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Barbarians In The Odyssey

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Last but definitely not least, Polyphemos from the Odyssey is by far at the tip of that barbarians scale. In the beginning passage about Polyphemus, he is presented as quite gentle with his heard of sheep while milking them, this give no indication to him being uncivilized and violent (Homer, pg. 143). But as the story progress, the audience can sense that he is less and less similar to their ideal of a Greek citizens. Polyphemus expressed that the Cyclopes do not concern themselves with Zeus since they are far better than the gods, this means he does not adhere to the same religious system as the Greeks do (Homer, pg. 144). Not only that, Polyphemus does not adhere to the Greek custom of giving gifts and hospitality to guests in the worst

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