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This is the whole musical on youtube. You might want to listen to it to understand some of the stuff I'm talking about but you don’t need to.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxVba2t6P1JXnXMWboHisKYQk3Iqj3v-O
Important Info -
The musical is about Odysseus and his 10-year journey back to Ithaca. He left to fight in the Trojan War and after they won the war they are now trying to return home but are faced with TONS of challenges. Odysseus has a wife and kid in Ithaca, his wife is Pelelope and his child is Telemachus. Odysseus is the king of Ithaca.
But the characters seen the most in these two sagas are Odysseus, his 2nd in command, Eurylochus, one of his good friends Polites, and Athena. The musical is so good because it contains so many different types of music and ALL THE SONGS ARE ACTUALLY SO GOOD. I don’t usually think many songs are good either BUT THIS MUSICAL IS TO DIE FOR.
The Troy Saga
Song #1 - The Horse and the Infant
The song first starts off with Odysseus and his soldiers in the Trojan Horse (I’m sure you've heard of it). So after 10 years, they're finally getting INSIDE Troy getting ready to end the war once and for all from inside Troy. And Odysseus is hyping the soldiers up by talking about their families back in Ithaca (I think it’s Ithaca I might be wrong). So then Odysseus names his soldiers and gives them jobs to do when they attack troy.
BUT ODYSSEUS NAMES NEO WHO IS SHORT FOR NEOPTOLEMUS WHO IS ACHILLES’S SON. AND AND AND ODYSSEUS'S LINE WAS “Neo, avenge your father, kill the brothers of Hector!” AND IT'S BECAUSE ODYSSEUS IS TELLING NEO TO AVENGE ACHILLES BECAUSE ACHILLES WAS SHOT IN HIS HEEL (His only weak point because he bathed in the river Styx but I’ll be on a whole nother story if I go into that). SO ACHILLES WAS SHOT IN THE HEEL RIGHT BUT IT WAS BY PARIS. A K A THE BROTHER OF HECTOR. So anyways they never mention this but Neo ended up killing Paris’s father. AKA KING OF TROY.
Moving on... So then Odysseus goes on to reminisce about Penelope and Telemachus. And then while he’s reminiscing or well after he's done he yells out “ATTACK” and then they all attack Troy and they win. BUT then an explosion sound is heard (like a lightning bolt ;) THEN ZEUS VISITS ODYSSEUS IN A VISION TELLING HIM OR LIKE GIVING HIM A MISSION TO DO. AND ODYSSEUS IS LIKE WHAT IS IT AND ZEUS IS LIKE I DON’T THINK YOUR READY. SO ZEUS GIVES HIM A MISSION TO KILL SOMEONE'S SON, A FOE WHO CAN’T RUN… SOMETHING HE’S NEVER FACED BEFORE IF YOU KNOW WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS...
So then Zeus tells him that he has to kill AN INFANT. The son of Hector and Zeus says he’ll become an awful person when he grows up. So Odysseus is like “It's just an infant, it's just a boy, what sort of imminent threat does he pose that I can not avoid?” and then Zeus says “if you don’t end him now you’ll have no one left to save. You can say goodbye to Penelope”. So Odysseus is panicking like there's no way he can kill an infant. So he’s like I can raise him as my own or send him far away from Troy so he never knows his past. Then he starts begging Zeus not to tell him to do this and saying I’d rather bleed for you, “Please don’t make me do this, don’t make me do this.” And Zeus says to Odysseus that this is the will of the gods. And Zeus says “the blood on your hands is something you won’t lose.” Then everyone says “All you can choose is who’s.”
THEN THE SONG ENDS BUT I DON’T THINK I DESCRIBED THE EMOTIONS WELL ENOUGH BECAUSE IF YOU LISTEN TO THE SONG THEN YOU’LL HEAR THE EMOTION IN THE WAY ODYSSEUS SINGS THE PART WHERE HE DOESN’T WANT TO KILL HECTOR'S SON.
