The men of the Odyssey: heroic or treacherous? In Homer's Iliad, Achilles' shield is described in depth. On part of the shield is a scene depicting a golden herd of straight-horned cattle. They are led along a fruitful river by a group of four golden shepherds and nine dogs. Two lions approach the herd and mutilate a powerful bull. Shepherds can only watch, because they do not dare approach predators. This scene is crucial for understanding the behavior of Odysseus' men in the rest of this epic (The Iliad, p. 227). In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus recounts part of the epic concerning his travels and trials during his long search for home. for Ithaca. Throughout these adventures, his men play an important role in determining the fate of his ship's entire crew. At times he describes them as heroic, while at others they seem barbaric in nature and disloyal to their captain. These qualities of his men, and certainly others, are best illustrated through the episodes involving the Cyclops and the cattle of the Sun Gods. Before comparing and contrasting the actions of men during these two mini-stories, a good understanding of the inhabitants of both lands is necessary. The island of the Sun God, Helios, is nicknamed "the delights of the world", because it is home to this god's limitless herds of cattle. Conversely, the Island of the Cyclops inhabits one-eyed primitive beings, half-man, half-bestial (p. 218). While the island of Helios is described as "noble", almost as golden as the sun itself, the land of the Cyclops is illustrated as a land filled with wild vegetation and neglected by its undemocratic and uncivilized people. This depiction of these people as poor gardeners coincides with earlier evidence from this epic, and others, that this type of lifestyle lived by the Cyclops was looked down upon by the author, and by the gods in particular. The other land is therefore obviously blessed and considered holy for the gods. Shortly after landing on the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus takes with him a team of his best men to explore the new desert. They then discover the cave of Polyphemus, your average everyday cyclops and sheep herder. Odysseus's men suggest taking the cheese and herds from the sight-impaired beast and fleeing, but the "city plunderer" insists on waiting for his return to attempt to see the caveman and what he has to offer..