Friday, July 31, 2015

In "The Odyssey", what had Odysseus received from Maron at Ismarus?what laws of behavior and attitude does polyhemus violate?

When Odysseus and his men sacked Ismarus, they spared Maron and his family (out of respect) and Maron then gave them gifts in return.  He gave them "seven talents of fine gold, and a bowl of silver, with twelve jars of sweet wine, unblended."

This wine is so strong that it must be mixed with 20 parts of water to one part of wine.  As Odysseus walks to the cave of Polyphemus, he carries with him the "goatskin of sweet black wine" in case he faces "some savage who would be of great strength, and would respect neither right nor law."

Polyphemus does not follow the Hospitality Rule that says strangers and beggars should be given food/drink/clothing if needed before they are asked who they are and why they are there.  (This rule is important because the stranger could be a god.) Polyphemus instead eats Odysseus' men.  He doesn't care about the law because his father is Poseidon.  He feels that he can do whatever he wants and get away with it.  He is huge and strong and thinks he is more powerful than the gods, so he doesn't follow the rules.  This is where the powerful wine comes in handy.  Odysseus offers it up to him, calling it the "wine of the gods" and Polyphemus passes out (drunk).  This is when they blind him and are able to escape.

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