Draft:The Field Guide To The Odyssey

The Lotus-Eaters are people or maybe even a race or tribe, it is hard to tell because Odysseus's words of the encounter with them does not tell us much about them. All I am able to say about them is that their whole life is centered on the consumption of the lotus flower per Odysseus's words:"The lotus-eaters, who live upon that flower." The Lotus-Eaters are peaceful, and only want Odysseus and his men to take of the lotus flower. Odysseus has to drag three of his men back to the ship to save them from themselves.

Polyphemus, is a prodigious male cyclops, he lives reared in solitude in his great cave, where there is a profusion of dung in his cave, along with a drying rack that sagged with cheeses, and pens crowded with lambs and kids, each in its class: newborn lambkins, penned apart from both. He also has vessels full of whey brimming to the top. He is described as a "shaggy mountain" . He is very rude and ruthless to the company of Odysseus. Has a tendency to eat humans when he can. He seems to care a lot for his animals. He is a son of Poseidon, and he says a prayer to Poseidon, his father, on Pg 661, Lines 484-894. This prayer is formed with revenge in his heart, so his prayer is not saying "oh help my dear Odysseus!"

 One of Odysseus's men who died on  Circe's roof, he was drunk  and could not see the long steep backward ladder. Coming down, he fell and snapped his neck. Elpenor tells Odysseus the future of an event on verses 598-607. His words are really cryptic, so it is hard to say much about this. However, Elpenor does tell Odysseus this "Now hear the grace I pray for, in the name of those back in the world, not here-your wife and father, he who gave you bread in childhood, and your own child, your only son, Telemachus, long ago left at home."   This whole sentence to me says this, "in the name of those back in the world, those who are not here-your wife and father, he who gave you bread in childhood, and your own child, your only son, Telemachus, long ago who are left at home." this to me is Elpenor giving Odysseus the knowledge that what he is doing will be worth it in the end, so by saying this he is given another reason to get home. Elpenor also asks Odysseus to not leave him unburied, and unswept in Circe's hall. His exact words are "O lord, remember me, I pray, do not abandon me unwept, unburied, to tempt the gods' wrath, while you sail for home; but fire my corpse, and all the gear I had, and build a cairn for me above the breakers - an unknown sailor's mark for men to come. Heap up the mound there, and implant upon it the oar I pulled in my life with my companions'."  To me if you notice the implementation of the words "to tempt the gods' wrath while you sail for home" ​​​​​​ This implants the idea that if Odysseus leaves Elpenor's corpse unburied and abandoned, the gods' wrath would fall upon Odysseus. Elpenor's prophecy is "When you make sail and put these lodgings of dim Death behind, you will moor ship, I know, upon the Aeaea Island." What this is saying is that Odysseus will be moored at the Aeaea Island. per the choice of words.   

Is bearing a golden staff. He addresses Odysseus with these words: " Son of Laertes and the gods of old, Odysseus, master of landways and seaways, why leave the blazing sun, O man of woe, to see the cold dead and the joyless region? Stand clear, put up your sword; let me but taste the blood, I shall speak true." ^[1]I see in this sentence some humor and irony like "why leave the blazing sun, O man of woe, to see the cold dead and the joyless region?" In this Tiresias is almost joking with him. However, Tiresias might be longing to be under the sun again. Then Odysseus allows Tiresias pass and he tasted the blood. Then he talks to Odysseus about some future events, like the suitors with his wife and so on. He also says NOT TO TOUCH THE SUN GOD'S SHEEP!!!

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Is described by Odysseus as "the monster of gray rock." Odysseus then continues with "harboring torment for my friends." Odysseus address his men as "my friends" which implies that he cares alot about his men. Odysseus also describes Scylla as a monster that vomits ocean water, and seems to be very powerful. Because of these words from Odysseus "Scylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship."

Is a goddess, who is not a nice person to men, whom she has the tendency to make them into swine. Odysseus has 3 or 4 encounters with her.

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Argus is the old dog of Odysseus', that is in a pile of dung.