When Odysseus and his
crew find the cave of the Cyclops, along with all his animals and cheese, the crew begs him to
take some food and return immediately to the ship. The men seem to sense, intuitively, that
they should not be found in the cave. Even Odysseus had had a bit of a premonition, before he
left the ship, that he would "meet a man arrayed in mighty power, a savage, ignorant of
rights and laws." He was right, because Polyphemus -- although he isn't ignorant of rights
and laws -- chooses not to adhere to the codes that most ancient Greeks found acceptable.
Odysseus, hoping that the Cyclops would feel bound by the religious
imperative to provide hospitality to travelers, since they were believed to be protected by Zeus
himself, refuses his men, and he stays to meet the owner of the cave in the hope that "he
might offer gifts." Odysseus believes he might get a gift because, often, a host would
offer such a guest-gift to a traveler as a kindness. Despite his premonition, he still seems to
expect the Cyclops to behave hospitably, and this was a big mistake!
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