Book IX

Odysseus warns him not to offend Zeus, the god of hospitality. Polyphemos ridicules this idea; he does not care about the gods. Instead, he asks where Odysseus' ship is; the crafty leader lies and says it was wrecked and that they are the only survivors. Polyphemos grabs two of Odysseus' men, beats them dead, and eats them whole while the other men watch, powerless. Polyphemos then goes to sleep in his doorway, preventing Odysseus from killing him, as they would not be able to move aside his huge dead body to escape.