odysseus nobody.docx

odysseus nobody.docx

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odysseusnobody

KingofanislandoffthewesterncoastofGreece;oneoftheheroeswhofoughtintheTrojanWar.OnhistripHomefromTroy,Odysseusandhisshipmatesencounteredanumberofperils.

Atonepointtheirshipwasblownfaroffcourse,andtheyfetcheduponasmallwoodedisland,wheretheybeachedthevesselsandgavethoughttoprovisions.Odysseushadnoticedalargerislandnearby,fromwhichcamethesoundofbleatinggoats.Thiswasencouragingtohisgrowlingstomach,andhedetailedascoutingpartyandledittothefarshore.Heretheyfoundahugegoatpenoutsideacaveand,inside,allthecheesesandmeattheycoulddesire.TheywereloungingindrowsycontentmentwhentheshepherdcameHome.

ThesightofhimbroughttheGreekstofullestattention.Hewasasbigasabarn,withasingleglaringeyeinthemiddleofhisforehead.HewasoneoftheCyclopes,giantblacksmithswhohadbuiltOlympusforthegods.ThisparticularCyclopswasnamedPolyphemus.Heandhisneighborslivedlikehermitswiththeirflocks.IftheGreekswereshocked,Polyphemuswaspleasantlysurprised.Forherebeforehimathisownhearthwasatreatthatwouldnicelyvaryhisdiet.

Takingcaretorollaboulderintothemouthofthecave-astonesohugethatevenafullcrewofheroescouldnotstirit-hepromptlysnatchedupthenearesttwoofOdysseus'smen,bashedouttheirbrainsonthefloorandpoppedthemintohismouth.Thenwithabelchhecurledupinacorneranddriftedhappilytosleep.Odysseusnaturallywasbesidehimselfwithconcern.Whathadheledhismeninto?

Therewasnothingforit,though,buttowaitoutthenightinterror,fortheboulderblockedthedoor.InthemorningtheCyclopsrolledthemassivestoneaside,calledhisgoatstogetherandletthemout,sometopastureandotherstothepenintheyard.Thenhesealedtheentranceagain.ThatnighthehadmoreGreeksfordinner.

Desperate,Odysseusconceivedaplan.Tobeginwith,heofferedtheCyclopswine.Thiswasespeciallypotentwine,whichheandhismenhadbroughtashoreinskins.TheGreekscustomarilymixedwaterwiththeirwinetodiluteitsstrength.ButtheCyclopshadneverdrunkwinebefore,dilutedornot,anditwentstraighttohishead.Beforeheconkedout,heaskedOdysseushisname.

"Nobody,"repliedthehero.

"Well,Mr.Nobody,Ilikeyou,"saidtheCyclopsdrowsily."Infact,IlikeyousomuchthatI'mgoingtodoyouafavor.I'lleatyoulast.

"Withtheseencouragingwordshefellfastasleep.Odysseusjumpedupandputhismentowork.Theyputasharppointontheendofapoleandhardeneditinthefire.Then,withamighty"heave-ho",theyrammeditintotheCyclops'eye.

InagonyPolyphemusgropedaboutblindlyforhistormentors,buttheGreeksdodgedhimallnightlong."Help,comequickly!

"heshoutedatonepoint,andhisfellowCyclopescamerunning.

"What'sthematter?

"theycalledinatthemouthofthecave.

"I'mblindedandinagony,"roaredPolyphemus.

"Whosefaultisit?

"theyshoutedback.

"Nobody's,"saidPolyphemus.

"Wellinthatcase,"respondedtheCyclopesastheydeparted,"you'vegotalotofnervebotheringus."

Inthemorning,asusual,Polyphemuscalledhisflocktogetherandrolledtheboulderasidetoletthemout.HeplantedhimselfinthedoortobartheGreeks'escape.Mutteringatgreatlengthtohisram,hesoughtsympathyforhisaffliction."Whateveryoudo,"hetoldthebeast,"don'ttrustGreeks."

Sosaying,hestrokedtheanimal'swoolybackandsenthimfromthecave.LittledidheknowthatOdysseushimselfclungtotheram'sbelly.And,inasimilarfashion,hisshipmateshadescapedbeneaththerestoftheflock.WhenPolyphemusrealizedthedeceptionherushedtotheseaside,whereOdysseusandhismenwererowinghardforsafety.Theherocouldnotresistataunt.

"Justtosettherecordstraight,thename'sOdysseus,"hecalledacrossthewater."ButyouhaveNobodytothankforyourtroubles-nobodybutyourself,thatis."

WithamightycursePolyphemusthrewaboulderwhichalmostswampedtheship.Buttherowersredoubledtheirefforts.TheylefttheblindedCyclopsragingimpotentlyontheshore.

AndsoitwasthatthenexttimeOdysseusandhiscrewputinatabeautifulbutslightlyspookyisland,theherohadsecondthoughtsaboutwhowouldgooutandscoutforprovisions.HavinghimselfledtheshorepartylasttimeandalmostbeeneatenbytheCyclopsforhispains,thistimeOdysseusputsomeoneelseincommandandsenthimoutwithhalfthecrew.Thereststayedincampandalternatelyworriedaboutthescoutsandthankedtheirluckystarsthattheyhadn'tbeenpicked.

