GRECIAN MYTHOLOGY. | 141 
hit upon a plan for saving himself and his remaining followers. He first 
intoxicated the giant, and burnt out his only eye whilst he was asleep. 
The enraged monster dealt mighty blows in all directions, but his cap- 
tives easily evaded their blind antagonist. One morning when Poly- 
phemos removed the rock from the entrance of the cave in order to let out 
his flock of sheep, Odysseus and his friends each slipped under a ram 
holding on to its fleece, and were thus carried out under the very hands of 
the Cyclops who stood in the passage feeling the animals’ backs as they 
passed him. Odysseus then re-embarked, but having offended Poseidon by 
maiming his son Polyphemos, he had to go through a vast deal of suffering 
on his further voyage. When his own island of Ithaca was already in sight 
Poseidon bid olus, the god of the winds, drive him back. He was first 
thrown on the A®olian islands, then on the land of the Lestrygons, and 
finally on the island of the nymph Circe (pl. 30, jig. 16), who changed his 
companions into swine, but could not transform him as he was guarded 
against witchcraft by a mystical plant that he had obtained from Hermes, 
and by whose power he also forced her to restore the original forms of his 
companions. 
Leaving the island he again encountered storms that threw him into the 
neighborhood of the abode of the Sirens, half birds, half women (pl. 21, 
Jigs: 17, 19), who by their charming song lured mariners into danger, and 
either drowned them or changed them into Sirens (jig. 18). Odysseus 
escaped the danger by causing himself to be lashed to the mast of his 
vessel, and his companions to close their ears with wax. ‘Thus he passed 
the dangerous spot unhurt, but was soon after carried by the winds into the 
narrow passage between Scylla and Charybdis, of whom the myth relates that 
they had been beautiful maidens, and were changed into sea monsters by 
Circe from motives of jealousy, and stationed in the Etruscan straits to render 
them attractive by their alluring charms and destructive by their monstrous 
nature. Odysseus came too near Scylla, who slew six of his companions 
(pl. 30, fig. 15), and in his endeavor to escape from the spot fell in with 
Charybdis (jig. 14), who also claimed a number of victims. But he at 
length extricated his vessel from the dangerous neighborhood. He was not, 
however, yet freed from the persecutions of the vindictive god of the seas, 
who sent another gale against him which wrecked his vessel on the island 
of the Nymph Calypso, when all his companions were drowned, and he 
alone saved by his skill in swimming. Calypso retained him on the island 
for seven years, when he was finally released at the command of Zeus, who 
at the request of Athene sent Hermes to bid Calypso give him a vessel that 
he might continue his voyage. Scarcely had he, however, lost sight of the 
island when Poseidon again sent a gale of wind that he might destroy him ; 
his vessel was shivered by the force of the waves. After swimming during 
three days he reached the island of Scheria, where he fell down exhausted 
and sank into a deep sleep. He was found by the daughter of King 
Alcinoos, who offered him the hospitality of her father. The latter insti- 
tuted a great feast in honor of his guest, at which Demodocos sang the 
glorious deeds of the Greeks at Troy. Elated by the song, Odysseus dis- 
361 
