Polyphemus.
The cave with one way out
Polyphemus: the Cyclops, Odysseus and the Trick of Nobodyis the one-eyed son of who traps and his companions in a cave. The hero’s escape depends on a false name, a blinded eye, and the sheep the giant tends.
More than a myth.
Why the travelers cannot leave
enters the cave hoping for the gifts expected from a host. instead eats members of the company and blocks the entrance with a stone the survivors cannot move. Killing him immediately would leave them imprisoned. The encounter forces Odysseus to solve a practical problem while confronting a violent rejection of hospitality.
The trick of Nobody
gives strong wine and claims that his name is Nobody. Once the sleeps, the men blind his eye with a heated stake. His cry that Nobody is harming him fails to bring effective help. At the doorway, Polyphemus feels the animals’ backs, while the escaping humans cling beneath them.
The name that becomes a curse
After reaching the ship, boasts and supplies his true identity. calls upon to prevent or delay the man’s return. The clever concealment that saved the travelers is undone by the desire to be publicly credited for it. Later literature also gives Polyphemus a love story with Galatea, a different setting from ’s cave.
Questions about Polyphemus
Who blinded Polyphemus?
and his companions drive a heated stake into his eye after getting him drunk. They need him alive to move the entrance stone.
Why does Polyphemus call on Poseidon?
is his father. Once reveals his name, can direct a specific prayer against the man who blinded him.
It’s a family affair.
Polyphemus
The Cyclops encounter in the OdysseyNo children represented in this edition.
The stories of Polyphemus.
Ancient voices.
Enduring stories.
Myths have many tellings. These are the ancient works behind this profile, linked to freely available English translations.
Odyssey
Book 1.68–75 · parentage
Odyssey
Book 9.105–566
Metamorphoses
Book 13.738–897 · Galatea