The Odyssey, Ep. 5: The Cyclops

About this episode

The episode discusses Odysseus' encounter with Polyphemus and the broader themes of his journey in The Odyssey.

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss the significance if Odysseus' encounter with Polyphemus before introducing a lecture from Dr. Benedict Whalen. Odysseus recounts his journey thus far to the Phaeacians. He tells of his escape from the cyclops, Polyphemus, and his great blunder. The Odyssey  tells the tale of the cunning and crafty hero of the Trojan War on his journey home. After ten years of war, Odysseus faces another ten years of fantastic temptations, deadly monsters, treacherous seas, and impious men. Meanwhile, Ithaca is threatened by suitors who plague his wife and plunder his wealth. When Odysseus reaches home, he must slay the suitors, test the loyalty of his friends and family, and restore order to his marriage and his kingdom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Jeremiah

Guest: Juan

Topics covered

• The Odyssey
• Greek mythology
• heroic journey
• literary analysis
• ancient history

Keywords

• Odyssey
• Polyphemus
• Odysseus
• Greek mythology
• literary analysis
• Hillsdale College

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Odyssey

Places: Ithaca

More episodes of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast

• The Odyssey, Ep. 8: Return to Ithaca · September 9, 2026 · 26 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 7: Death and Woe · September 2, 2026 · 32 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 6: Circe · August 26, 2026 · 25 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 4: The Kingdom of Phaeacia · August 12, 2026 · 25 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 3: Calypso · August 5, 2026 · 31 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 2: Rumors of Odysseus · July 29, 2026 · 29 min