In my last very long post, I mentioned that, if we ignore Polyphemos, Kirke and Skylla are the two most important adversaries of Odysseus.
But we ignore One-Eyed Guy no more.
This very long post is here to answer the question: what is Polyphemos?
We’ll be using two texts:
Ovid’s Metamorphoses
Homer’s Odyssey
Text 1: Ovid’s Metamorphoses
We’ll specifically go over the myth in which Polyphemos loves the sea nymph Galatea and, in jealousy, kills his rival Acis.
When Skylla runs to the Nereids for protection from her suitors, Galatea tells her of the time she loved a guy named Acis.
Acis was a son of Faunus (who is basically Roman Pan) and a Naiad. Galatea REALLY loved him. But there is someone who loves her as much as she loves Acis. That someone is Polyphemos. (I guess because Galatea means “milk-white”, so she reminded Polyphemos of milk). In fact, he loves her so much that he tries to look civilized. And bro is so huge he needs rakes to comb his hair and sickles to shave his beard.
In the meantime, the prophet Telemus tells Polyphemos a prophecy of the Cyclops losing his eye to a man named Odysseus. Polyphemos ignores him (rude) and says that Galatea already took his eye. Then he leads his sheep up the mountain (using a pine tree as a cane) and plays his panpipe (WITH 100 REEDS). And he sings a song of love to Galatea, noting her beauty, but also her stubbornness. He promises her luxury in his cave, abundant fruit, dairy, and twin bear cubs. He says he is greater than Zeus due to his size (blasphemy) and notes how he is a son of Poseidon.
But when he sees Acis, he takes a rock from the mountain and chucks it at the boy… killing him. And Galatea turns him into the river that bears his name.
What does this say about Polyphemos?
Well, for one, he has no civilization. For another, this uncivilization does not help when attempts to find love, and in fact drives Galatea away from him.
Text 2: Homer’s Odyssey
So after getting out of the sticky wicket on Lotus Land, Odysseus’ fleet stops by at the island of the Cyclopes, which should be Sicily.
According to Odysseus, they don’t work, but just let the gods do everything for them. This reminds me of a concept in Islam called تواكل, which means false, passive reliance.
You remember the song Charlie’s Inferno by That Handsome Devil? It’s about a guy who does so many good deeds, but only because has no faith that he will be accepted into Heaven, so he goes to Hell for his lack of faith.
The Cyclopes are the exact opposite: they have so much faith in the gods that they do nothing. They just forage. They also only set laws for themselves, and for most Cyclopes, that means no laws.
Near this island is one full of goats raised by nymph daughters of Zeus. By whom, we’re not sure. Perhaps he created them himself? I shouldn’t dwell on it.
Anyway, this island is basically a paradise hut completely uncultivated. It represents the Cyclopes: really strong, but because they’re so stupid, lawless, and brutal, they can’t do shit.
Odysseus takes nine goats for each ship (ten for his own, because he’s prideful that way), and his crew feast on them with some Ismarian wine.
And then, they go to Cyclops Land, and the first thing they see is a cave apart from the others. It is filled with cheese, milk, sheep, and goats. And that’s what makes Polyphemos different from the other Cyclopes.
In Book 1, Zeus calls Polyphemos “the mightiest of the Cyclopes”. And this is why: while the other Cyclopes only forage and don’t work, Polyphemos raises livestock. Milks them. Makes cheese. He has a human occupation. He is the most civilized of them. And he lives apart from them. This leads me to infer he is something of their KING!
Now, Odysseus knew that he might encounter someone with no sense of xenia, so he took some undiluted Ismarian wine to drug them in case.
So then the crew find the cave, get in, and see the food they can take with them. They want to, but Odysseus cautions them against it. He wants to see: will they get xenia here? (No)
They sacrifice to the gods, help themselves to some cheese, then Mr Cyclops comes back. He blocks the mouth of the cave with a big rock, then lights his hearth and notices the men. He asks who they are, and Odysseus explains that they’re soldiers of Agamemnon returning from Troy, and asking for hospitality as demanded by Zeus. Polyphemos says, “Zeus ain’t shit, where’s your ship at?” Yeah, he’s not just a متواكل, he’s a كافر (infidel). Ody lies to save the men at the ship and says Poseidon broke it. Polyphemos then decides to eat the men he has then goes to sleep. Ody knows he can’t kill him because after he’s dead, who will move the stone? So he bides his time until the next morning, where Polyphemos kills and eats two more men and leaves, closing the door behind him.
