Laestrygonians
creatureGiant cannibals who destroyed eleven of Odysseus's twelve ships by hurling boulders from cliffs above their harbor.
The Myth
They sank eleven ships in minutes — the single worst military disaster in the entire Odyssey. Odysseus's fleet of twelve ships entered the harbor of Telepylus, a land where the sun barely set. Only Odysseus kept his ship outside the harbor mouth. The Laestrygonians appeared on the cliffs above and began hurling boulders, smashing the ships below. They speared the drowning sailors like fish and carried them off to eat. Only Odysseus's ship escaped because he had the instinct to stay near the exit. From twelve ships and hundreds of men, he was reduced to one crew. Homer gives this episode minimal dramatic build-up — the horror is in the speed.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The land where the sun barely sets may reference a real geographic location at extreme latitude — possibly Norway or Sardinia.
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