James Baquet After Odysseus did his part in the Trojan War, he wandered for 10 years on his way home, having been blown off course. One of the most famous adventures of this odyssey was his meeting with a one-eyed giant — a Cyclops — named Polyphemus. Oblivious to any danger, Odysseus and his men entered a cave on a remote island where, after helping themselves to some food and drink, they fell asleep. But while they slept, Polyphemus returned to that same cave, leading his flock of giant sheep. As usual, he rolled a huge stone across the cave’s entrance to keep the sheep in. Finding the men, the man-eating Cyclops immediately dined on two of them. Like the men, the sated Cyclops fell asleep, but escape was impossible: The stone covering the doorway was too large for the men to move. What to do? The next morning, after gobbling down two more men, Polyphemus again took his flocks out — being careful this time to “close the door” behind him. While he was out, clever Odysseus devised a plan. Odysseus and his men sharpened a large stake. When the giant returned, again dining on two men, Odysseus offered him some strong wine, which got him very drunk (the Cyclopes had never developed alcoholic beverages). Grateful, the drunken Cyclops asked Odysseus his name, and again showing his cleverness Odysseus answered “Outis” (in Latin, “Nemo”), meaning “no man.” The drunken Polyphemus, promising as a favor to eat his new friend last of all, fell asleep again. Once he did, Odysseus and his men heated the stake in the fire and plunged it into the giant’s single eye, blinding him. Polyphemus bellowed for help, and his friends came running. But when they called out asking who had done this and he said, “Nobody!” they returned home snorting derisively. When the blind Cyclops took his flocks out again in the morning, he touched the back of each sheep to make sure no men escaped, but Odysseus and his men had tied themselves under the sheep! Once they were free and sailing away, Odysseus shouted back his real name. Lobbing huge boulders at the ship, the giant called on his father Poseidon for help. This would bring the Greeks further trouble later in the story. Vocabulary: Which word above means: 1. far from anything 2. throwing in a high arc 3. unaware (of) 4. a long wandering adventure 5. eating quickly, gulping 6. strong, pointed stick 7. satisfied, full 8. mockingly 9. huge stones 10. pushed with force | 