This page is about the mythical creature. For other uses, see Cyclops (disambiguation).

Polyphemus the Cyclops.

In Greek mythology a cyclops (pronounced /ˈsaɪklɒps/), or kyklops (Greek Κύκλωψ), is a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of its forehead. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c The Mythology and Legends of many different Cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength The plural is cyclopes (pronounced IPA: /saɪˈkloʊpiːz/) or kyklopes (Greek Κύκλωπες). The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c In English, the plural cyclopses is also (incorrectly) used. The name is widely thought to mean "round-" or "wheel-eyed". ^[1]

Hesiod describes one group of cyclopes and Homer describes another. In Hesiod's Theogony, Zeus releases three Cyclopes, the sons of Uranus and Gaia, from the dark pit of Tartarus. Hesiod ( Greek: Hesiodos) was an early Greek Poet and Rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BCE Theogony ( Greek: Θεογονία theogonia = the birth of God(s is a Poem by Hesiod describing the origins and genealogies Uranus (ˈjʊərənəs jʊˈreɪnəs is the Latinized form of Ouranos () the Greek word for Sky. Gaia (ˈgeɪə or /ˈgaɪə/ (" land " or " Earth " from the Ancient Greek Γαîα also Gæa or Gea In classic Greek mythology below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros ( Greek Τάρταρος deep place They provide Zeus's thunderbolt, Hades' helmet of invisibility, and Poseidon's trident, and the gods use these weapons to defeat the Titans. In Greek mythology, the Titans ( Greek: Tītā́n; plural Tītânes) were a race of powerful Deities that ruled during the legendary In a famous episode of Homer's Odyssey, the hero Odysseus encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon and a nereid (Thoosa), who lives with his fellow Cyclopes in a distant country. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs Polyphemus ( English launguage: fvmdkofmsdk transliterated as Polyphemos in Robert Fitzgerald 's translation is a character in Greek In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" In Greek mythology, Thoosa (Θόωσα was a Nereid, and one of Poseidon 's paramours. The connection between the two groups has been debated in antiquity and by modern scholars. ^[2]

Hesiod's Cyclops

The Cyclops, a 1914 painting by Odilon Redon. Bertrand-Jean Redon, better known as Odilon Redon ( April 20, 1840 &ndash July 6, 1916) was a Symbolist painter and

In the Theogony, the Cyclopes—Arges,^[3] Brontes, and Steropes —were the primordial sons of Uranus (Sky) and Gaia (Earth) and brothers of the Hecatonchires. Theogony ( Greek: Θεογονία theogonia = the birth of God(s is a Poem by Hesiod describing the origins and genealogies In Greek mythology, Arges was one of the Cyclopes. He was elsewhere called Acmonides or Pyraemon Gaia (ˈgeɪə or /ˈgaɪə/ (" land " or " Earth " from the Ancient Greek Γαîα also Gæa or Gea The Hecatonchires, or Hekatonkheires Ἑκατόγχειρες( were three gargantuan figures of an archaic stage of Greek mythology. They were giants with a single eye in the middle of their forehead and a foul disposition. The Mythology and Legends of many different Cultures include monsters of human appearance but prodigious size and strength According to Hesiod, they were strong, stubborn, and "abrupt of emotion". Hesiod ( Greek: Hesiodos) was an early Greek Poet and Rhapsode, who presumably lived around 700 BCE Collectively they eventually became synonyms for brute strength and power, and their name was invoked in connection with massive masonry. They were often pictured at their forge.

Uranus, fearing their strength, locked them in Tartarus. In classic Greek mythology below Heaven, Earth, and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros ( Greek Τάρταρος deep place Cronus, another son of Uranus and Gaia, later freed the Cyclopes, along with the Hecatonchires, after he had overthrown Uranus. Cronus or Kronos, ( Ancient Greek Κρόνος Krónos) was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants Cronus then placed them back in Tartarus, where they remained, guarded by the female dragon Campe, until freed by Zeus. The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide This article is about a mythological monster To read about the lexicographer please see Joachim Heinrich Campe. They fashioned thunderbolts for Zeus to use as weapons, and helped him overthrow Cronus and the other Titans. Titanomachy (epic poem In Greek mythology, the Titanomachy, or War of the Titans (Τιτανομαχία was the ten-year series of battles fought between In Greek mythology, the Titans ( Greek: Tītā́n; plural Tītânes) were a race of powerful Deities that ruled during the legendary The thunderbolts, which became Zeus' main weapons, were forged by all three Cyclopes, in that Arges added brightness, Brontes added thunder, and Steropes added lightning. Thunder is the sound made by Lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener it can range from a sharp Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of Electricity, which typically occurs during Thunderstorms and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or

