Final answer:
Odysseus's men sparked a battle with the Cicones by raiding Ismarus and staying too long to celebrate, leading to severe losses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Cicones or Ciconians were a Homeric Thracian tribe, whose stronghold in the time of Odysseus was the town of Ismara, located at the foot of mount Ismara, on the south coast of Thrace. They are mentioned in book two of the Iliad as having joined the war on the side of the Trojans, led by Euphemus.
Now stronger and larger in number, the Cicones fight back with force. Odysseus loses six men from each of his twelve ships. He feels he and his men are being punished by ZEUS. Odysseus and the rest of his crew sail away before any more men are killed.
Odysseus's men sparked the battle with the Cicones by raiding their city, Ismarus. The men did not heed Odysseus's advice to leave quickly after their initial success. Instead, they stayed to celebrate, drinking and feasting to the point of negligence, which allowed the Cicones to gather reinforcements. The resulting battle was costly for Odysseus and his men, leading to significant losses.