Cyclops
Race of one-eyed giants. The original three Cyclopes forged Zeus's thunderbolts; later Cyclopes were savage shepherds, the most famous being Polyphemus.
The Myth of Cyclops
There were two races of Cyclopes in Greek mythology. The first three — Brontes, Steropes, and Arges — were sons of Ouranos and Gaia, master craftsmen imprisoned in Tartarus by their father. Zeus freed them during the Titanomachy, and in gratitude they forged his thunderbolts, Poseidon's trident, and Hades's helm of invisibility.
The later Cyclopes were a wild race of giant shepherds living on a remote island. The most famous was Polyphemus, son of Poseidon. When Odysseus and his men were trapped in Polyphemus's cave, the Cyclops devoured several of them before Odysseus devised an escape plan.
Odysseus blinded Polyphemus with a burning stake and escaped by clinging to the belly of the giant's sheep. When asked his name, Odysseus had cleverly said "Nobody" — so when Polyphemus cried for help, saying "Nobody is hurting me," the other Cyclopes ignored him. But Odysseus's boast as he sailed away allowed Polyphemus to call on his father Poseidon for vengeance.
Parents
Ouranos and Gaia (originals); 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
Cyclopes
🐉 creaturesmithing, monstrous
One-eyed giants who existed in two distinct traditions: divine craftsmen who forged Zeus's thunderbolts, and savage pastoral giants encountered by Odysseus.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Argus Panoptes
🐉 creatureHundred-eyed giant watchman
Argus Panoptes was a giant with a hundred eyes covering his body — the all-seeing watchman whom Hera set to guard Io.
Hecatoncheires
🐉 creatureHundred-handed giants
The Hecatoncheires were three giants, each with a hundred hands and fifty heads — the most powerful beings born before the Olympians.
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.