These Cyclopes also created Poseidon's trident, Artemis' bow and arrows of moonlight, Apollo's bow and arrows of sun rays, and the helmet of darkness that Hades gave to Perseus on his quest to kill Medusa. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" A trident (ˈtrаɪdənt also called a leister or gig, is a three- pronged Spear. In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister Moonlight is the light that comes to Earth from the Moon. This light does not originate from the Moon but is actually reflected Sunlight. Hades (from Greek, Hadēs, originally, Haidēs or, Aidēs, probably from Indo-European *n̥-wid- 'unseen' refers both to the ancient Perseus, Perseos, or Perseas ( Greek: Περσεύς, Περσέως, Περσέας) the Legendary founder In Greek mythology, Medusa ( Greek: Μέδουσα (Médousa "guardian protectress" was a monstrous Chthonic female character gazing upon According to a hymn of Callimachus,^[4] they were Hephaestus' helpers at the forge. A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities Callimachus ( Greek:, 310 BC/305 BC-240 BC was a native of the Greek colony of Cyrene, Libya. Hephaestus (hɨˈfiːstəs or /hɨˈfɛstəs/ Greek Hēphaistos) was a Greek god whose Roman equivalent was Vulcan. The Cyclopes were said to have built the "cyclopean" fortifications at Tiryns and Mycenae in the Peloponnese. Tiryns (in ancient Greek Τίρυνς and in modern Τίρυνθα is a Mycenaean Archaeological site in the Greek nomos of "Lion Gate" redirects here For other uses see Lions' Gate (disambiguation. The Peloponnese or Peloponnesus ( Greek: Πελοπόννησος Pelopónnisos; see also List of Greek place names) is a large Peninsula The noises proceeding from the heart of volcanoes were attributed to their operations. Plate tectonics and hotspots Divergent plate boundaries At the

Apollo slew the Cyclopes in revenge when Zeus killed his son, Asclepius, with a Cyclopes-forged thunderbolt. Asclepius (pronounced /æsˈkliːpiːəs/, Greek, transliterated Asklēpiós; Latin Aesculapius) is the god of Medicine

Homer's Cyclopes

The Cyclopes were huge one-eyed monsters that resided on an island with the same name. Commonly, the term "Cyclops" refers to a particular son of Poseidon and Thoosa named Polyphemus who was a Cyclops. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" In Greek mythology, Thoosa (Θόωσα was a Nereid, and one of Poseidon 's paramours. Polyphemus ( English launguage: fvmdkofmsdk transliterated as Polyphemos in Robert Fitzgerald 's translation is a character in Greek Another member of this group of Cyclopes was Telemus, a seer. Telemus (or Telemos) was a figure of Greek mythology, a Prophet, and the son of Eurymus

Polyphemus

Odysseus and his companions blind Polyphemus. Laconian black-figure cup, 565–560 BC. For the Laconian dialect see Doric Greek For the Ancient Kingdom see Sparta For the laconic expression see Laconic The black-figure pottery ( Greek, ' μελανόμορφαmelanomorpha) technique is a style of ancient Greek pottery painting in which the decoration appears

In Book 9 of Homer's Odyssey, a scouting party led by Odysseus lands on the Island of the Cyclopes and discovers a large cave. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. grc-Latn Odysseus or la Ulysses ( Greek grc-Latn Odysseus; Latin: la Ulixes or more commonly Ulysses) oʊˈdɪsiəs They enter into the cave and feast on food they find there. This cave is the home of Polyphemus, who soon returns. Polyphemus ( English launguage: fvmdkofmsdk transliterated as Polyphemos in Robert Fitzgerald 's translation is a character in Greek Odysseus and his crew attempt to befriend him in the cave; but he traps them instead. He proceeds to eat several crew members, whereupon Odysseus devises a cunning plan for escape.

To make Polyphemus unwary, Odysseus gives him a skin of very strong, unwatered wine. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice When Polyphemus asks for Odysseus' name, he tells him that it is 'Outis',^[5] Greek for 'no man' or 'nobody'. Once the giant falls asleep as a result of being drunk, Odysseus and his men take the spit from the fire and drive it through Polyphemus' only eye. Eyes are organs that detect Light, and send signals along the Optic nerve to the visual areas of the brain Polyphemus' cries of help are answered by the others of his race; however, they turn away from aiding him when they hear that "Nobody" is the cause of his woes.

