Cyclopes in Ancient Mythology
Let’s begin with what these interesting monsters are and where they came from. Cyclopes are generally described as having a single eye and of being large and powerful. In Hesiod’s Theogony, the first three Cyclopes, Thunderer, Lightner, and Whitebolt, were children of Earth and Heaven alongside the Titans and Hekatonkheirs. Hesiod describes them as “like the gods, but with a single eye lay in the middle of their forehead; they had the surname of Circle-eyes because of this once circular eye that lay on their forehead. And strength and force and resource upon their works.” He also states that the Cyclopes are the ones who gave Zeus his thunder and thunderbolt. They gave Zeus these powerful weapons after he freed …show more content…
Here they landed. In the morning after hunting the native mountain goats for their meal, they feasted for the whole day, curious about the Cyclopes across the water. The next morning, Odysseus sailed to the Cyclopes shore with his crew to find out whether they violent, savage, and lawless or friendly to strangers. Before landing ashore, they catch a glimpse of a Cyclops, “a monster built like no mortal who ever supped on bread”, as Odysseus describes. This Cyclops is Polyphemus, son of Poseidon. Homer uses the physical appearance of the first Cyclops that Odysseus sees to show that they are monsters and that Odysseus should be wary of …show more content…
When they reached Polyphemus’ cave, he was in the pasture tending to his goats and sheep, so Odysseus and his men explored the cave. They found that Polyphemus had great stores of cheese and young sheep and goats. His men wanted to raid the cave, but Odysseus persuaded them to wait for Polyphemus. After Polyphemus returned, he shut a large slab too big for even twenty two wagons to move over the opening of the cave trapping Odysseus and his men. Polyphemus then set to his chores of milking his sheep and goats and putting the young lambs and kids with their mothers for feeding, when he finished he noticed Odysseus’ group in the deepest dark recess of the cave. Polyphemus asks the men who they are and where do they come from. Odysseus finds the nerve to answer saying that they are men of Achaea and now bound from Troy and that Zeus will avenge them if anything happens to them. Polyphemus responds to Odysseus that Odysseus must not know much about the Cyclopes because the Cyclopes aren’t afraid of the gods, since they are much more powerful. The Cyclops then askes Odysseus where his ship is. Odysseus notices the trap that Polyphemus tries to pull Odysseus into and says to Polyphemus that his ship was destroyed and that he and his men luckily escaped death. Without an answer Polyphemus grabs two of Odysseus’ men and slams them
Let’s begin with what these interesting monsters are and where they came from. Cyclopes are generally described as having a single eye and of being large and powerful. In Hesiod’s Theogony, the first three Cyclopes, Thunderer, Lightner, and Whitebolt, were children of Earth and Heaven alongside the Titans and Hekatonkheirs. Hesiod describes them as “like the gods, but with a single eye lay in the middle of their forehead; they had the surname of Circle-eyes because of this once circular eye that lay on their forehead. And strength and force and resource upon their works.” He also states that the Cyclopes are the ones who gave Zeus his thunder and thunderbolt. They gave Zeus these powerful weapons after he freed …show more content…
Here they landed. In the morning after hunting the native mountain goats for their meal, they feasted for the whole day, curious about the Cyclopes across the water. The next morning, Odysseus sailed to the Cyclopes shore with his crew to find out whether they violent, savage, and lawless or friendly to strangers. Before landing ashore, they catch a glimpse of a Cyclops, “a monster built like no mortal who ever supped on bread”, as Odysseus describes. This Cyclops is Polyphemus, son of Poseidon. Homer uses the physical appearance of the first Cyclops that Odysseus sees to show that they are monsters and that Odysseus should be wary of …show more content…
When they reached Polyphemus’ cave, he was in the pasture tending to his goats and sheep, so Odysseus and his men explored the cave. They found that Polyphemus had great stores of cheese and young sheep and goats. His men wanted to raid the cave, but Odysseus persuaded them to wait for Polyphemus. After Polyphemus returned, he shut a large slab too big for even twenty two wagons to move over the opening of the cave trapping Odysseus and his men. Polyphemus then set to his chores of milking his sheep and goats and putting the young lambs and kids with their mothers for feeding, when he finished he noticed Odysseus’ group in the deepest dark recess of the cave. Polyphemus asks the men who they are and where do they come from. Odysseus finds the nerve to answer saying that they are men of Achaea and now bound from Troy and that Zeus will avenge them if anything happens to them. Polyphemus responds to Odysseus that Odysseus must not know much about the Cyclopes because the Cyclopes aren’t afraid of the gods, since they are much more powerful. The Cyclops then askes Odysseus where his ship is. Odysseus notices the trap that Polyphemus tries to pull Odysseus into and says to Polyphemus that his ship was destroyed and that he and his men luckily escaped death. Without an answer Polyphemus grabs two of Odysseus’ men and slams them