The Cyclopes

by Russell Roberts

Of all the fantastic creatures to emerge from Greek mythology, perhaps none is more well-known than the Cyclops. With his single eye glowering out from the middle of his forehead, the Cyclops is an image that is not soon forgotten and so has been used in countless stories, films, and other subjects. Almost everyone knows the story of how Odysseus (Ulysses) and his crew encountered the Cyclops Polyphemus on their way home from Troy and how the creature imprisoned them in his cave, only to have them escape by hiding underneath sheep. But fewer know about the rest of the Cyclopes. They donít know how the creatures actually once helped in the battle to create the world, and that they were allies of Zeus and his fellow gods. How did the Cyclopes go from friend to foe? The answer may well surprise you.

48 pages, Library Binding

First published June 15, 2010

About the author

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Reviews

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, very informative and colorfully illustrated book about the one-eyed monsters of classical mythology. Roberts retells the encounter of Polyphemus with Odysseus and his crew from the Odyssey and the giant’s frustrated love for the nymph Galatea from the Metamorphoses. He also tells of other cyclopes that aided Zeus and Hephaestus, reviews scholars’ thoughts about their origins, and their persistence in popular imagination and culture.