Famous Men of Greece · Ch. IX, part 1 · Unit 3: The Trojan War and Ulysses
12. The Adventures of Ulysses (I): the lotus-eaters and the Cyclops
Goal: Your child can retell how Ulysses tricked the Cyclops with the name "Noman" and escaped from the cave.
You'll need
- A map or globe (a free online map works well)
- A notebook or paper and colored pencils
What's in the book
Section I: Ulysses pretends to be mad to stay home, but goes to Troy. Sailing home, his men taste the lotus; then Ulysses and twelve men are trapped in the cave of a Cyclops. Ulysses gets him drunk, calls himself "Noman," blinds him, and escapes under the rams.
The lesson, step by step
Set the scene
Find the island of Ithaca, off the west coast of Greece. Then find Troy. Ulysses's trip home should have taken about a month. The book says it took him ten years.
SayThese stories come from the Odyssey, the poem by Homer. Ulysses's Greek name is Odysseus.
Read the chapter together
Read pages 90–97 aloud, or let your child read and help with the hard names. Stop at the end of section I, where Ulysses sails away from the Cyclops.
Narration
Close the book. Ask your child to tell the story back in their own words, from the beginning. Don't correct as they go; just listen. If they get stuck, use a prompt:
- How did Ulysses try to stay home from the war?
- What did the lotus do to people who ate it?
- Why couldn't the Greeks kill the Cyclops while he slept?
- How did the name "Noman" help?
- How did the men get out of the cave?
Talk it over
Ask:
1. Why was "Noman" such a clever name?
2. Was it wise of Ulysses to shout his real name at the end?
3. Which is more useful in this story, strength or cleverness?
Remember it
"What is your name?" asked the Cyclops.
"Noman," answered Ulysses.
"Noman!" screamed the Cyclops. "Noman has put out my eye!"
Something extra
Act out the escape: your child crouches under a "ram" (a blanket over a chair) while you, the blind Cyclops, feel along the backs of the sheep.
Afterwards
Start a map of Ulysses's voyage: draw Ithaca and Troy, and add each adventure as a small island as you read.
Tip
The Cyclops eats some of the men. The book says it plainly but briefly. Read on to the trick, which children love.
Answers to the book's problems
1. When the Cyclops shouted "Noman has put out my eye," the other giants thought no one had hurt him. 2. Not very wise: it told the Cyclops who he was, and the giant threw rocks at his ship. 3. Cleverness. All the Greeks together could not move the stone; the trick got them out.
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.