Song #2 - Just a Man
So this song starts off with Odysseus saying “When I look into your eyes I think back to that son of mine.” This is relating to how Odysseus looks at Hector's son (The infant who he was sent to kill). He then thinks about how the infant is just as old as Telemachus when Odysseus left for war. He sings about how these actions will haunt him for the rest of his life. So this song is basically spent on Odysseus wondering if he should really kill the infant as Zeus’s vision stated.
Ok so NOW he says “Close your eyes and spare yourself the view.” Ok so here’s where I’ll talk about him actually killing the infant so if you don’t want to read about that then skip to the next paragraph. So in this quote, Odysseus is either speaking to his comrades or the audience to cover their eyes so we or they won’t see the scene that’s about to happen. So now, Odysseus throws the infant off the walls of Troy. I won’t go into more detail but this all happens after the song I believe. Some legends say the infant survived and was later found in the kingdom of Messina in Sicily. Idk how true that is though…
So the line “I’m just a man” is important because it comes up A LOT and it gets important over time (but I’ll explain that when we get to it). So Odysseus is like “I’m just a man who's trying to go home” and then after a line, he says again “I’m just a man fighting for his life” “Just a man.” I like to think he’s talking about how he’s only human and how he’s only so strong mentally and physically.
Then the chorus of the song starts and he’s comparing things with other things… I didn’t explain that well but here are examples, “But when does a comet become a meteor, when does a candlе become a blaze, whеn does a man become a monster?” THE WHEN DOES A MAN BECOME A MONSTER PART IS SO INTRIGUING BECAUSE ODYSSEUS IS TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF AND THE INFANT. He’s saying like at what point does Odysseus become a monster and when (or really if) will the infant become a monster.
In the last part of the chorus, it's the same lines in quotation marks but at the end of each line Odysseus adds “Forgive me.” Who knows who he's talking to. HE SOUNDS SO BROKEN WHEN HE SINGS FORGIVE ME TOO AHBHFBFBEBFIKEF. And at the end, he adds “I’m just a man.” The very end chorus is the best part in my opinion.
Song #3 - Full Speed Ahead
So this song is set after they defeat Troy and are trying to get back to Ithaca. Another important thing to note is that Odysseus is traveling with 600 men, and Odysseus is the captain of all of them. In the first chorus, they sing about how they have 600 men and are trying to make it back home. But the problem isn’t the distance, it’s the many things that lie between them and Ithaca. But, after the battle of Troy Odysseus and his crew didn’t pay respect to the gods and took all the credit for winning the war. Not even crediting Athena for giving Odysseus the idea of the Trojan Horse. So, Poseidon (God of the sea, they were traveling by boat) cursed them for their disrespect.
Into the journey, Eurylochus states that they've run out of food to eat and asks Odysseus what the plan is. Odysseus states to follow the birds in the sky and that they’ll lead them to land. Polites then says “Captain!” and he sees an island with fire, also off-topic but I really like how Polites sounds when he says that line. Odysseus sees that something is wrong with the fire. He sees that there is no smoke coming from the fire in the distance. Eurylochus sings that they should attack first but Odysseus says that he and Polites will go onward first. Odysseus wants to find a way where no one ends up dead. But, he says if they aren’t back by sunrise then he says to all 600 men to set the whole island ablaze.
Song #4 - Open Arms (I love this one and this song is important for later)
This song is about how Polites and Odysseus fare on the Island looking for food. I love Polites lol he’s probably my favorite other than Odysseus. It’s important to note that Polites has a very positive outlook on life. The song starts off with like island/rain forest music (??) Well, that’s the only way I can think of to describe the beginning of the song.
So, first off Polites tells Odysseus to relax and that he can sense that Odysseus is nervous. Odysseus insists he’s fine but Polites is like you've spent so much time in war this is your chance to adjust and lower your guard. Polites says “Greet the world with open arms” I love how that line sounds in the song.
