Our spirits fell at his words, in terror at his loud voice and monstrous size. nevertheless i answered him, saying, 'we are achaeans (links to an external returning from troy (links to an external driven over the ocean depths by every wind that blows. heading for home, we were forced to take another route, a different course, as zeus (links to an external i suppose, intended. we are followers of agamemnon (links to an external atreus (links to an external site.)’s son, whose fame spreads widest on earth, so great was that city he sacked and host he slew. but we, for our part, come as suppliant to your knees, hoping for hospitality, and the kindness that is due to strangers. good sir, do not refuse us: respect the gods. we are suppliants and zeus protects visitors and suppliants, zeus the god of guests, who follows the steps of sacred travelers.'”

his answer was devoid of pity. “stranger, you are a foreigner or a fool, telling me to fear and revere the gods, since the cyclopes (links to an external site.) care nothing for aegis-bearing zeus: we are greater than they. i would spare neither you nor your friends, to evade zeus’s anger, but only as my own heart prompted.

but tell me, now, where you moored your fine ship, when you landed. was it somewhere nearby, or further off? i’d like to know.”

his words were designed to fool me, but failed. i was too wise for that, and answered him with cunning words: “poseidon (links to an external earth-shaker, smashed my ship to pieces, wrecking her on the rocks that edge your island, driving her close to the headland so the wind threw her onshore. but i and my men here escaped destruction.”

devoid of pity, he was silent in response, but leaping up laid hands on my crew. two he seized and dashed to the ground like , and their brains ran out and stained the earth. he tore them limb from limb for his supper, eating the flesh and entrails, bone and marrow, like a mountain lion, leaving nothing. we watched these cruel acts, raising our hands to heaven and weeping. when the cyclops (links to an external site.) had filled his huge stomach with human flesh, and had drunk pure milk, he lay down in the cave, stretched out among his flocks. then i formed a courageous plan to steal up to him, draw my sharp sword, and feeling for the place where the midriff supports the liver, stab him there. but the next thought checked me. trapped in the cave we would certainly die, since we’d have no way to move the great stone from the wide entrance. so, sighing, we waited for bright day.

then odysseus, when the men had escaped, explained that he said this to the cyclops:

from bk ix: 413-479 odysseus tells his tale: escape

when we were almost out of earshot, i shouted to the cyclops, mocking him: “it seems he was not such a weakling, then, cyclops, that man whose friends you meant to tear apart and eat in your echoing cave. stubborn brute not shrinking from murdering your guests in your own house, your evil deeds were bound for sure to fall on your own head. zeus (links to an external site.) and the other gods have had their revenge on you.”’
1. how is the cyclops's reaction to odysseus (and odysseus's boastful response to the cyclops upon escape) typical of the way people treat one another in society?