Civilisation and Barbarity in Odyssey Book 9
Target Audience
AS students taking a classical subject interested in Homeric epic and early Greek society
Key Concepts
Epic, verse, Greek, ‘other’, barbarians, mythology, xenia
The Activity
What does Book 9 of Homer’s Odyssey teach us about appropriate and inappropriate
behaviour in Homeric society?
Background Knowledge
You should know the basic plot of Homer’s Odyssey, and be acquainted with the significant
themes and issues surrounding the epic poem. You will need to have read Book 9 of the
Odyssey carefully, and to understand where it fits within the framework of the rest of the poem.
Resources
This activity is focused on close and detailed examination of a single section of text, in this case
Book 9 of Homer's Odyssey. The most important thing is that you read Book 9 carefully, but you
would be sensible to make sure you are familiar with the surrounding books of the Odyssey as
well – particularly Books 6-8 in which Odysseus first encounters the Phaeacians, and Books 912 in which he narrates the story of his wonderings after the sack of Troy to their king, Alcinous.
All of the Odyssey is available online in translation (and in Greek, for those of you who have it!),
together with notes, at the 'Perseus' website (http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgibin/ptext?lookup=Hom.+Od.+1.1). If you know nothing about the Odyssey, the Wikipedia entry
is quite useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey. You could also try Googling 'Cyclops' or
'Polyphemus' (the Cyclops that Odysseus encounters): one useful web-page is
http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/Cyclops.html.
Outcomes
This activity is best suited to individual study, although you may find it helpful to discuss your
methods and approaches with your teacher. You could produce a short written essay, a
commentary on Odyssey Book 9, or perhaps a presentation to your class. If others in your class
are studying different parts of the Odyssey, you could make this part of a group presentation on
the themes of Homer's poem.
Helpful hints
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Make a list of the ways in which the behaviour and lifestyle of the Cyclopes are uncivilised
Does Odysseus always behave in an appropriate or civilised manner throughout Book 9?
What is the usual etiquette of 'guest-friendship', and how does Polyphemus reject it?
What are the main differences in the way Odysseus and Polyphemus address each other?
What role do the gods play in Book 9?
What is the importance of the context of Odysseus' story in the court of Alcinous for the themes
that are explored?
Going further
A poem that is roughly contemporary to the Odyssey, the Theogony of Hesiod, describes the
Cyclopes among the generations of the gods (lines 139-46): http://www.sacredtexts.com/cla/hesiod/theogony.htm. What are the defining characteristics of the Cyclopes here,
and how do they compare to other divine figures in the Theogony? What other ancient accounts
of Cyclopes can you find, and what role do they play?