Cyclopes
One-eyed giants who existed in two distinct traditions: divine craftsmen who forged Zeus's thunderbolts, and savage pastoral giants encountered by Odysseus.
The Myth of Cyclopes
Greek mythology contains two quite different races of Cyclopes. The elder Cyclopes — Brontes, Steropes, and Arges — were sons of Ouranos and Gaia, imprisoned first by their father and later by Kronos. Zeus freed them during the Titanomachy, and in gratitude they forged his thunderbolts, Poseidon's trident, and Hades's cap of invisibility. These were skilled artisans, associated with Hephaestus's forge beneath Mount Aetna. The pastoral Cyclopes of the Odyssey were a different breed entirely: lawless, isolated shepherds living in caves on a distant island. Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, trapped Odysseus and his men in his cave and devoured six of them before Odysseus blinded him with a heated stake and escaped clinging to the bellies of sheep. Polyphemus's prayer to his father Poseidon earned Odysseus a decade of suffering at sea. Later tradition also gave Polyphemus a tender side — he was hopelessly in love with the sea-nymph Galatea.
Parents
Ouranos and Gaia (elder); Poseidon (Polyphemus)
Symbols
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Cyclops
🐉 creatureOne-eyed giant
Race of one-eyed giants. The original three Cyclopes forged Zeus's thunderbolts; later Cyclopes were savage shepherds, the most famous being Polyphemus.
Alcyoneus
🐉 creaturegiants
The mightiest of the Gigantes, immortal within his homeland, who stole the cattle of Helios
Gegenees
🐉 creaturegiants
Six-armed earth-born giants who attacked the Argonauts on Bear Mountain
Polybotes
🐉 creaturegiants,Gigantomachy
One of the Giants who fought the gods in the Gigantomachy, pursued by Poseidon across the sea and finally crushed beneath the island of Nisyros, which Poseidon broke off from the island of Cos.
Steropes
🐉 creatureCyclopes,divine craftsmen
One of the three Elder Cyclopes — divine blacksmiths who forged the weapons of the gods, including Zeus' thunderbolts, Poseidon's trident, and Hades' helmet of invisibility.
Briareos
🐉 creaturegiants,sea
One of the Hecatoncheires (Hundred-Handed Giants), beings of immense power with fifty heads and one hundred arms, allies of Zeus in the Titanomachy.
Polyphemus
🐉 creatureThe Cyclops blinded by Odysseus
Polyphemus was the one-eyed giant Cyclops, son of Poseidon, who trapped Odysseus's men in his cave and ate six of them before Odysseus blinded him and escaped.
Aloadae
🐉 creaturegiants, rebellion
Twin giants who grew nine fathoms each year and attempted to storm Olympus by stacking mountains, threatening the gods before Artemis or Apollo destroyed them.
Polyphemus
🐉 creaturesavagery
One-eyed giant son of Poseidon who trapped Odysseus and ate six of his men before being blinded with a burning stake.
Ephialtes
🐉 creaturegigantic, rebellion
Twin brother of Otus among the Aloadae giants, whose combined assault on Olympus was among the most audacious acts of defiance against the gods.
Geryon
🐉 creatureThree-bodied giant of the west
Geryon was a giant with three bodies joined at the waist who owned magnificent red cattle at the world's western edge — Heracles' tenth labour was to steal them.
Typhon
🐉 creatureFather of all monsters
The most fearsome monster in Greek mythology, who challenged Zeus for supremacy of the cosmos. Typhon was the father of many of mythology's most dangerous creatures.