The Lotus-Eaters
Odysseus and his companions encounter the Lotus-Eaters, whose food causes those who eat it to forget their desire to return home.
The Story
During the voyage home from Troy, Odysseus and his companions reached the land of the Lotus-Eaters.
Odysseus sent several men to investigate the inhabitants.
The Lotus-Eaters did not attack them.
Instead, they offered them the fruit of the lotus plant.
Those who ate it lost their desire to return home.
They no longer wanted to report back to Odysseus or continue the voyage.
Odysseus realised that remaining in the land would mean abandoning the journey.
He therefore went to retrieve his companions.
He forced them back to the ships and had them secured aboard.
The ships then left the land of the Lotus-Eaters.
The encounter was one of the earliest dangers of Odysseus' return journey.
Unlike the Cyclops or later monsters, the Lotus-Eaters did not threaten their victims through violence.
Their danger was forgetfulness and the loss of the desire to return home.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The Lotus-Eaters represent one of the central dangers of the Odyssey: the temptation to abandon the difficult journey home.