back!’”(226). Once again, Odysseus became cocky and foolishly told Polyphemus who he really was: “‘Cyclops—if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so—say Odysseus”’(227). Both of these examples show Odysseus’s

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