A critical observation: Antisthenes in favour of Homer and the Cyclopes

One could criticize Antisthenes for connecting the favourable connotation of polytropos with a person and the negative with a form of address, whereas polytropos is often seen as negative precisely in connection with a person, namely Odysseus. Especially in tragedy, he was regarded as a dubious windbag and a sly cheater. But Antisthenes’ preference for a positive explanation of polytropos as an epithet for Odysseus is in line with other favourable interpretations of passages in the Homeric poems. Antisthenes’ idea seems to be that Homer is always right: even if at first inconsistencies emerge, they can ultimately be reconciled if one adheres to the correct line of interpretation – the one that Antisthenes offers, of course. The technical term for this is lysis (solution), as we learn from the polytropos passage in the case of the Cyclopes.

Antisthenes says that only Polyphemus is an unjust and bad creature, whereas the other Cyclopes are decent ‘people’. It is understandable that they have no agriculture because the fruits of the land grow spontaneously and without any labour, thanks to the favour of the immortal gods, especially the rain from Zeus. Antisthenes calls this particular fact righteous. Whereas Polyphemus despises the immortal gods, the others believe in them. In the story, the Cyclopes declare that Polyphemus’ illness is sent by Zeus and there is no remedy against this intervention. Polyphemus violated the laws of hospitality and despised Zeus. Although it is not in the Antisthenean fragment we have, the aim of Antisthenes’ considerations is obviously to exculpate Odysseus for his rude behaviour.

One of his main points is to stress that the other Cyclopes are ‘just’ (δίϰαιοι), because Antisthenes wishes to neutralize the Homeric predicate ἀθϵμίστων (‘without laws’), which rightly understood (and Antisthenes does so understand it) does not condemn the other Cyclopes. Although on a first reading one might think that ἀθϵμίστων is a negative epithet, upon further consideration (Antisthenes’ claim) the true meaning emerges. Homer himself confirms that the Cyclopes in their isolation do not need laws, explaining ἀθϵμίστων; but being not in the need of them is not to say that they are unjust.