In the morning, Odysseus ties his men and himself to the undersides of Polyphemus' sheep. When the Cyclops lets the sheep out to graze, the men are carried out. Since Polyphemus has been blinded, he cannot see the men, but feels the backs of his sheep to make himself sure that the men are not riding them. As he sails away, Odysseus shouts "Cyclops, when your father asks who took your eye, tell him that it was Odysseus, Sacker of Cities, Destroyer of Troy, son of Laertes, and King of Ithaca", which proves to be a catastrophic example of hubris. In Greek mythology, Laërtes (Λαέρτης was the son of Arcesius and Chalcomedusa. Hubris, sometimes spelled hybris ( Ancient Greek ὕβρις is a term used in modern English to indicate overweening Pride, self-confidence Knowing his attacker's name, Polyphemus asks his father Poseidon to prevent Odysseus from returning home to Ithaca, or to at least deprive him of his ship and crew. In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" Ithaca or Ithaka (in Greek, Ιθάκη, Ithaki) is an island in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of 118 km²

This tale from the Odyssey is more humorously told in the only surviving satyr play, entitled Cyclops by Euripides. Satyr plays were an ancient Greek form of tragicomedy similar to the modern-day Burlesque style The Cyclops (Κύκλωψ, Kyklōps) is an Ancient Greek Satyr play by Euripides, the only complete satyr play that has survived Euripides ( Ancient Greek:) (ca 480 BC–406 BC was the last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens (the other two being Aeschylus

The Sicilian Greek poet Theocritus wrote two poems circa 275 BC concerning Polyphemus' desire for Galatea, a sea nymph. Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Theocritus ( Greek: Θεόκριτος the creator of Ancient Greek Bucolic Poetry, flourished in the 3rd century BC Events By place Egypt The Museum of Alexandria is founded by the Egyptian King Ptolemy II. For the Sicilian Nereid in love with Acis, see Acis and Galatea (mythology For the wife of Lamprus, who prayed to In Greek mythology, a nymph is any member of a large class of mythological entities in human female form When Galatea instead married Acis, a Sicilian mortal, a jealous Polyphemus killed him with a boulder. The 3D ACIS Modeler ( ACIS) is a 3D modelling Kernel (or engine owned by Spatial Corporation (formerly Spatial Technology) Galatea turned Acis' blood into a river of the same name in Sicily.

Origins

skull of a dwarf elephant displayed in the zoo of Munich, Germany. Tierpark Hellabrunn is the name of the Zoological garden in the Bavarian capital Munich.

Walter Burkert among others suggests^[6] that the archaic groups or societies of lesser gods mirror real cult associations: "it may be surmised that smith guilds lie behind Cabeiri, Idaian Dactyloi, Telchines, and Cyclopes. Walter Burkert (born Neuendettelsau, Bavaria, February 2, 1931) a scholar of Greek mythology and cult, is an emeritus In Greek mythology, the Cabeiri, ( Cabiri, Kabeiroi, Greek: Κάβειροι were a group of enigmatic Chthonic deities In Greek mythology, the Telchines were the original inhabitants of the island of Rhodes, and were known in Crete and Cyprus. " Given their penchant for blacksmithing, many scholars believe the legend of the Cyclopes' single eye arose from an actual practice of blacksmiths wearing an eyepatch over one eye to prevent flying sparks from blinding them in both eyes. The Cyclopes seen in Homer's Odyssey are of a different type from those in the Theogony; they were most likely much later additions to the pantheon and have no connection to blacksmithing. It is possible that legends associated with Polyphemus did not make him a Cyclops before Homer's Odyssey; Polyphemus may have been some sort of local daemon or monster originally. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. The words daemon, dæmon, are Latinized spellings of the Greek δαίμων ( daimôn) used purposely today to distinguish the daemons