Theirworrieswerejustified.Theexplorershadcomeuponasnuglittlehouseinaclearing,whereabeautifulwomaninvitedtheminfortea.They'dalreadyobservedthattheyardwasfulloflionsandwolvesofasurprisinglydocilenature,buttheychosetooverlookthisportentthatsomethingmightbeamiss.Allbutoneofthesailorsacceptedtheinvitationandwentinside.Whereupontheirhostess,whoturnedouttobeanenchantressbythenameofCirce,turnedthemintoswine.

Theonecrewmemberwhohadn'tsharedthisfatereportedbacktoOdysseus,whomusthavethoughtagrouchythoughtortwoabouttheresponsibilitiesofcaptaincybeforehesetouttoseewhathecoulddoforhismen-or,rather,pigs.Whenhewasapproachingthehouse,hehappenedtorunintothegodHermes.Orperhapsitwassomethingmorethanhappenstance.ThoseoftheOlympianswhoweren'ttryingtomakeOdysseus'slifemiserablewerebentonhelpinghim,andthey'dsenttheirheraldwithatimelybitofaid.Thiswasintheformofasprigofmoly,amagicalsortofplantwhich,HermesassuredOdysseus,wouldcounteractthewitch'sspells.

Sureenough,CircehadnosoonersaidhellotoherlatestvisitorandraisedhermagicwandtoturnhimforthwithintoaporkerthanOdysseusdrewhisswordasHermeshadinstructedhimtodo.Andholdingthemolytohisnoselikesmellingsalts,hesaid:

"Dropthatthingrightnoworyourwand-wavingdaysareover!

"（Orwordstothateffect.）

CircewassotakenabackthatshenotonlysparedOdysseusherspellsbutrestoredallhismentohumanform.SheandOdysseusbecamegreatfriends.Theherostayedwithherformanyaday,andwhenatlasthesetoutagainCircegavehimessentialadviceabouttheperilsahead.

ItwasCircewhotoldOdysseusthathewouldhavetomakeasidetriptoHades.OnlytheblindprophetTeiresiascouldtellhimhowtofindhiswayHomeatlast,andTeiresiashappenedtobedead.SoOdysseussailedwestuntilhereachedthestreamofOcean,thebroadriverthatencirclestheearth（orsotheancientGreeksconceivedtheirgeography）.AndherehefoundthefrontierofHades.AttheconfluenceoftheinfernalriversStyxandAcheron,Odysseusdugapitandpouredsacrificialbloodintoit.Atwhichtheghostsofthedeadthrongedup,eagertodrinkthevitalliquidandregaintheirlivingstrength.

OdysseusheldthemallatbayuntilhehadtalkedtoTeiresias,andthenhedecidedtospeaktovariousotherdeceasedcelebrities.AmongthesewasthegreatheroAchilles.AchilleshadbeenthebestfighteroftheGreeksbesiegingTroy.HehadslaintheTrojanheroHectorinsinglecombatandwasonlybroughtdownhimselfbytheconnivanceofthegodApollo.Nowhelivedinparamounthonoramongtheheroicdead.Odysseushailedhimasfirstamongmortalswhilelivingandnowvirtuallyonaparwiththegods,albeitconsignedtoHades.

"Enough,smooth-talkingOdysseus!

"Achillesinterrupted."I'dratherbealowlyfarmhand-andalivingman-thankingofthesehollowdead."

Thencheeredsomewhatbytidingsoftheprowessofhisson,hewentstridingoffacrossthefieldsofasphodel,agrayandghostlyflower.SuchwastheversionofHadessungofbytheminstrelHomer.AndthoughotherssangofthefieldsofElysium,wherethelikesofAchilleslivedoninsplendidcompany,inpleasantsurroundings,inheroicpursuitsofthehuntandbanquet,Achilles'wordshauntthememory.Thoughthehumblesttoilawait,howsweeterindeedthedawn'spinklightunderanopenskythanthestrangeparadiseattheedgeofthewesternworld.

NowOdysseusfacedanawesomeseriesofchallenges,thefirstoftheseintheformoftheenchantingSirens.ThereweretwoorthreeSirens,whohadthebodiesofwomenwithbirdheadsandbirdfeet,orbirdbodieswithwomen'sheadsandvoices.Somesaythattheyacquiredthisformwhen,asattendantstothegoddessDemeter,theywitnessedtheabductionofherdaughterPersephonebyHades,godofthedead.

PersephonewasgatheringflowersinameadowonedaywhenahugecrackintheearthopenedupandHadesemergedinhischariot.HesnatchedupPersephoneanddescendedtohisrealmagain.Demeter,goddessoftheharvest,washeartbroken,andwhileshewanderedthelengthandbreadthoftheearthinsearchofherdaughter,thecropswitheredanditbecameperpetualwinter.AtlengthHadeswaspersuadedtosurrenderPersephoneforonehalfofeveryyear,thespringandsummerseasonswhenflowersbloomandtheearthbearsfruitoncemore.ThehalfyearthatPersephonespendsintheUnderworldasHades'queencoincideswiththebarrenseason.

TheSirens,meanwhile,hadbeenpunishedwithbirdlegsfornotthwartingtheabduction,ortheyweregivenwingstoextendthescopeofDemeter'ssearchforPersephone.Inlateryearstheysettledonarockinthewest,offthecoastofwhatisnowcalledItaly.Herethesweetnessoftheirsinging,togetherwiththestrainsoffluteandlyre,luredsailorstotheirdoom.ThosewhoheardthehauntingmelodylostallthoughtofHomeandlanguishedontheSirens'rockuntiltheydied.Ortheyforgotth