Then suddenly they meet the people (I think) of the cause of the fire they saw on the boat. These people are the Lotus Eaters and if you listen to the song you can hear how they speak. I’m going to try to find an image of what they look like. Well, I looked and I can’t find an image. SO ANYWAYS the Lotus Eaters make their first appearance by saying “Welcome.”
Odysseus feels threatened by them so he shouts “Stay back!” and you hear the sound of a sword unsheathing. Then they repeat “Stay back!” back to him. Polites then reminds Odysseus to “greet the world with open arms.” Then Odysseus calms down and says “We’re only here for food.” Then the Lotus-eaters say “Food” back at him. I don’t know if the Lotus-eaters mimic whatever you say to them, I don't think they do that though… Odysseus says how they have 600 men waiting for them to return but the Lotus Eaters still only repeat “food” back at them
The Lotus Eaters begin to come closer to them and Odysseus is on his guard again and shouts at them to stay back and if they don’t return safely then all the 600 men will set the island ablaze. The Lotus Eaters then say “Here you go.” Polites then sings “See? Life is amazing when you greet it with open arms” because the Lotus Eaters handed Odysseus some type of fruit.
Odysseus is downtrodden when he says “My friend I wish that I could agree, But look at the way this fruit is glowing and is filled with glowing seeds.” Odysseus states that it's a Lotus (now that you think about it it’s obvious that Lotus Eaters would eat Lotuses…) Ok so in this story, a lotus is a mythical plant that’s hallucinogenic. Those who ate it forgot about their family, friends, and even who they themselves were. Fun fact: did you know in the original story of Odysseus many of his men got fed lotuses and had to be sobered up on the ship. So when Odysseus is telling Polites what the lotus is the last thing he says is “that’s what we’d get with open arms.” Hence saying that greeting the world with open arms is foolish.
Polites says to the Lotus-eaters "I'd like to show my friend that kindness is brave, could you tell me where there’s other food to eat?” And the Lotus eaters respond with “the cave.” (This is important for later) Polites gets excited and asks where the cave is and they respond with “east.” Polites begins to sing again saying that life is amazing when greeting the world with open arms. But he says a line saying “I see it in your face, there is so much guilt inside your heart.” This is a reference to when Odysseus was forced to kill that infant child back in Troy.
And at the very end of the song, Odysseus sings “Greet the world with open arms” finally giving in to Polites positive mindset. And then the very last line of the song is “You can relax my friend.” This is cool because it was also the first line of the song and at the beginning of the song Odysseus didn’t believe Polites and only at the end of the song did he finally relax and accept the world with open arms. I can think that when Polites says “You can relax my friend” he’s saying this because everyone thinks that they're going to get right back to their families with little to any trouble.
Song #5 - Warrior of the Mind
So this song is about Athena and Odysseus, Athena is in a mentor-like role in these 2 sagas. So throughout the song, we actually learn that Athena and Odysseus go way back as Athena has always been watching Odysseus so that’s why in the song they talk like they’re friends. And if I remember correctly Athena visits him often through this thing called Quick-Thought. Quick thought is a concept in which you can transport someone into a mindscape that isn’t connected to time.
So to start off the song Athena says “Have you forgotten the lessons I’ve taught you.” She’s basically talking about how she realizes Odysseus is actually giving in to Polites words about greeting the world with open arms. Athena is basically telling Odysseus to turn off his heart like don’t let your guard down. She’s basically molding him into what she wants him to be.
Athena then says “Let me remind you.” And when she says this line, all of the song after that line travels back into the past from where Athena and Odysseus first meet. “Goddess of Wisdom, Master of War. My life has one mission, create the greatest warrior.” (Athena = Goddess of Wisdom) Her greatest warrior that she wants to create is going to be Odysseus.
