The Monsters And Villains In Homer's The Odyssey

Many of the monsters and villains that Odysseus and his men face on their journey to Ithaca are fairly one dimensional in their presentation. For understandable reasons, many of the original storytellers would not have had the time or inclination to explain the motivations of every antagonist, particularly those that appeared for a single chapter. However, many legends regarding these characters exist outside of the main storyline. Some of these tales may have existed before the advent of The Odyssey as we know it, while others were most certainly created afterwards. The Laestrygonians, the Lotus-Eaters, Penelope’s suitors are primarily confined to The Odyssey, but few characters have incredibly detailed lives outside of the main storyline. The most …show more content…
Rather than being one adventure among many, Polyphemus manages to have a lasting impact that will affect the rest of Odysseus’ journey. The revelation of his enemy’s name allowed Polyphemus to call upon his father for vengeance, and the hero spends the rest of his long journey hounded by a wrathful Poseidon. However, despite the influence that the cyclops has on the plot, there is no mention of Polyphemus’ early life. According to Luke Roman’s Encyclopedia of Greek and Roman Mythology the cyclops was head over heals for the nymph and goddess of calm seas, Galatea. The legends differ of their relationship. In some Galatea was in love with a mortal who was killed, in a jealous rage, by Polyphemus. In other stories she returned her suitors affections and became his wife, and from them descended the Gauls. I find the hidden commentary in this belief fascinating. It displays the Gauls as the descendants of a woman of astounding beauty who was known for her milky white skin and a monster with violent and cannibalistic tendencies. This sums up the Roman, and possibly Greek, view on Gaul quite well as it defined their enemies as inhuman