Having "fun" in Ismarus

It is good to finally be done with that useless war. A whole war, just over one woman. They would say, "Her face could launch a thousand ships!!" Who gives a damn how many ships would be launched for her!! She basically killed thousands of men, including some of my dear friends!!

Whatever, nothing can be done for them now. They will always be remembered.

After departed from Ilium, the winds drove my crew and I out to Ismarus, the Cicones' stronghold. There, I sacked the city. I killed the men, but as for the wives and plunder, that rich haul we dragged way form the palace. We shared it round so no one, not on my account, would go deprived of his fair share of spoils.

I urged the crew to set sail but they were reluctant. They claimed that there was just too much to leave behind. What mutinous fools they are!!!

As we remained on Ismarus, the Cicones that were left banned together and called for help from a neighboring island. We were screwed. They had a larger force and stronger soldiers too.

The men came out of the morning mist and the battle was on. Zeus present us with a disaster, we were doomed to face a huge mortal blow. We held them off for as long as possible, but the Cicones broke our lines and beat us down. Out of each ship, six men-at-arms were killed; the rest of us rowed away from certain doom.

Oh Hurricane, Oh Hurricane! How Very Much I HATE YOU!!!!

I would not let our ships sail on until the crews had saluted each poor comrade that was cut down by the fierce Cicones.

After doing so, we sailed onward but Zeus brought about massive storm clouds. The winds were howling a demonic gale. A massive hurricane was brewing...

When night swept down from the sky, our sails raged from the hurricane's overpowering winds. I urged my crew to row to the nearest shoreline, to find shelter from the storm. We pulled with all of our might.

Two days of full power rowing and we were all breathless.



Thankfully, by the third morning the winds let up, and we continued on our course.

Beware of the Lotus-eaters

At long last, I was on course toward Ithaca, my home land...

But, just as I reached Malea's cape, a tide-rip and the North Wind drove me totally off course, driving me past Cythera. By the tenth day of being drifted along by rough, deadly winds on the fish-infested sea, we landed on the land of the Lotus-eaters.

Lotus-eaters are basically people who eat both the mellow fruit and flower of the lotus plant.

Once we docked and had a meal, I sent three men to scout out the land, to find the inhabitants.

When they met the natives, they had no intentions of killing them. The natives were extremely hospitable, giving the three of them lotus to eat.

Immediately after devouring the plant, each comrade lost all desires to send back any message. They were intoxicated by the plant. Some part of it was acting as a drug, separating anyone intoxicated from the real world.

After sending countless numbers of crew mates to find the three lost men, I decided to venture out. I found all of the crew mates and drag them all the way back to the ship. They were extremely reluctant to leave, as if the natives had changed their inner ambitions.



As soon as they were back on the boat, I commanded them to set sail. We were off again...

Beached siesta

After, the craziness that was the land of the Lotus-eaters, we sailed off with our spirits at a low ebb.

We reached an island with unsown, unplowed, earth that teems with all they need, wheat, barley and vines, swelled by the rains of Zeus to yield a big full-bodied wine from clustered grapes. We assumed that there were no inhabitants of the island, and concluded it was safe to remain here.

The level island stretched flat across the harbor, close to a woods full of wild goats. You know we ate well tonight!!

I continued to be astonished by how fertile the land was. The land's clear for plowing. Harvest on harvest, a man could reap a healthy stand of grain - the subsoil's dark and rich. Maybe we should spend extra time on this island...

As night approached, a thick fog swirled around the ships, the moon wrapped in clouds and not a glimmer stealing through that gloom.

Beaching our vessels smoothly, striking sail, the crews swung out on the low shelving sand and there we fell asleep, awaiting Dawn's first light.

Venturing through the giant's island

When young Dawn with her rose-red finger shone once more we all turned out, intrigued to tour the island. The local nymphs, the daughter of Zeus himself flushed mountain-goats so the crews could make their meal.

Swiftly, we gathered all our necessary resources for the journey and we were off. We had so much goat meat, we could feed a whole city!!

