Odysseus's disastrous encounter with the Laestrygonians is a useful point of reference for analyzing the nature of host-guest relationships in the Odyssey. When compared with his arrival in the lands of the Phaeacians and in the hands of the Cyclopes, a more complete picture of Odysseus and the customs of his time emerges; furthermore, this reveals some of Homer's more skillful storytelling techniques. To regard the Odyssey as the tale of one man's wanderings, as many do, is to ignore half its importance; it is also the story of his stops between his wanderings. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Initially, all goes well when Odysseus sends three men to learn about the nature of the Laistrygones: the land, with its smooth roads, seems orderly - this, combined with the placid harbor that welcomed their arrival in Lamos, brings the reader to believe that this is a peaceful place - and the first person the group meets is receptive and informative. This information, conveyed softly by Homer, is reassuring: after the troubles with the Cyclopes and six days of navigation, it seems that the travelers will finally find rest. The positive signs (by now more discerning readers might call them disturbing) continue - the glorious home of a king awaits the sailors - until the shocking moment when a giantess fills them with horror. The peaceful atmosphere is destroyed by Antiphates' wrath and Death, after chasing the men from the pier, finds a victim. Flight and massacre ensue, and the resourceful Odysseus barely escapes with the rest of his men. This is more than simple narrative: Homer has a hidden message beneath the thrill of escape. The peaceful setting accomplishes two things: one is obviously in terms of entertainment (the sudden attack on the Ithacans becomes even more surprising and exciting for its listeners); the other tells the reader about the nature of host-guest relationships. Ulysses has an incessant optimism towards his guests: he always gets closer to them, even in the land of the Cyclopes, which he knows is lawless. After exploring Polyphemus' cave, Odysseus' men beg him to steal his possessions and set sail; the logician, however, doesn't want to know: "I wouldn't listen to them... / not until I could see him, see if he would give me gifts". It seems a little crazy. Here, unlike Lamos, Ulysses expects to find "a man endowed with great strength, / and wild, without true knowledge of the laws or of any good customs", but nevertheless he is not in the least afraid: he is sure that, no matter how wild is this creature, he will surely be conquered by the gifts of food and wine. Decency is presumed. The simplest explanation is that Odysseus firmly believes that Zeus, god of guests, will not disappoint him. The quixotic Odysseus pleads with Polyphemus with joy, fully expecting cooperation: ... now we in our turn come to you and are supplicants at your knees, if you can give us a gift for the guest or at least some gift of grace, for such is the right of strangers. Therefore respect the gods, O best of men. We are your suppliants, and Zeus, the host god, who stands behind all strangers with the honors due to them, avenges every wrong committed against strangers and suppliants. The underlying message is clear: being a good host is so expected, thus far the default expectation, that despite unmistakable signs that the "guest" is hostile, the normally lucid Ulysses still expects grace and hospitality. Odysseus' arrival in the land of the Phaeacians is similar to the exploration of Lamos: both scenes are cautious; men are diplomats. Odysseus' appeal to Nausikaa is cunning. Although Odysseus here uses a technique of.