Another possible origin for the Cyclops legend, advanced by the paleontologist Othenio Abel in 1914,^[7] is the prehistoric dwarf elephant skulls - about twice the size of a human skull - that may have been found by the Greeks on Crete and Sicily. Othenio Abel (b Vienna, June 20, 1875 --d Mondsee, Upper Austria, July 4, 1946) was an Austrian Dwarf elephants are prehistoric members of the order Proboscidea, that through the process of Allopatric speciation, evolved to a fraction of the size of their Crete ( Greek: Κρήτη transliteration: Krētē, modern transliteration Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the Sicily ( Italian and Sicilian: Sicilia) is an autonomous region of Italy. Abel suggested that the large, central nasal cavity (for the trunk) in the skull might have been interpreted as a large single eye-socket. ^[8] Given the inexperience of the locals with living elephants, they were unlikely to recognize the skull for what it actually was. Elephants ( family: Elephantidae) are large land Mammals of the order Proboscidea. ^[9]

Veratrum album, or white hellebore, an herbal medicine described by Hippocrates before 400 BC,^[10] contains the alkaloids cyclopamine and jervine, which are teratogens capable of causing cyclopia (holoprosencephaly). Veratrum album, commonly known as the False Helleborine (also known as White Hellebore, European White Hellebore, White Veratrum Hippocrates of Cos II or Hippokrates of Kos ( ca. 460 BC – ca Cyclopamine (11-deoxojervine is a naturally-occurring chemical that belongs to the group of steroidal jerveratrum Alkaloids It is a Teratogen isolated from the Jervine is a Steroidal Alkaloid, C27H39NO3 derived from the Veratrum plant genus Teratology stems from the Greek ( Genitive) meaning monster, or marvel and, meaning word, speech. Cyclopia (also cyclocephaly or synophthalmia) is a rare form of Holoprosencephaly and is a Congenital disorder (birth defect characterized by Students of teratology have raised the possibility of a link between this developmental deformity and the myth sharing its name. Teratology stems from the Greek ( Genitive) meaning monster, or marvel and, meaning word, speech. ^[11].

"Cyclopean" walls

Cyclopean walls at Mycenae.

Main article: Cyclopean masonry

After the "Dark Age", when Hellenes looked with awe at the vast dressed blocks, known as Cyclopean structures that had been used in Mycenaean masonry, at sites like Mycenae and Tiryns or on Cyprus, they concluded that only the Cyclopes had the combination of skill and strength to build in such a monumental manner. Cyclopean masonry is a type of stonework found in Mycenaean architecture built with huge Limestone Boulders, roughly fitted together with minimal Cyclopean masonry is a type of stonework found in Mycenaean architecture built with huge Limestone Boulders, roughly fitted together with minimal Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese "Lion Gate" redirects here For other uses see Lions' Gate (disambiguation. Tiryns (in ancient Greek Τίρυνς and in modern Τίρυνθα is a Mycenaean Archaeological site in the Greek nomos of Cyprus (Κύπρος transliterated: Kýpros,; Kıbrıs officially the Republic of Cyprus (Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía

Horror writer H.P. Lovecraft frequently used the adjective "cyclopean" to describe weird, massive architecture. Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy

See also

A case of cyclopia from the Old Anatomical Theater of Tartu, Estonia. Tartu is the second largest City of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual

• Cyclopean vision, the ability to see with two eyes information that is hidden from each eye alone. Stereopsis (from stereo meaning solidity and opsis meaning vision or Sight) is the process in Visual perception leading to the sensation
• Cyclopia, a birth defect that results in a single enlarged eye and other facial abnormalities. Cyclopia (also cyclocephaly or synophthalmia) is a rare form of Holoprosencephaly and is a Congenital disorder (birth defect characterized by

