From the start my comrades pressed me, pleading hard,
"Let’s make away with the cheeses, then come back –
hurry, drive the lambs and kids from the pens
to our swift ship, put out to sea at once!"
But I would not give way –
and how much better it would have been –
not till I saw him, saw what gifts he’d give.
But he proved no lovely sight to my companions.
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 9, lines 252-259. When Odysseus and his men exlore Polyphemus’ den, they discover a treasure trove of food. The men want to make off with the cheeses, lambs and young goats and sail away quickly before the Cyclops returns. But Odysseus becomes greedy and decides they should wait to see what gifts the Cyclops will give them. The last line that Polyphemus "proved no lovely sight to my companions" foreshadows how horribly the Cyclops will treat Odysseus and his men. Odysseus’ greed for gifts ends up placing his crew in mortal danger.