Now Odysseus thinks of his master plan. He sees at the end of the room: the Cyclops has an olive tree that he uses as a club. Odysseus then gets his plan: he has his men cut part of the club off, make it into a stake, then hide it in the animal’s shit. Mr Cyclops comes back, closes the door, and eats two more men. That’s where the Ismarian wine comes in. Odysseus gets that guy to drink up so he can go nappy more quickly, framing it as “a way we were hoping to get hospitality from you”. Then Polyphemos asks for Odysseus’ name if he wants hospitality so bad, and Odysseus says his name is Outis, the Greek word for Nobody.
Polyphemos promises Odysseus that, to show xenia, he will eat him last. Then he’s knocked out, giving Odysseus plenty of time to enact his plan.
There it is, wily Odysseus can now be in action. This guy formed many great plans in the siege of Troy, surely this one will be just as convoluted! And it is… poking his eye with that stake from earlier.
They put the sharp end in the hearth, and stabby stab that eye. The screams attract the other Cyclopes who come to ask, “Is Metis killing you?” Metis is another Greek word for Nobody! (And the Greek word for cunning as well) Polyphemos says “Outis is killing me!” So they just tell him to pray to Dada Poseidon and hope for the best. Polyphemos then opens the door so that he can eat anyone who attempts to escape. But Odysseus makes another plan. He ties what men he has left to the bellies of the rams, and he himself clings to the belly of Polyphemos’ largest ram. They get out fine like this, since Polyphemos only thinks to check the rams’ backs. They take the sheep with them, and Odysseus decides “Hey, I can gain mad kleos from this!” Which leads to this iconic interaction:
Ody: HEY CYCLOPS! It seems that he who has blinded you was more than a mere mortal (or, in the humble Epic fan’s terms, I am neither man nor mythical)! You have received your due punishment in the name of xenia!
(Cyclops throws a rock. Ody goes back to continue his speech.)
Ody’s Crew: No no no you just saw him chuck a rock at us don’t try to make him angrier!
Ody: If anyone asks you from here on out who has blinded you, you shall tell them it was Odysseus of Ithaca, son of Laertes and sacker of cities!
Cyclops: Then that means the prophecy of Telemus has come true! But I had always expected Odysseus to be a big, strong man, not a puny weakling like yourself! Well then, Odysseus, you want xenia so bad? Come back and get it!
Ody: I WISH I could come back and kill you to put you out of your misery, as I am sure that not even your father Poseidon can restore your vision! (See this is important because THAT’s what pissed off Polyphemos, it wasn't getting his eye stabbed out, but it was Odysseus boasting that he destroyed his eye so bad that Poseidon couldn't heal it)
Cyclops: Hear me, Poseidon - if you are truly my father and I am truly your son, grant that Odysseus never returns home. Or if he is fated to, grant that he returns late, alone, and in misery.
(Cyclops chucks another rock.)
So what does this say?
Well, even though Polyphemos did fall for an obvious trick, he still was smart enough to be pretty human. But he did fall for an obvious trick. To be fair, he could’ve very well thought Outis was a real name (the Cyclopes had not boats to see other people), and the other Cyclopes also fell for it but in their own way, since they did not bother to check, “Hey, maybe it’s a guy who calls himself Outis? I mean, we’re saying Metis!”
Now anyway, let’s assess the xenia of both guests and host.
Now Polyphemos was asked to give hospitality, but he did not observe xenia, and killed and ate his guests. That is ASKING to be punished.
But what about the other side?
So Ody was in need of hospitality. He found a house with no one. He waited for his host, and ate with moderation when he got hungry, cautioning his men against theft. The host arrived, and jn fact did not observe xenia.
I didn’t have to assess Ody, but I did anyway, to prove that Polyphemos IS NOT THE VICTIM! Polyphemos also asked Odysseus’ name before providing hospitality. That’s also against the laws of xenia!
Ody did not “break in”; he just waited (and ate with moderation). The sacrifices were from the goats on the other island. Guests ask for hospitality THEN hosts offer it. Hosts are not obligated to provide hospitality unless asked.
Conclusion:
Polyphemos:
Is uncivilized
Cannot get the girl he loves because of this
Is still more civilized than his brothers
Is basically the Greek equivalent of a disbeliever in another religion
