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On the Lamb - but it's hogwash

Posted by TheFallen on September 29, 2003

In Reply to: On the Lamb posted by David Hartle on September 29, 2003

: Ulysses was "on the lamb" from Cyclops: "Next morning the Cyclops rolled away the stone to let his flock out to pasture, but planted himself in the door of the cave to feel of all as they went out, that Ulysses and his men should not escape with them. But Ulysses had made his men harness the rams of the flock three abreast, with osiers which they found on the floor of the cave. To the middle ram of the three one of the Greeks suspended himself, so protected by the exterior rams on either side. As they passed, the giant felt of the animals' backs and sides, but never thought of their bellies; so the men all passed safe, Ulysses himself being on the last one that passed. When they had got a few paces from the cavern, Ulysses and his friends released themselves from their rams and drove a good part of the flock down to the shore to their boat."

A nice piece of mythology... in more ways than one. A) It's "on the lam" and not "lamb", B) Ulysses, who was a strapping lad, would have squished the poor lamb, and C) he and his men got out from the Cyclops' cave by being under the sheep, not on top of them.

For the real McCoy on "on the lam", try the link to the archives below.

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