Cyclopes, coming from the words "kuklos", or circle, and "ops" meaning eye, are some of the most easily identifiable creatures in Greek mythology because of their giant body and single eye found in the center of their forehead (Emmons). These creatures are used in a few pieces of Greek mythology including the works of both Homer and Hesoid, and although used by these two poets, the personality and ways that the Cyclopes in each story are portrayed differ immensely (Emmons). For example, Hesoid depicts these giants to be craftsmen, or blacksmiths, of the gods (Emmons). They appear as intelligent and innovative giants and even are shown to have forged Zeus' lightning bolt (Emmons). Meanwhile, in Homer's work The Odyssey, the Cyclops Polyphemus seems evil and hot tempered (Polyphemus).
In The Odyssey, main character Odysseus and his crew encounter Polyphemus when they come across an island and find his cave (Emmons). In it they wait for the giant to return, expecting hospitality but the crew gets hungry and eats the food that they find in the cave, leaving Polyphemus to return angrily and eat some of the crew members (Emmons). Oddyseus and the rest of the crew become trapped but eventually Odysseus thinks of a plan and blinds Polyphemus (Polyphemus). Later, when the Cyclops goes to let his sheep out to graze, Odysseus and his remaining men hold on to the stomachs of the sheep and make their way out of the cave (Polyphemus). They then begin to make their way home, a journey that takes a very long time due to a curse that Polyphemus put upon the crew (Emmons).
This Greek post depicts the scene from Homer's The Odyssey during which Odysseus and his men stab Polyphemus in the eye and blind him in order to escape from his cave and eventually return home (Odysseus).
WORKS CITED
Emmons, Jim Tschen. "Cyclopes." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras.
ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Odysseus stabs Polyphemus." Image. Greek Post. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Polyphemus." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Odysseus stabs Polyphemus." Image. Greek Post. World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
"Polyphemus." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.