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Why do Odysseus and his men make an offering to the gods on the Cyclops' island in The Odyssey?
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Odysseus and his men make an offering to the gods on the Cyclops' island to adhere to the religious imperative of hospitality, sanctioned by Zeus, and to seek divine protection on their journey home. They burn an offering from the food they find and later sacrifice an extra ram to Zeus, hoping for his favor against the Cyclops' curse.
While recounting the tale of his travels to King Alcinous of Phaeacia, Odysseus says that when he and his men discovered the cave of Polyphemus, the Cyclops, they first made a fire, next "made burnt offering and [they then] took of the cheese and ate." Essentially, while they are waiting for the cave's inhabitant to return, they made themselves at home in his home, eating and enjoying the food they find. They are relying on an ancient Greek concept called xenia , a concept which roughly translates to extreme hospitality. Any travel during this era would require the traveler to rely on the kindness of strangers for food and housing (and maybe more), and Zeus came to be the especial protector of travelers. Treating travelers well became one way of heeding and paying homage to Zeus. Likewise, another religious imperative dictated that, prior to feeding oneself, one would pour out...
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and sacrifice some of one's food to the gods. In order to claim their religious right to hospitality, sanctioned by the gods themselves, Odysseus and his men really should adhere to other religious rules, such as burning an offering of food to the gods, when appropriate.
Odysseus burns an offering for the gods because there is an extra ram left over after the men have divided up the Cyclops's sheep among them, and because Odysseus hopes that the gods will heed his sacrifice and protect him and his crew on their way home.
When Odysseus and his men finally return to the island where they have left the rest of their ships, they divide the sheep they have stolen from the Cyclops among themselves, giving each man an equal share so that none would complain. There is an extra ram, and the men decide it should go to Odysseus; Odysseus sacrifices this ram on the shore to the god Zeus. Odysseus prays that Zeus, who is lord over all, will grant them his protection on their journey home, especially since Cyclops has prayed to his own father Poseidon to avenge him against Odysseus, who has stolen his flock and put out his eye. Unfortunately, Zeus does not heed Odysseus's sacrifice, only thinking how "he might destroy both (Odysseus's) ships and (his) comrades" (Book IX).
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