Odyssey Episode 3 Summary: The Cyclops

Use this episode summary alongside the Odyssey reading schedule, free Odyssey study guide, and Odyssey character cheat sheet. To walk the story interactively, open the Classical Quest Odyssey Adventure.

Episode 3 at a Glance

What Happens in This Episode?

Odysseus and selected men enter a huge cave filled with sheep, goats, cheese, and signs of a household built on an inhuman scale. The owner is Polyphemus, a Cyclops and son of Poseidon.

Polyphemus violates xenia, the Greek law of host and guest, by trapping the men in the cave and eating several of them. Odysseus cannot win by force, so he plans by cunning.

He gives Polyphemus wine, says his name is No-Man, blinds the Cyclops, and escapes beneath the sheep. Then, as the ship pulls away, Odysseus reveals his real name. That boast lets Polyphemus call on Poseidon for revenge.

Key Moments to Remember

• The men enter the cave and wait for the unknown host.
• Polyphemus traps them behind a giant stone.
• Odysseus names himself No-Man.
• The men blind Polyphemus and escape under the rams.
• Odysseus boasts his real name, drawing Poseidon's curse.

Teaching Notes for Homeschool Families

• This is the best episode for teaching metis, the kind of practical intelligence Odysseus is famous for.
• It is also the best episode for teaching xenia, because Polyphemus does the opposite of what a host should do.
• Do not let students miss the second half of the lesson: the same man who saves everyone by cunning endangers everyone by pride.

Discussion Questions

1. Why does Odysseus wait in the cave instead of leaving with the food?
2. What makes the name No-Man such an effective trick?
3. Was Odysseus's final boast understandable, foolish, or both?

Terms and Themes

• xenia: host-guest friendship
• metis: cunning intelligence
• hubris: pride that overreaches