'we are from troy, achaeans, blown off course by shifting gales on the great south sea; homeward bound, but taking routes and ways uncommon; so the will of zeus would have it. we served under agamemnon, son of atreus— the whole world knows what city he laid waste, what armies he destroyed. it was our luck to come here; here we stand, beholden for your , or any gifts you give—as custom is to honor strangers. we would entreat you, great sir, have a care for the gods' courtesy; zeus will avenge the unoffending guest.' he answered this from his brute chest, unmoved: 'you are a ninny, or else you come from the other end of nowhere, telling me, mind the gods! we cyclopes care not a whistle for your thundering zeus or all the gods in bliss; we have more force by far. i would not let you go for fear of zeus— you or your friends—unless i had a whim to. what can be inferred about the cyclops?