In popular culture

• In the fantasy film The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, a colony of cyclopes inhabit the island of Colosa. The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is a 1958 Technicolor Fantasy film released by Columbia Pictures directed by Nathan H They feature prominently, and are one of the major antagonists. One is blinded and tricked off a cliff, while a second fights a dragon to the death. The dragon is a Legendary creature of which some interpretation or depiction appears in almost every culture worldwide The special effects were created by Ray Harryhausen. Ray Harryhausen (born Raymond Frederick Harryhausen on June 29, 1920 in Los Angeles California) is an Academy Award -winning The cyclopes in this movie are less human-like, having horns (one or two), furry legs with cloven hooves and no human speech. A cloven hoof is a Hoof split into two toes This is found on members within the Mammalian order Artiodactyla.
• Based upon the Cyclops concept: In the Masters of the Universe toy franchise, a second wave figure is called Tri-Klops. Masters of the Universe (commonly abbreviated to MOTU) is a Media franchise created by Mattel. Tri-Klops is a Fictional character from both Mattel 's toyline Masters of the Universe and the Filmation and MYP animated series' of the The figure has a helmet with three large eyes on, one of which faces forwards. The helmet can be rotated for the other eyes to face forwards in turn, and each eye is said to have a different ability. Although standard sized as opposed to being a giant, Tri-Klops is sometimes displayed to have advanced strength. The character also appears in the Filmation cartoon series, although is one of the lesser used characters, only appearing in a handful of episodes. For the unrelated isometric graphics engine used by Ultimate Play the Game in their 8-bit computer games see Filmation engine. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American Animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel 's successful
• In the second series of the original Garbage Pail Kids sticker sets, card 44a is of a giant one-eyed baby named 'Sy Clops'. Garbage Pail Kids (in Australia, 'The Garbage Gang' is a series of Trading cards produced by the Topps Company, originally released in 1985 and designed His "alias" card (cards which give different names but otherwise use the same artwork), 44b, is called 'One-Eyed Jack'. The sticker also was adapted for a number of spin-off and overseas releases.
• The loosely Greek myth-based television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and its spin-off series Xena: Warrior Princess, occasionally feature Cyclops characters. Xena Warrior Princess is an American Television series that aired from September 15 1995 until June 18 2001 One of the most notable instances is in the second regular episode of Hercules, "Eye of the Beholder", where Hercules must stop a Cyclops who is being manipulated into terrorizing a village. Overview Hercules agrees to aid a town terrorized by a Cyclops, but soon learns that the creature's actions may not be entirely unjustified "Sins of the Past", the first episode of Xena, also features a Cyclops, whom Xena blinded in a previous (unseen) encounter. In these series, the Cyclops are portrayed as having a standard-sized eye located slightly above the human location of eyes, as well as protruding foreheads.
• In the animated series Futurama, the character of Leela has one large eye instead of two normal eyes. Futurama is an Emmy Award -winning animated American sitcom created by Matt Groening, and developed by Groening and Turanga Leela is a fictional main character in the animated television series Futurama and is voiced by Katey Sagal. At the beginning of the series, she believes she is the last member of an unknown alien race; later on she learns that she was born to mutants who live in the sewers.
• In the popular Playstation 2 game God of War II, Cyclops are common enemies, resembling large troll-like creatures, with very little evidence of intelligence, being easily manipulated and summoned by more advanced enemies. God of War II is a Hack and slash action-adventure Video game and the sequel to the 2005 game God of War for the PlayStation A troll is a fearsome member of a race of creatures from Norse mythology. They attack with clubs and bats made from damaged tree trunks. Those found in the Swamp can be blinded and can have their single eye torn out; the player must collect 20 of these eyes to unlock a secret gift.
• Cyclops is the name of one of the popular X-Men characters, who wears a visor that covers both of his eyes, giving him the appearance of a single eye. Cyclops ( Scott Summers) is a Fictional character, a Superhero that is the field leader of the X-Men in the. The X-Men is a team of fictional Superhero characters in Comic books published by Marvel Comics.
• In The Nightmare Before Christmas, the Cyclops is portrayed as a small non-humanoid creature with hooves for legs. The Nightmare Before Christmas (also known as Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas) is a 1993 stop-motion Fantasy
• A robotic take on a cyclops is featured in the cult 80's cartoon series Ulysses 31. is a Franco - Japanese Anime series ( 1981) that updates the Greek and Roman Mythology of Odysseus (known The hero destroys it and is punished by the gods of olympus
• Mike Wazowski from the movie Monsters, Inc. is a Cyclops monster in the shape of a tennis ball. This is a list of characters appearing in the film Monsters Inc Monsters Inc is a 2001 Computer animated Comedy film and the fourth feature-length film produced by Pixar Animation Studios.
• In the 1983 movie Krull, Bernard Bresslaw plays the character of Rell the Cyclops. Krull is a 1983 heroic fantasy Film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Ron Silverman. Bernard Bresslaw ( February 25 1934 – June 11 1993) was an English Actor. In the Krull story world the Cyclops race has traded their second eye for the ability to see the future. But Rell says the gods tricked them. Instead of the ability to see the future, the Cyclops were given the ability to see the moment of their own death.

Notes

External links

• Harry Thurston Peck, Harpers Dictionary of Classical Antiquities (1898)
• Perseus Encyclopedia: Cyclopes
• Theoi.com: Cyclopes

Further reading

• Robert Mondi, "The Homeric Cyclopes: Folktale, Tradition, and Theme" Transactions of the American Philological Association 113 Vol. 113 (1983), pp. 17-38.