01 Jan Odysseus and Polyphemus. The victory of “Noman”
Upon landing at Sicily, Odysseus and his men discovered a cave laden with provisions and set about feasting. It was, however, the pair of Polyphemus. When the giant returned from grazing his sheep, he imprisoned the sailors and began to systematically devour them. The Greeks understood this not only as a good story but as a horrible affront to the customs of hospitality.
Odysseus offered the giant a quantity of wine from his ship, which gets Polyphemus quite drunk. Before passing out, the giant asks Odysseus’ name; the wily adventurer tells him “Noman.” Once Polyphemus fell asleep, Odysseus blinded him with sharpened staff burning in the fire. Then he ordered his men to bind themselves to the undersides of Polyphemus’ flock. As the giant blindly felt for his sheep to ensure that the sailors didn’t escape, they passed unnoticed to freedom. Polyphemus, tricked and blinded, was left to scream of the injustice that “Noman” had done to him.
Source: https://www.greecehighdefinition.com