Athena then says that she had “a magic boar that only the best could kill.” This boar is the one that Athena sent to the generation before the Trojan War, and like the hunt for the boar is called the “Calydonian Boar Hunt.” I don’t actually know what she's talking about when she sings about the boar some more because, in the original story, Odysseus isn’t even mentioned…
Athena then says that a boy came to fight the boar (I don’t know if she's talking about Odysseus). So she says that he is a “Warrior of the mind” and that maybe she can teach him and create the best warrior out of him. Then after she sings this Odysseus calls out “Show yourself, I know you're watching me.” and Athena says “How can you see through my spell?” And Odysseus says I was lying and then laughs at her.
They both ask each other's names and Odysseus says that line that was trending on TikTok for a while. It was like “Don’t be modest. I know you're a goddess, so let's be honest you are Athena!” Odysseus says that she's the queen of the best strategies he's ever seen. Well, here he’s talking about battle strategies because Goddess of War lol.
THEN ATHENA SAYS “If you're looking for a mentor, I’ll make sure your time is well spent.” SO THIS IS CONFIRMING THAT ATHENA FILLS IN THE MENTOR ROLE. BUT ALSO REMEMBER THAT THEIR DYNAMIC IS IMPORTANT FOR LATER. SO LIKE ODYSSEUS ACCEPTS HER OFFER FOR HER TO BE HIS MENTOR AND THEN THEY SING HOW THEIR WARRIORS OF THE MIND.
Omg, I forgot to mention this earlier but Warriors of the mind is such a good title because Athena was created when she sprung out of Zeus's head fully grown and in a full set of armor. So like warriors of the mind, get it?
Ok so then Athena sings “I still intend to make sure you don’t fall behind.” This has 2 meanings but if I say one it’s a spoiler so I’ll only say the first one. So in the original story, Athena comes to Odysseus in Quick-Thought to snap him and his men out of the Lotus Eaters spell. If they were still in the spell then it would cost them a lot of time on their journey. And then Athena ends the song with ‘Don’t disappoint me.”
The Cyclops Saga
I love the cyclops saga so much omg
Song #6 - Polyphemus
Ok omg, this song is so amazing. First of all, I definitely won't be able to describe the raw emotion that gets sung during this song. IT'S SO GUT-WRENCHING OBHBHDHBBHBIHD. So this song is set when Odysseus, Polites, Eurylochus, and some of their fleet (I think) get to the cave the Lotus Eaters mention.
The song begins with us hearing sheep bleating. So Odysseus gets to the cave first and then calls out “Over here!” and when they get inside the cave they see many sheep. Like it's a full meadow with sheep in it (Which is suspicious when you think about it). Polites and Eurylochus are surprised while Eurylochus comments that it’s impressive that they found this and that “there are enough sheep here to feed the entire fleet.” Odysseus then gets suspicious and says “Why would the Lotus Eaters pass up on all this food?” The song doesn’t mention this but in the original story, Odysseus and the others already kill the sheep and then rest in the cave where they get awoken by who’s to come. THEN OMG HERE'S THE GOOD PART GUYS THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. THEY HEAR A VOICE THAT SAYS “Who are you?” AND GUYS IF YOU LISTEN TO THE SONG (PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS ONE) YOU CAN SEE HOW THE VOICE SOUNDS AND OMFG IT'S LITERALLY SO PERFECT. AND THEN AFTER THE WHO ARE YOU THE MOST AMAZING MOOD MUSIC BEGINS. LIKE THE SENSE OF DOOM IS CREATED IN YOU IS JUST AHHSHSHSB. I CANNOT GET ENOUGH OF THIS SONG, LIKE THE CHANGE OF MOOD FROM WHEN THEY WERE ALL SO HAPPY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SONG.
