What does the Lotus Eaters symbolize?
Those who ate the plant never cared to report, nor return. Figuratively, ‘lotus-eater’ denotes “a person who spends their time indulging in pleasure and luxury rather than dealing with practical concerns”.
What is the lesson of the Lotus Eaters?
Lesson Summary Too much of a good thing can be dangerous, and in Odysseus’ case, it caused his men to ignore their responsibilities, forgetting their purpose. After eating the lotus flowers, his men disobeyed orders and forced Odysseus to physically bring them back into reality.
What does the lotus flower mean in Greek mythology?
For the ancient Greeks, the lotus symbolized hedonism and even apathy.
Are Lotus Eaters evil?
The lotus-eaters, known for their drowsy narcosis, are evil in Odysseus’ eyes because of the lotus fruit’s effects. They rendered his men forgetful and tired, leaving them in the constant state of blissful apathy.
How did Odysseus defeat the lotus eaters?
A storm sent by Zeus sweeps them along for nine days before bringing them to the land of the Lotus-eaters, where the natives give some of Odysseus’s men the intoxicating fruit of the lotus. Only by dragging his men back to the ship and locking them up can Odysseus get them off the island.
What happened to the Lotus Eaters?
A storm sent by Zeus sweeps them along for nine days before bringing them to the land of the Lotus-eaters, where the natives give some of Odysseus’s men the intoxicating fruit of the lotus. As soon as they eat this fruit, they lose all thoughts of home and long for nothing more than to stay there eating more fruit.
Where does the term lotus-eater come from?
Lotus-Eater, Greek plural Lotophagoi, Latin plural Lotophagi, in Greek mythology, one of a tribe encountered by the Greek hero Odysseus during his return from Troy, after a north wind had driven him and his men from Cape Malea (Homer, Odyssey, Book IX).
What happened to the people who ate the lotus plant?
What happens to anyone who eats this plant? Anyone who eats this plant (the lotus) will lose their desire to return home. If Odysseus’s men eat the lotus, they will long to stay forever and never return home.