Ulysses and the Cyclops
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Text length: 3,300 words
Excerpts from The Odyssey, Book IX
by Homer
, Translated by Samuel Butler (1835-1902), Date of Origin: 800 BCE
Trickery can be an effective tactic for weaker opponents - trickery may be a dominant strategy in a single meeting between two opponents but elicits retribution in future rounds
Competitors may exist symbiotically - 'killing' your opponent may be counterproductive, whereas strategic manipulation of the opponent can turn his power to your advantage
Keywords:
Trick, stratagem, trap, pride, curiosity, glory, adventure, cunning, puns, leadership, narrative, revenge
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A trick of language
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hat ails you, Polyphemus,' said they, 'that you make such a noise, breaking the stillness of the night, and preventing us from being able to sleep? Surely no man is carrying off your sheep? Surely no man is trying to kill you either by fraud or by force?
But Polyphemus shouted to them from inside the cave, 'Noman is killing me by fraud! Noman is killing me by force!'
Then,' said they, 'if no man is attacking you, you must be ill when Jove makes people ill, there is no help for it, and you had better pray to your father Neptune.'
Then they went away, and I laughed inwardly at the success of my clever stratagem, but the Cyclops, groaning and in an agony of pain, felt about with his hands till he found the stone and took it from the door then he sat in the doorway and stretched his hands in front of it to catch anyone going out with the sheep, for he thought I might be foolish enough to attempt this.
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Another trick
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s for myself I kept on puzzling to think how I could best save my own life and those of my companions I schemed and schemed, as one who knows that his life depends upon it, for the danger was very great. In the end I deemed that this plan would be the best. The male sheep were well grown, and carried a heavy black fleece, so I bound them noiselessly in threes together, with some of the withies on which the wicked monster used to sleep. There was to be a man under the middle sheep, and the two on either side were to cover him, so that there were three sheep to each man. As for myself there was a ram finer than any of the others, so I caught hold of him by the back, esconced myself in the thick wool under his belly, and flung on patiently to his fleece, face upwards, keeping a firm hold on it all the time.
Thus, then, did we wait in great fear of mind till morning came, but when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, the male sheep hurried out to feed, while the ewes remained bleating about the pens waiting to be milked, for their udders were full to bursting but their master in spite of all his pain felt the backs of all the sheep as they stood upright, without being sharp enough to find out that the men were underneath their bellies...
When we were a little way out from the cave and yards, I first got from under the ram's belly, and then freed my comrades as for the sheep, which were very fat, by constantly heading them in the right direction we managed to drive them down to the ship. The crew rejoiced greatly at seeing those of us who had escaped death, but wept for the others whom the Cyclops had killed. However, I made signs to them by nodding and frowning that they were to hush their crying, and told them to get all the sheep on board at once and put out to sea so they went aboard, took their places, and smote the grey sea with their oars. Then, when I had got as far out as my voice would reach, I began to jeer at the Cyclops.
Cyclops,' said I, 'you should have taken better measure of your man before eating up his comrades in your cave. You wretch, eat up your visitors in your own house? You might have known that your sin would find you out, and now Jove and the other gods have punished you.'...
... 'Cyclops, if any one asks you who it was that put your eye out and spoiled your beauty, say it was the valiant warrior Ulysses, son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca...'
On this [Polyphemus] lifted up his hands to the firmament of heaven and prayed, saying, 'Hear me, great Neptune if I am indeed your own true-begotten son, grant that Ulysses may never reach his home alive or if he must get back to his friends at last, let him do so late and in sore plight after losing all his men [let him reach his home in another man's ship and find trouble in his house.]'"
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