There they see Polyphemus, Polyphemus is a cyclops and if you know what cyclops are you will know that they're basically giants with one eye. Another thing to note is that Poseidon (God of the ocean and water) is the father to all cyclops (don’t ask me how). The music of the song has now changed drastically from what it was before, it’s now like doom music. So then Odysseus is trying to stay calm and he says “Hey there, we’re just travelers, we come in peace.” The doom music continues when Polyphemus says “You killed my sheep. My favorite sheep. What gives you the right to deal a pain so deep. Don’t you know the pain you sow is the pain you reap?” This line is a foreshadowing of what is to come. THEN THE DOOM MUSIC PICKS UP AND POLYPHEMUS SAYS “Time to drink. Your blood over where you stand. Your life now is in my hand.” AND HIS VOICE IS LITERALLY PERFECT.
So Odysseus says that there has been a misunderstanding and that we never came to steal. Then Odysseus offers a trade with Polyphemus that goes like this: Odysseus first says “So long as we leave alive. You can keep the world's best-tasting wine.” So Polyphemus is like “Wine?” and Odysseus continues to persuade him to keep drinking the wine he gives Polyphemus. Then you hear sounds of gulping from Polyphemus as he drinks the wine, he says to Odysseus, “I’d like to thank you, stranger what’s your name?” and Odysseus says “My name is Nobody, Nobody, Nobody.” THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR LATER.
Then Polyphemus says “Nobody, for your gift I've one to reply.” So Odysseus and the rest of the crew he brought to the island start to get relieved. Odysseus then says “I’m so glad we see eye to eye” which is a good line because remember cyclops only have one eye. Then Polyphemus says “Yes, you shall be the final man to die.” THEN ODYSSEUS IS LIKE “what?” IN A SHOCKED VOICE BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THAT HE PROTECTED EVERYONE BY REASONING WITH POLYPHEMUS. At the end of the song, Odysseus screams ‘Watch out!” Then the song ends abruptly.
Song #7 - Survive
So this song is so amazing as well and it’s pretty important too. It starts off with intense music and then you hear Polyphemus’s roar. Odysseus quickly takes control of the situation and commands his men saying: “My brothers, The rest of our fleet, they wait at the beach, and if we’re defeated, they're as good as dead.” So he’s trying to motivate them because they all care about each other deeply which is also shown by how Odysseus calls his team his brothers. He then says that no backup will come so Polyphemus must be stopped here and now.
THEN THE CHORUS OF THE SONG BEGINS AND IT'S SO GOOD IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR THE END OF THE SONG THOUGH. It goes like this “600 lives at stake, It’s just one life to take, And when we kill him then our journeys over.” 600 lives are on the line because 600 men are heading back from war and they have to kill Polyphemus if they want to ever see their families again. Then Odysseus tells them not to die on him, they have to live through this day and fight. Then we hear the battle cry of all of them charging to defeat Polyphemus. We also hear another one of Polyphemus’s roars.
Then the song tells about the battle. Odysseus says to surround him, strike at the heels, and attack from behind.” He says to attack at the heels because they want to make him fall over so he can't get back up. Odysseus says to exhaust him and that he's slow so he can’t land a blow if they're out of reach. Then the soldiers and Odysseus repeat the chorus of the song. We hear them cheering and Polyphemus roaring multiple times.
Man, we got to THAT part now. Suddenly the inspiring music stops and we hear a loud BANG and something falling over. OH MY GOD AND THEN WE HEAR POLITES WEAKLY SAY “captain…” AND HE’S DEAD YOU GUYS I WAS SO UPSET WHEN I HEARD THIS PART I WAS GOING TO BURST INTO TEARS. BECAUSE YOU GUYS, POLITES BELIEVED THAT THE WORLD AND PEOPLE WERE GOOD BUT HE’S THE FIRST ONE TO DIE THIS ISN’T FAIR. Also, another fact that isn’t fun anymore BECAUSE POLITES IS DEAD. Is that the first words he ever says in the musical are his last at the same time.
