In a recent article in Scientific American, "The Evolution of Myths", Jean l'hay, a doctoral candidate at the Sorbonne, proposes the interesting hypothesis that myths evolve from historical events in a fashion quite similar to the way living beings evolve over time -- that is, morphemes can be identified, and their development over time analyzed, and predicted by statistical analysis of systematic change over time and place. Thus, plot and action form the "morphemes" of myths, as body parts form the morphemes in biology. Using this interesting approach, he asserts that the story of Polyphemus from the Odyssey, is very, very, very old, indeed. He asserts that it predates the Glacial Maximum of 21,000 years ago. Hence, this story actually dates back to the time when modern man and Neanderthal man were still coexisting.
Now, let's consider the story of Polyphemus and Odysseus. Odysseus and his companions are trapped by a monster, Polyphemus, who carries a great staff, and lives in a cave with his food animals. Polyphemus plans to eat Odysseus and his companions. Odysseus sharpens Polyphemus' staff into a spear in the fire, puts out Polyphemus' one eye, and escapes tied under the bellies of Polyphemus' animals from the cave.
Now, we know that modern man competed with with the cave dwelling Neanderthals for animals for food, and that modern man was able -- for reasons that are still not fully understood -- to produce better tools such as spears for killing animals than the Neanderthal. We also know that Neanderthals were likely more cannibalistic than modern man. So, effectively, the story of Polyphemus and Odysseus, IS the story of man's conflict and defeat of the the Neanderthal, using superior tools to destroy the competition, and take away his supply of animal protein.
This is perhaps the best known story in the Odyssey. What of Circe, the sorceress, who bewitches his crew and keeps them under control on her Island? Might this not represent the Neolithic matriarchy, overcome by the Greeks after the fall of Minoan Crete? What of the Sirens, might they not represent anarchy abroad? What of the Suitors chasing Odysseus' wife Penelope, might they not represent anarchy at home? What of the Phaeacians, might they not represent loyal Greek allies and trading partners? What of Scylla and Charybdis, might they not represent the perils of mastering the sea, so essential to the entire Greek economy?
Effectively, the whole of the Odyssey can be seen as a history of the human species from its very beginnings 50 to 100 thousand years ago, to the time of Homer himself, from a Greek perspective. Hence, the Greeks had a detailed account of all of relevant human history from the origins of the species itself. Maybe that's why they were so very successful!
