The Lotus-Eaters

While some have their drug of choice, The Lotus-Eaters prefer to stay natural. In an island near North Africa, are a race of people who are dominated by the lotus plant called the Lotus-Eaters, also known as lotophagi or lotophaguses. When the lotus is consumed, it causes a state of peaceful sleep and apathy brought on due to the narcotic elements within the lotuses. In the Odyssey, Odysseus speaks of how the north winds blew him and his men off course as they were rounding Cape Malea, the southernmost tip of the Peloponnesus, headed westwards for Ithaca. They drifted on for nine days and on the tenth, they found the island of the Lotus-eaters. They landed to rejuvenate their health and after they did, Odysseus sent three men to check on the native inhabitants on the island. Instead of being hostile, they offered the men the lotus flower to eat which was so delicious that the men forgot about home. They no longer cared to go back or do anything but eat the flower. After Odysseus realized this, he dragged the men back onto the ship though they wept bitterly and Odysseus warned the rest of the men not to eat the lotuses. You may also be familiar with the film “Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief” where they portrayed the den of the Lotus-Eaters as a casino in Las Vegas.