Moving on. Polyphemus then says “Enough.” then another bang is heard. Then one of Odysseus’s soldiers says ‘He’s got a club... He’s got a club!” but then gets cut off by another bang, indicating that the club killed him. Then another soldier says in a panicked voice “What are our orders?” Captain? Captain!” In the last “Captain” the soldier is heard screaming "captain" but is drawn out and then another bang, meaning this soldier has died by Polyphemus too.
Then Polyphemus starts talking: “You've hurt me enough, 600 lives I’ll take, 600 Lives I’ll break, And when I kill you then my pain is over” He essentially sings the whole chorus of the song after this but he’s edited it to make it what he’s actually doing. And after every line he sings, there's another bang of the club, meaning after every line someone died (Or he missed and just swung the club). Now, at the end of the song the last line Polyphemus sings is ‘Die…” but that begins to fade out as he’s saying it, and after that, we hear something falling to the ground sounding like it toppled over trees too. This means that Polyphemus has passed out.
Song #8 - Remember Them
This song starts off with Eurylochus saying “Captain! Captain! Captain!” with each captain Eurylochus’s voice becomes louder. This is to show us how Odysseus is in shock because of the deaths of his friends. Eurylochus finally gets through to Odysseus and when Odysseus speaks the change in his tone from before is drastic. I think this means now Odysseus is going to do whatever it takes to get the rest of his surviving team out of this cave. Odysseus says “We must move quickly, we don’t have much time, He didn’t notice I mixed Lotus in his wine.” Remember Lotus is the fruit that the lotus-eaters tried to give Odysseus and Polites but it was technically a type of poison. That’s why I said to remember it for later lol. Odysseus then says that this isn’t the end.
So, Eurylochus says “But captain, what’ll we do with our fallen friends?” It’s important to note that burial rites are SUPER SUPER important in ancient Greece. The Greeks believed that if a body wasn’t properly buried then they couldn’t cross the river Styx and their soul was doomed to be suspended in a state of waiting unable to cross over into the afterlife. Odysseus answers with “Remember them” and that they won’t let them die in vain. Odysseus then says “Remember them” but in a drastic change of tone again, this is to tell us how he’s filled with determination to keep going onwards for the fallen once again. He also says how they will have to carry on the flames of those who died.
Odysseus then takes command and tells all the remaining soldiers: “I need all our hands on his club, This is how we’re getting out of here, use your swords to sharpen the stub, and turn it into a giant spear.” And note that Polyphemus’s club is like really big. So all the soldiers cry out “let’s kill him!” Odysseus then tells the soldiers that Polyphemus’s body is blocking the path and if they kill him then they’ll all be stuck inside. Eurylochus asks him “Captain where do we stab him?” and then Odysseus says’s “We gotta stab him in the eye!” and then everyone all says “Yes sir!” Stabbing Polyphemus in the eye will blind him forever because he’s a cyclops and he already only has one eye. Odysseus and the soldiers all sing the chorus again.
Odysseus then cries “Now! Scatter!” After he calls this out we hear Polyphemus’s roar of agony. This tells us that they succeeded in stabbing Polyphemus with his own club. Then suddenly, we hear new voices saying “who hurts you..?” AND IT'S POLYPHEMUS’S SIBLINGS WHO ARE ALSO CYCLOPS’S. Then we hear Eurylochus’s voice which sounds shocked saying “..there are more of them..?” Then Polyphemus’s siblings repeat, “Who hurts you?” Then we hear Odysseus whisper “hide!” The melody in the background of the song changes based off of the mood of the song. I have to say they did an amazing job with the actual non-music parts of this musical.
The cyclops repeat who hurts you again while Eurylochus is getting more panicked and saying “Captain we should run.” but Odysseus says “wait.” The cyclops then again repeat the phrase. This time Eurylochus says “Captain, please” BUT HIS VOICE WHEN HE SAYS PLEASE OH MY GOD ITS SO GOOD YOU CAN LIKE PRACTICALLY FEEL THE EMOTION IN That SIMPLE WORD THAT JUST MAKES YOUR BLOOD RUN COLD. Odysseus still says wait.
