“
My name is Nobody: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nobody.
OdysseusThe Odyssey · Book 9
Wanderings: The Hero’s Trials
Book 9 of 24
Trapped in Polyphemus’s cave after watching his men devoured, Odysseus offers the Cyclops wine and gives a false name. When the blinded Polyphemus calls for help, the other Cyclopes hear only "Nobody is hurting me" and leave.
Why This Matters
Odysseus’s greatest trick: by calling himself Nobody, he ensures the blinded Cyclops cannot summon help. Cunning (metis) defeats brute strength.
metisidentitycunning
Odysseus in the Cave of Polyphemus
Jacob Jordaens, 1635 · Public Domain