How did odyssus defeat cyclops?

Answer 1

Odysseus realises that he can't just kill the cyclops, as that would mean there would be no one to roll the massive boulder away from the cave's entrance.

So Odysseus comes up with a plan.

First, he offers the cyclops some wine. (Now in ancient times the Greeks used to mix their wine with water to make it less strong) The cyclops doesn't know this and so drinks the wine neat, without any water added to it.

As a result of this he gets drunk quickly and passes out.

Whilst the cyclops is passed out Odysseus and his men cut a piece of olive wood off the cyclop's sheep-hearding stick and sharpen it into a point.

They then heat the point in a fire so it is red hot. Next they position themselves over the cyclop's head and quickly stab the point into the cyclop's eye.

The cyclop's immediately awakes and cries out in agony. Blinded, he can no longer see Odysseus or his men.

In the morning when the cyclops lets his cattle out of the cave Odysseus and his men attatch themselves to the underside of the cattle.

As the cattle leaves the cyclops sits at the entrance of the cave and strokes the backs of each sheep and cow to check that the men arn't escaping. Yet he fails to realise that they are really underneith the cattle and therefore Odysseus and his men escape.