Violation of Step 1 and 2 of xenia:

“...[we] ate the bulk ourselves and settled down inside awaiting his return…” (260-262)

While Odysseus builds his credibility to be the heroine of his story to the Phaeacians, one of Professor Giannopolou's most intriguing arguments is that Odysseus himself breaks the rules of xenia. At a surface level understanding, it is easy to accuse the Cyclops of being the “bad guy,” but is this accusation still correct when Odysseus violates the very ritual that he accuses someone else of?

On his journey home from winning the Trojan War, Odysseus is fueled with pride and bloodthirstiness which results in his provocation of creatures, such as the Cyclops. While it is true that Odysseus punctures the Cyclops’ eye to free and avenge his men, he mainly wants to put himself on a pedestal in hopes of becoming some version of a glorified figure. His arrogance over his success is displayed when he says “if any man… should ask… who blinded you… say Odysseus” (558-560). Odysseus’ egotistical statements nearly cause him and his crew to get crushed by the boulder thrown by the Cyclops.