book 9
by Jake Nelson
book 9
“There I sacked the town and put the people to the sword. We took their wives and also much booty, which we divided equitably amongst us, so that none might have reason to complain. I then said that we had better make off at once, but my men very foolishly would not obey me, so they stayed there drinking much wine and killing great numbers of sheep and oxen on the sea shore.” Odysseus is taking things from people in this town. The men are back at his house eating his food and drinking his wine.
“Then Zeus raised the north wind against us till it blew a hurricane, so that land and sky were hidden in thick clouds, and night sprang forth out of the heavens.” He blames zeus that he can’t get home, but he is causing problems for himself.
“Do not, the exclaimed, be mad enough to provoke this savage creature further; he has thrown one rock already which drove us back again to the mainland, and we thought it would have been the death of us; if he had then heard any further sound of voices he would have pounded our heads and our ship’s timbers into a jelly with the rugged rocks he would have heaved at us, for he can throw them a long way. But I would not listen to them, and shouted out to him in my rage.” After this the Cyclopes prayed that Odysseus would not make it home. Odysseus should have just left when he could instead of yelling at Cyclopes if he really wanted to go home.
The main characters are Odysseus and the Cyclopes. The book says Cyclopes is a large monster. Odysseus is trying to get home but Cyclopes kept odysseus and his men in a cave. If he wants to go home , after he got back to his ship he should have left but he had to try and cause more problems with the Cyclopes.