Ulysses and his Adventures

When the war of Troy was over, the Greeks set sail for home. Great storms arose, sent by Neptune, the sea-god. The fleet was scattered and many a Greek sank forever in the black and angry sea. Ulysses survived and could return home but not before he had wandered for ten long years, far from Ithaxa, his homeland, and his loved ones.

The great storm which arose and dispersed the Greek fleet lasted for nine days and when it subsided, an island was sighted by Ulysses and his few surviving companions. It was the island of the Lotus-eaters, a plant which when eaten results in complete loss of memory. Ulysses managed to get his crew away from the strange island, but with great difficulty. Tennyson’s Lotus-eaters is based on this adventure.

The ship next reached the land of the Cyclops, giants with only one eye, which was placed in the middle of the forehead. These giants lived in caves and spent most of their time guarding the flocks on which they fed. Ulysses and some of his men began to explore the island. They reached one of the caves, the home of the Cyclops, Polyphemus. They were happy on finding so rich a stock of food, when Polyphemus suddenly returned, driving a large flock before him. With greatest ease he rolled an immense rock in front of the cave’s door and Ulysses and his frightened men knew that all their efforts would never be able to move it. When Polyphemus had milked the goats and ewes he happened to roll his eye around and saw for the first time that he had visitors. He asked them who they were and whence they came.

Ulysses stood up as spokesman and told of the Trojan War, and with great humility, begged that he and his men be allowed to go. Polyphemus answered by grasping two of the men, throwing them against the cave wall, dashing out their brains, and then devouring them, limb by limb. Then he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. Ulysses would have attacked him but knew that if they did succeed in slaying the Cyclops, he and his men would be prisoners forever in the sealed cave. In the morning Polyphemus breakfasted off two more of the band, rolled the rock from the opening to allow himself and his flocks to go out, and then sealed it up again. When he was gone, the crafty Ulysses planned his revenge and escape. That evening the giant again killed and began to devour two of his men. Ulysses and a group of his most daring followers approached him and offered him a jug of wine which they had carried with them from the boat. Polyphemus tasted it and found it good. He announced that as a reward for this delicious drink, Ulysses would be the last to be eaten.

During the time that the Cyclops had been out with his flocks, Ulysses had a great log cut, formed a sharp point at one end, and concealed it in the rear of the cave. When he fell into a sleep deepened by wine, the men heated the point of the log in a fire which they had made, until it was hot and glowing like a burning coal. Then Ulysses lifted it and placed the point in the giant’s single eye. They twisted the log until the eye was completely burned out. His horrible screams of rage and pain filled the cave and the men rain to its corners to be out of reach of the blinded Cyclops. In the morning, Polyphemus stood at the entrance to the cave, having rolled the stone away only far enough to let the cattle pass through. He felt each creature as it went by, to make sure that no human being escaped. But Ulysses had ordered his men to guide the flock to the door in groups of three abreast. Clinging to the under-side of each middle cattle were his surviving companions. As soon as they had all escaped, Ulysses being the last, they rushed to their boat on the shore and sailed away.

They came next to the island of Circe, an enchantress and daughter of the Sun. Ulysses ordered a scouting party to investigate the land before the entire party disembarked. Now Circe was a witch who lured men to her rare beauty. She entertained them lavishly and bade them sup with her, but as soon as they ate her food, they were transformed into animals of various kinds, retaining only their human minds, but in all other respects being as the beasts of the fields and forests. The group of men reached a palace which was located in the centre of the island. Circe appeared and bade them welcome. But Eurylochus, their leader, was suspicious and remained outside. Circe conducted the men to an impressive banquet hall and served them with wines and tempting food. But when they had eaten, she touched them one by one with her magic wand, and they were transformed into beasts. Then the horrified Eurylochus hurried back to the ship to tell Ulysses of the fate of his men. Ulysses determined to go alone and attempt single-handed to rescue his companions. On the way he met a youth of godlike beauty, who announced that he was Mercury and had come to aid Ulysses. He gave him a special herb which, once he had eaten at it, would protect him from any harm.

Circe greeted Ulysses as she had greeted his men, and entertained him in the same rich manner. But when she touched him with her wand, no transformation took place. Instead, Ulysses drew his sword, rushed upon her and threatened to kill her unless she immediately released all the prisoners from their beastly shapes. Then the terrified Circe, restored all the men to their human forms. The rest of the company now came ashore, and a great celebration was held. Circe fell in love with Ulysses, and he and his companions found life on the island exceedingly good. Soon they had forgotten home, family, the horrors of the war and their many trials. But even with this pleasant way of life, with its luxuries and pleasures, they were at last fed up. Their thoughts turned once more to the sea and adventure. Circe reluctantly helped them with the preparations and also warned them of the dangers which awaited them, and told them how to escape them.

First, there were the Sirens, a species of sea nymphs, who could charm with their songs all mariners who sailed nearby. It was said that sailors hearing their singing would throw themselves into the sea in their mad desire to join such sweet singers. Ulysses ordered all his men to fill their ears with wax, so that they would be deaf to the Sirens’ song. He then asked his companions to tie him to the mast, and not to unbind him even if he ordered them to do so. when they sailed past the rocks where the Sirens dwelt, so alluring was the music which Ulysses alone could hear, that he struggled and almost broke his bonds. But his men heeded not his orders, and after a while, no further sound of singing was heard and Ulysses was unloosed from his bonds. Thus they escaped the sirens.

Circe had also warned them that there was grave danger in sailing between the twin perils of Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla lived high on a stony promontory rising out of the sea. Being equipped with six heads on long necks, she could reach out towards a passing ship and devour the helpless mariners in a fearful manner. Close by was the other danger, the whirlpool Charybdis, which sucked ships and all aboard it. Although Ulysses had been forewarned and managed to steer away from the whirlpool, he could not successfully evade the bestial Scylla. The boat came just close enough to permit her to stretch out her serpentine necks and devour six brave men. Thus we get the famous idiom “between Scylla and Charybdis”.

The story of the adventures of Ulysses is told by Homer in his Odyssey.

It was after facing these and many other such adventures that Ulysses at last reached the Island of Ithaca, his home and his kingdom. His wife Penelope had waited patiently for his return home, and had rejected all suitors who wanted to marry her. His son, Telemachus, also remembered his father, and had been making franting efforts to find him out. Now at last the husband was united with the wife, and the father with the son, and there was merry-making all over the island.

But adventure was in the very blood of Ulysses, and he could not stay at home for any length of time. The call of the sea was too powerful for him. So, he gave up his kingdom to his son Telemachus, collected his sailors and faithful companions, and set sail never again to return home.

This sailing away of Ulysses from Ithaca is the subject of Tennyson’s well-known lyric Ulysses.