Polyphemus then speaks. “It was Nobody, Nobody.” DID YOU REALIZE IT? THIS IS THE NAME THAT ODYSSEUS GAVE POLYPHEMUS WHEN HE ASKED FOR HIS NAME. LIKE OMFG, THAT WAS SO SMART HOW DID ODYSSEUS LIKE EVEN KNOW THAT WOULD HAPPEN, Well I mean I wouldn’t put it past him because his mentor is ATHENA. Then Polyphemus’s siblings say “If Nobody hurts you be silent.” After his siblings say that Polyphemus cries out “don’t go!!” His siblings did not come back for him though.
Here the music changes again, I swear the background music changes are one of the best parts of these songs. Odysseus says to the other men “Let’s grab the sheep and away we go” This is a reference to the original story where Odysseus and the others escape by grabbing the sheep and hiding under them.
But, then we meet Athena again, she makes her appearance by bringing Odysseus back into the Quick-Thought dimension. Athena says “Have you forgotten the lessons I’ve taught you, He’s still a threat until he’s dead, Finish it.” Actually, Athena is completely right here, because if they just leave Polyphemus Alive then he will go tell his father (Poseidon) who did this to him. Odysseus then says “No.” then Athena repeats back surprised “No?”
Odysseus then says “What good would killing do, when mercy is a skill more of this world could learn to use, my friend is dead, my foe is blind, the blood we shed, it never dries, Is this what it means to be a warrior of the mind?” These lines by Odysseus tell so much. And the emotion he uses when singing these lines is just perfect. So in these lines, Odysseus confirms that Polites got killed 🙁. Seeing Polites die leads Odysseus to blind Polyphemus. So because Polyphemus is blind he isn’t a threat anymore, so Odysseus sees no use in killing him when he can’t fight back. After singing these lines Odysseus is about to leave Athena’s Quick-Thought dimension, so she screams out “Don’t!” She wanted to warn him not to make rash and foolish decisions.
Odysseus then screams out “Hey, Cyclops!” Odysseus is in so much inner emotional turmoil that all he can think about now is how his friends died and Polyphemus was the one that killed them. “When we met I led with peace, While you fed your inner beast, but my comrades will not die in vain!” When Odysseus first met Polyphemus he tried to not fight and offer a trade. Even though he did put Lotus in the wine it was only to make Polyphemus sleep, hence, still without any conflict.
“Remember them, The next time that you dare choose not to spare, Remember them, Remember us, Remember me!” These lines are spoken with so much emotion it’s like you can feel the hurt in his voice like when someone loses someone they care about. Especially the last line like omg “Remember me!” was so good. So after the last “Remember me!” He says with the same emotion: “I am the reigning king of Ithaca! I am neither man nor mythical. I am your darkest moment! I am the infamous. Odysseus!”
So, to unpack that bit, this is the very first time that we hear Odysseus’s name actually said in any of the music. In the original Odyssey, Polyphemus gets a prophecy that stated he would be blinded by a man named Odysseus. When Polyphemus hears that name he is filled with anger and hatred, this is what Odysseus describes as his ‘darkest moment’. But, when revealing his name, he essentially puts a target right on his back for Poseidon to fire at. This scene is more important because Odysseus has been referring to himself as “Just a man” for a while now. But here, he finally embraces his identity by saying his name.
Song #9 - My Goodbye
This is the final song of the cyclops saga, and it might be the last song I do. I haven’t listened to the other sagas yet other than Troy and Cyclops. So, moving on, this song is about Athena and Odysseus. The whole song takes place in Quick-Thought after the last song ended. Now Athena is mad because Odysseus didn’t listen to her warning and went and revealed his name. Though it’s understandable Odysseus was in grief over the deaths of his friends.
