Polyphemus and Nobody

Poseidon was the Greek God of seas, storms earthquakes and horses. It was believed that Poseidon lived on Mount Olympus.

Thoosa was a nymph and she was the daughter of Phorcys. Phorcys was the primordial sea God.

Thoosa and Poseiden had a son whose name was Polyphemus. 

Polyphemus was huge as a giant and he had only one eye. Polyphemus was believed to be a Cyclops. According to Homer's Odyssey, some Cyclops lived on an island herding huge animals. 

Odysseus was one of the heroes of the Trojan war. Oddysseus won the Trojan war and he was journeying back to Greece. 

At that time he landed on an island to find some provisions for his people. A group of soldiers from the boat, accompanied Odysseus in exploring the island. 

All Odysseus had with him was a bottle of rare wine which had been presented to him by the priest of the temple of God Apollo.

Odysseus and his men found a huge cave with many goats. 

It turned out that the cave belonged to Polyphemus. He returned in the evening with his flock of goats and he blocked the entrance of the cave with a rock. 

Polyphemus was then surprised to find men there. 

However, Polyphemus was too hungry. 

As soon as he blocked the cave, he ate two of Odysseus’s men for dinner that night. 

The next morning he ate two more men of Odysseus's group and left the cave with his flock after blocking it with a rock again. 

Odysseus and his remaining men hid in the caves and there they sharpened a wooden stake, during the time that Polyphemus was away.

The next evening when Polyphemus returned to the cave, Odysseus offered the wine to the Cyclops. 

Polyphemus liked the wine. So he asked Odysseus his name. 

Odysseus answered that his name is ‘Nobody’. 

That night when Polyphemus was in a drunken sleep Odysseus and his men drove the sharp wooden stake into Polyphemus’ eye.

Polyphemus roared in pain. 

The other Cyclops in the island Cape running towards the cave. “What is happening?” 

“Nobody is killing me! Nobody is killing me!” Polyphemus roared. 

The other Cyclops did not understand what this meant and walked away from there wondering what was wrong with Polyphemus. 

The next morning the blind Polyphemus led the sheep out to the cave and for this he removed the rock of the cave. 

At that time Odysseus and his men each tied themselves to a huge animal of the herd.

The blind Polyphemus was unable to see this and he let the animals out of the cave. 

That was how Odysseus and his remaining men were able to get out of the cave.

After that, Odysseus and his remaining men ran to the boat and sailed away from there.

Adapted from Greek Mythology