The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1906-06-07
XX IHILE the "Iliad" represents
NV deeds Of magnificent hero
Y Y ism, and emotions and

N deeds OF magnificent hero
Y ism, and emotions and
passions produced by war,
the "Odyssey" is more lyric, idyllic
and allegoric, than an epic and elegiac
poem, calculated to delight rather
than startle. Odysseus is portrayed to
US as a brave and noble, but also
essentially human being. He is some
what of an egoist and, in cases of
emergency, quite ready to employ de-
ception and prevarication in the fur
therance of his schemes. His
distinctive characteristic, however, is
the skill and geniality, with which he
manages to extricate himself out of
apparently unsurmountable difficulties
and dangers. Homer, who almost al
ways prefixes an adjective, indicating
PERSONS best traits or peculiarities,
before the names of his leading char
acters, generally puts the adjective
'polymetis" (rich in resources) before
the name of Odysseus.
After the capture of llium, Odysseus,
with his personal followers and with
his share in the spoils of war, sailed
for his home, the small island of
Ithaca, which is situated in the Ionian
Sea, near the west coast of Greece. The
elements were against him. His ship
was tossed by the angry waves into all
kinds of strange and outlandish places,
where he encountered many obstacles
and dangers, so that it took him ten
years till he finally reached his home,
alone, without his ship and without
even a single one of his followers.
Like all other things in those days, the
many vlcissitudes which befell his
favorite, were ascribed by Homer to
the ill-will of the gods, in this case
principally to the wrath of Poseidon,
the sea god, whom Odysseus had re-
peatedly offended. Homer makes it
quite clear that deities cannot be in
suited with impunity; but he makes it
also clear, that the good qualities of q
person may gain for him the friend
ship and help of some other gods.
This had been the case with Odysseus,
who had found powerful supporters in
several gods, especially in Pallas
Athene. To indicate, in condensed
prose, the kind of adventures en-
countered by Odysseus, is running the
risk of leaving our readers under the
impression that the great poet had
composed fairy tale, while, in fact,
Homer has made something infinitely
grander than that. Nevertheless, we
shall mention those adventures which
have been most frequently referred to
in the subsequent ages.
Among other places to which
Odysseus' ship was driven by the gales,
was the coast of Sicily, inhabited in
those days by gigantic shepherds,
called Cyclops, who possessed many
times the size and strength of ordinary
men. The most renowned of these
Cyclops, Polyphemus, treated Odysseus
with hospitality; but became so cap.
tivated with his gift as narrator and
entertainer, that he would not allow
him to leave the island any more.
Physical force would have proved of
no avail against Polyphemus' super
human strength; besides, Cyclops were
said to be immortal and could not be
killed. so deceit and treachery had
to be resorted to. First of all, Odys-
seus made Polyphemus beastly drunk,
so that the latter fell down in his cave.
unconscious of everything that was
going on around him. Then Odysseus
and some of his companions feIled a
large fir tree, pointing it at one end,
and heating this end in big fire.
Meanwhile his other companions had
built a scaffold over Polyphemus'
enormous head, and, standing on this
scaffold, Odysseus and his men bored
the red hot firebrsnd into Polyphemus'
eye, thus binding him; for the CycIops
had but one eye, which was in the
middle of their foreheads. With cry
OF rage and pain, sounding like thun-
~ 80 sss,S sSs