When the sun was about to set, we laid down and slept at the water's shelving edge...

When dawn arouse, I commanded, "The rest of you stay here, my friends-in-arms. I'll go across with my own ship and crew and probe the native living over there. What are they - violent, savage, lawless or friendly to stranger, god-fearing men?"

My now smaller crew and I boarded the ship. Soon after setting sail, we spied a cavern just at the shore, gaping above the surf, towering, overgrown with laurel. We decided to stall here to spend the night. Big, big mistake on our part...

After entering the cave, we noticed the cave to be a giant's lair, who always pastured his sheep flocks far afield and never mixed with other. He was a grim longer, dead set in his own lawless ways. I'd say he was a man-mountain, shoulders over the world.

I selected an even fewer number of the finest fighters to join me and left the others to return to the ship. I took a skin of wine as an peace offering for the giant, hoping he would rejoice in it and provide us with some much needed information.

Remarkably, the giant never returned to his cave from the pasture, so we set up camp in his cave and lit a fire. We set our hands on the cheese, offered some to the gods and ate the bulk ourselves and settled down inside, awaiting his return...

Meet the Cyclops

Back he came from the pasture, late in the day, herding his flocks home, and lugging a huge load of good dry logs to fuel his fire at supper. He flung them down in the cave - a jolting crash - we scuttled in panic into the deepest dark recess. The giant went along with his daily routine as we trembled in the dark corner of the cave. He milked his goats, put the rams outside, and hoisted a tremendous, massive slab - no twenty-two wagons, rugged and four-wheeled, could budge that bould off the ground, I tell you, such an immense stone the monster wedged to block his cave!!!!

We were stuck, nothing to do but wait until the monster found us.

As soon as he finished all of his chores, he lit his fire, and spied us in the blaze and thundered, "Strangers! Now who are you?"

All of our hearts shook, terrified by his rumbling voice.

I answered the one eyed monster, "Men of Achaea we are and bound now from Troy! Driven off course by the warring winds. We're suppliants - at your mercy! Zeus of the strangers guards all guest and suppliants: strangers are sacred - Zeus will avenge their rights!"

(I wonder if the huge man even knew what cities I spoke of considering how isolated he seemed to be. I do not even think he knows who Achilles, the greatest of all Greek soldiers is!)

He laughed, he laughed at me. I was so confused and enraged. No one dare laugh at the great Odysseus, king of Ithaca, survivor of Troy.

He asked "But tell me, where did you moor your sturdy ship when you arrived?"

I immediately knew this to be a trap so I responded, "Poseidon god of the earthquake smashed my ship."Not a single reply did I here from that ruthless brutes mouth.

Horrifically, he reached out his hand, snatching two of my men at once, rapping them on the ground he knocked them dead like pups - their brains gushed out all over, soaked the floor - and ripping them limb from limb to fix his meal he bolted them down like a mountain-lion, left no scrap. Once the vicious savage stuffed his gut with my comrades, he slept in his cave stretched out along his flocks. I quickly began planning how to take revenge but we now lay groaning, waiting for Dawn's first light...

Taking Action - the ultimate escape plan

When young Dawn with her rose-red fingers shone once more the monster relit his fire, going on with his morning routine. He snatched two more of my finest men. Both Antinious and Brotus were fixed for his meal. How gruesome!!

Being well-fed, the cyclops drove his flock of sheep from the cave, lifting the huge door slab up and away, then slipped it back into its place.

That is when we took action...

I thought to myself, "How could I pay him back? Would Athena give me glory?"

The best plan I could think of was this:

1) Take the great club of the Cyclops (it lay by the pens, olivewood, full of sap)

2) Chop the club to a fathom's length

3) Smooth out the club and sharpen the end

4) Place the sharp end over the fire to char it good and hard

5) Hide the club under the dung that litters the cavern's floor in thick wet clumps.

6) Stab the cyclops

We have steps 1 through 5 complete, the only question is: How do we stab the cyclops without him noticing us?

I got the very best four men of what was left of our group and planned out our further actions.