Odysseus was considered to be a hero to his people because of his part in the victory at Troy. They were anxious for him to return home in glory. However, even though he supposedly set sail at the same time as the other ships, his voyage was anything but quick and easy. The gods seemed to be against him; perhaps for his part in executing the Trojan horse.
Along his way home, the king ran into many trials and tribulations. In fact, for a time, it appeared that he may not ever return home at all. The boat crashed against the rocks and required many repairs along the way.
One place they stopped to make repairs was an island known as the land of the lotus-eaters. It was said that all who lived there experienced perfect bliss. Perhaps that was due to the fact that they did nothing but eat, drink, and sleep; day in and day out.
They dined on the fruit of a lotus tree morning, noon, and night. As a consequence, the drugged fruit made them forget about everything else about their lives; their loves, their work, and their family.
Although the people rarely fought, when they did and someone died, they felt no need to grieve. They did not work except to gather more fruit, which grew in never ending amounts. They did not worry about tomorrow for they knew it would be more of the same.
The men of Odysseus went into the village to gather supplies and were, of course, given some of the lotus fruit to eat. One bite and they were hooked; immediately deciding there was no need to return to the boat or worry about going home.
When the men did not return to the ship, Odysseus went into the village to look for them. There he found his men, along with the other villagers, sitting and eating the lotus fruit.
When he tried to talk with them he quickly understood that something was seriously wrong. They had no desire to do anything but eat more fruit. Nothing he said or did would budge them from the spot where they sat.
But Odysseus was smart. He went back to the ship and gathered his remaining men. Together, they headed back to the village to bind, gag, and drag his men back to the ship, after which they immediately set sail.
Although it took days for the drug to work out of their system, eventually it did and the men sheepishly returned to their regular duties. But the trouble was by no means over. The ship still required work so, once again, the king chose an island on which to beach for repairs.
The land was fertile and ripe with animals, grains, fruits and vegetables. While some of the men worked to repair the ship, others went to gather food for the voyage home.
It soon became clear that the food was not there by chance but was planted for some unseen entity. The more inland the men travelled, the more evident it became that the island was home to someone. A fenced in pen of goats and lambs was located near a cave dwelling.
Inside the cave was a fireplace, torches, and furniture made from the wood of the island’s trees. In the center of it was a huge table of food, meat, eggs, cheese, fruits, and vegetables galore. Also on the table were large vats of wine.
Obviously having not learned their lesson about eating other people’s food, the men descended upon the table ravenously eating everything in sight. Once full and unable to move from their banquet, they sat back to relax and let the food settle.
As they dozed off, they heard a terrible sound from just outside the cave. “Who dares to eat my food?” the voice screamed like a thousand devils as loud footfalls headed for the cave.
Before the men could scatter, in came a giant Cyclops. With no second thought, he grabbed two sailors and popped them into his mouth like an appetizer. Then he gathered a dozen more and pushed them into a hole in the cave wall and placed a huge stone over the front.
“You ate my food, so I will dine on you,” he proclaimed as he laughed, shaking the ground beneath him. What seemed like moments later, he moved the stone once again and grabbed another two men for his main course. Then he lay down to sleep.
By this time Odysseus knew, once again, that his men had not done as they were told, and he went in search of them. Finding the cave, he quickly assessed the situation and slipped inside to try to free his men from their prison.
When the Cyclops awoke, he grabbed the king and it appeared that Odysseus’s life was forfeit. But he was smart and he bargained with the monster.
“What good is such fine food without wine?” he asked. I have wine,” said the Cyclops who pointed to what little was left on his table.
“Ah, but I have the wine of the gods aboard my ship. Surely, you want to taste that which the gods’ ambrosia,” he stated pointedly.
“Is it Zeus’s wine?” asked the monster. “It is,” assured Odysseus. “Then it will me mine for he owes me for stranding me here,” roared the Cyclops.
Odysseus bargained for his men to go to the ship to bring back the wine. “I will remain here so that you know that it is no trick,” he explained.
“Who are you?” demanded the Cyclops to which the king responded “My name is No Man. Remember that name if someone asks you who dared to give you the wine of the gods. Say ‘No Man did it.'”
The men brought the wine back as promised, along with some of the lotus fruit mixed within. So as the Cyclops drank the brew, he slowly became intoxicated but also drugged not to care what was happening around him.
Waiting for the right moment, Odysseus heated the end of a shepherd’s staff in the fire and jammed it into the monster’s eye. As the Cyclops screamed in pain and floundered about, the men made their escape back to the ship.
Once aboard, they once again immediately set sail. In the meantime, the Cyclops called out to his father Poseidon, god of the sea. “Father, avenge me for they have blinded me.”
“Who has done this?” asked the great god to which came the reply “It was No Man. No Man did this.” The god, assuming his son had finally gone mad simply allowed Odysseus’s ship to continue sailing on calm seas.
The ship encountered more troubles along the way but the king’s men never again disobeyed him nor ate food other than that approved by the king.
