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Polyphemus, the monstrous embodiment of untamed nature, tears his way through The Odyssey, testing Odysseus' cunningness and highlighting the chasm between civilized Greeks and bestial savagery. In the story, when Odysseus and his men washes upon the shore of an island, Polyphemus “shuts him up with 12 of his companions in his cave and blocks the entrance with an enormous rock.”  Eventually, the Greek hero manages to escape through a trick that ends up blinding Polyphemus, but not before losing six of his men to the cyclops. The monster is also the main reason that the rest of the journey ends up rocky for Odysseus, as the former called upon a curse from his father, the sea god Poseidon, to send waves of terror to the hero’s crew. Ultimately, Polyphemus serves as a test for Odysseus' character, pushing him to the brink and showcasing his resourcefulness, cleverness, and courage in the face of adversity.

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The History and Background of Polyphemus

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The History and Background of Polyphemus

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Polyphemus is one of, if not ,the most famous cyclops (a one eyed giant) in all of Greek mythology, and he is one of the many sons of the sea god Poseidon, like most cyclops were. There were many variations of stories passed down about the cyclops, and the most recent versions of these stories were from Homer and Hesiod. According to Homer, he describes the cyclops as cannibals who lived a shepherd's life on small isolated islands. As for Hesiod, he makes the cyclops out to be hard working blacksmiths that created weapons for the gods. It was also claimed by many that cyclops built the walls of many ancient cities in Greece, such as the city Mycenaean. In the Odyssey, the story of Polyphemus eventually comes to an end when he is fooled and blinded by the Greek hero Odysseus.

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The encounter between the human hero, Odysseus, and the monstrous cyclops, Polyphemus, represents the theme of hubris, or more commonly known as excessive pride. When the men first encounter the cyclops, Polyphemus boasts that he “fears no man or god because of his strength.” From that statement, it is made clear that he looks down upon Odysseus, thinking nothing of the Greek hero. It is also because of this that Odysseus manages to defeat Polyphemus, as the latter severely underestimates the former due to his pride. However, hubris is also what causes the rest of Odysseus’ journey to be rough, as the hero’s pride didn’t allow him to leave without stating his true name to the cyclops, allowing the cyclops to call out a curse to him using his father.

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Polyphemus: The Cyclops Son of Poseidon - Greek Mythology - See U in History

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Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Polyphemus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 May. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Polyphemus-Greek-mythology. Accessed 19 December 2023. “Cyclops by Euripedes | Summary, Themes & Analysis - Study.Com.” Cyclops. 21 Nov. 2023. Web. 19 Dec. 2023.

“Polyphemus.” https://mythologysource.com/polyphemus-greek-cyclops/. Google, 30 June 2020. Web. 19 Dec. 2023.