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Odysseus blinds Polyphemus
Myth (Odyssey)Cave of Polyphemus (in myth)high importance
Odysseus escapes the Cyclops by cunning, then names himself; Poseidon’s revenge stretches the voyage to ten years.
Book 9 of Homer’s *Odyssey* is the source. Students can read a translation and check every beat.
The trick
Trapped in the cave of Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, Odysseus gives his name as “Nobody,” gets the giant drunk, and blinds him. When other Cyclopes ask who hurt him, Polyphemus shouts that Nobody did. The crew ride out under the sheep.
The mistake
Safe on the ship, Odysseus’s hubris shows: he boasts his real name. Polyphemus prays to Poseidon. The sea god then becomes the poem’s long antagonist. Compare Athena, who likes Odysseus because he is usually self-controlled.
Classroom check
This is the textbook example of metis followed by hubris. Pair it with xenia (the Cyclops is a monstrous host) in the Odyssey journey.
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Further reading
Recommended, age-appropriate books to explore this further. Links open a library catalog search.
Key Takeaways
1
Homer, Odyssey Book 9, is the primary text
2
The “Nobody” ruse is metis; shouting his name is hubris
3
Poseidon’s ten-year anger starts here
Key Figures
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