Where is lotus eaters island

Herodotus, in his Histories , records a tradition locating it near the coast of Africa: perhaps near Libya, perhaps the island of Djerba off present-day Tunisia. He speculates, too, about its botanical identity: some believed it be a sweet and heady fruit like the date, and others a wine made from such a fruit.

More recently it has been suggested that its flower might have been that of the Egyptian blue water-lily Nymphaea caerulea , which is now known to have mild psychoactive and sedative properties.

But the appeal of the story has always been more mythical than literal. Odysseus was the archetypal man on a mission: the central theme of his story, and the core of his character, is his determination to resist all distractions and temptations, remaining focused on his prime imperative. Just as he was obliged to stop his ears to the song of the sirens, he could not allow himself to taste the lotus fruit.

Across the subsequent centuries his self-command, and the conviction with which he lashes his unwilling crew to the oars, has exemplified the ideal of leadership. If his commitment to his mission was truly unshakeable, why not at least try the lotus?

At the most he might enjoy a few days of contentment before resuming his quest refreshed. Or did he fear that the lotus might be too good to resist? That it might reveal his mission to be less important than he told himself?

That if he tried it he would no longer be able to lead by example, or to convince his crew to make the sacrifices he demanded of them? Did his crew lack the moral fibre of their commander — or was his mission simply less important to them than it was to him? This plant is an aquatic perennial. It's seed head is called fruit… nothing much is known except its seeds, root and flower etc…. Blue lotus flower can be purchased primarily as tea extracts or incense.

It is not a controlled substance and it is not approved for human consumption in the United States. The flower's psychoactive effects are most often attributed to two alkaloids, apomorphine and nuciferine. The Lotus flower is regarded in many different cultures, especially in eastern religions, as a symbol of purity, enlightenment, self-regeneration and rebirth. Its characteristics are a perfect analogy for the human condition: even when its roots are in the dirtiest waters, the Lotus produces the most beautiful flower.

The story of the Lotus -eaters is found in Odysseus's tale to the Phaeacians in book nine. According to Odysseus, Zeus sent a storm and blew them afar for nine days, before they landed on the island of the Lotus -eaters.

There the inhabitants gave them some fruit from the lotus plant. This flower was given to odysseus and his men when they landed on the land of the lotus eaters.

Odysseus sends three of his men to explore the island. While walking the island, the men encounter the Lotus Eaters and find that they are a peaceful people; they do nothing except eat the lotus plant.

Odysseus ' men eat the flowering plant and are immediately changed. Polyphemus prays to his father , Poseidon, for revenge and casts huge rocks towards the ship, which Odysseus barely escapes. Polyphemus was the giant son of the god Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology. He was one of the Cyclopes, having a single eye. According to the Odyssey, Odysseus arrived at the island of the Cyclops Sicily , while trying to go back to his homeland, Ithaca. Their addiction was such that Odysseus had to chain them in the lower decks of the ship until they had sailed away from the island.

In Ancient Greek, the word Lotos stands for several types of plants. Due to this, the plant the Lotus-Eaters used to create their food is unknown.

The plant traditionally believed to be the one described in the myth is the Ziziphus lotus. In some accounts, the plant might have been the poppy since its seeds can be used to produce drugs.

Some other candidates include the persimmon fruit, the blue waterlily of the Nile and the nettle tree. There is no consensus as to what exactly the plant is as described by Homer in the Odyssey. The Lotus Eaters represent one of the challenges that Odysseus had to face on his way home — slothfulness. These were a group of people who had forgotten their purpose in life and who gave in to the peaceful apathy that came with eating the lotus.

The story can also be seen as a warning of giving into addictive behavior. Opium is, of course, also highly addictive. After just a few hours on the island, the three crewmen were already so addicted to the fruit that they had to be physically dragged away from it and restrained until the effects had worn off.

The effects of opium on sailors would not have been unknown in the Greek world. The poppies that produce it are native to Turkey, where Troy was located, and other parts of the Near East that would have been major sites of trade with the city-states of mainland Greece. While the episode of the Lotus Eaters in the Odyssey is often taken as a warning against overindulgence and preoccupation with leisure or pleasure, it is likely a more targeted warning.

When sailing around the Mediterranean, the allure of opium posed a real threat that could keep sailors from returning to their lives at home. The Lotus Eaters who lived on the island welcomed the three men who were sent to scout it.

They offered them the only food they ate, the fruit of the lotus plant. Hours later, Odysseus found his men completely under the thrall of this delicious fruit. After a single bite, they forgot all about their homes and their duty to their commander. The men were so obsessed with this fruit that they had to be dragged back to the ships and restrained as they sailed away.

The episode of the Lotus Eaters in the Odyssey is generally taken as a warning against overindulgence and excess pleasure. Many, however, see it as a more specific warning against intoxication.

The lotus plant is likely based on the opium poppy, which is native to the Near East. The reactions of the men are similar to opium addiction, which could be powerful enough to make a man abandon his home and family. Rather than being a general warning against excess, the Lotus Eaters in the Odyssey likely served as a specific warning against the intoxicating drugs Greek sailors could encounter in foreign lands.

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