Athena starts the song off with “You were reckless, Sentimental at best, that’s not a teaching of mine, you've grown soft your dead friends can attest.” Here Athena tells us how Odysseus embracing Polites ‘Open arms’ ideology was a mistake and that’s what got so many of his friends killed. After Athena says “Your dead friends can attest” Odysseus gets understandably pissed and says “Hey!” in a mean/warning tone.
Athena then gets madder and tells him “But I warned you, and you failed the test, So now I’m gone.” Athena is referencing the way she warned him in “Warrior of the Mind” and “Remember Them.” So now Athena states that she’s not helping Odysseus on his journey anymore. Athena then goes to tell Odysseus lines starting with “This way” but two stand out, “This way when all is over you’ll keep yours and I’ll keep mine.” This contradicts her actions of the future, Athena actually goes to Telemachus when he’s older to help him look for his father. Athena also says “This way, you won’t disappoint me.” Which is also the final line from Warrior of the mind. She then ends her part with “Consider this as my goodbye.” Like the title suggests.
Odysseus gets pissed and says “That’s just like you. Selfish and Prideful and Vain.” He says that she’s selfish, prideful, and vain because in other Greek myths Athena’s ‘fatal flaw’ is her pride getting the best of her. He then says how “Unlike you, every time someone dies I’m left to deal with the strain.” This is common because like gods don’t really care if a single mortal soldier dies because they're immortal. But Odysseus is mortal and he considered his troupe as his dear friend (I mean they did spend 10 years fighting together).
Odysseus then says “What’s a title a goddess could lend if I’ll never sleep at night.” This is relating to the ‘Hero’ title Odysseus would gain if he continues to be mentored by Athena. But all the men he’s killed will haunt his mind like forever, causing him to be plagued awake by memories at night. Odysseus then goes to tell her how they're done now. Odysseus also then goes to sing lines beginning with “This way.” The first line he sings is “This way, you're out of my head now. This way, you won’t plague my life.” So here Odysseus is referencing Quick-Thought and how Athena (as much as we’ve seen so far) seemingly pulls Odysseus into it without consent. Then he ends the lines with “This way, you close the door and have your damn goodbye.”
Athena then says “You’re not looking for a mentor, I’m not looking for a friend, I mistook you for a general, what a waste of effort spent.” These lines correlate to Warrior of the mind. They mirror everything she or Odysseus says in the song, it’s cool how they contradict their past selves so much.
Then Odysseus gets pissed and says “At least I know what I’m fighting for. While you're fighting to be known. Since you claim you're so much wiser. Why’s your life spent all alone! You're alone!” In Greek mythology, if people forget the gods like they can’t be killed so they're just stuck in limbo. (I probably explained that so badly) The reason why Odysseus says that Athena is alone is because Athena is seen as an unmarried goddess who doesn’t have kids. Also another reason too, because of Athena’s actions to achieve the things that she wanted and never stopping, everyone left her. And now Odysseus is leaving for the same reason.
Athena then goes on to say that “One day” Odysseus might understand and hear what she's saying. But today is not that day because “after all you're, Just a man.” When it gets to the ‘Just a man’ part the whole ensemble sings it. Athena uses Just a man in a different way than Odysseus used it in the song “Just a Man” In that he was saying that he's just a man who has emotions and can’t handle everything and was pleading for forgiveness. But, in this song, Athena uses it in a (Meaner??) tense saying that he’s just a man and she’s a goddess. Meaning that he’ll never understand her point of view.
Athena sings lines with ‘This day’ Instead of ‘This Way’. These lines are like shaming Odysseus and telling him what a mistake he’s made. She goes like “This day, you sever your own head. This day, you cut the line, This day, you lost it all. Consider this as my goodbye.” These lines say that Odysseus has lost her support, but has also gained the hatred of Poseidon.
Athena then ends the song with “This is my goodbye” and if you listen to ‘Warrior of the Mind’ and this one the notes of the songs kinda match up with each other.