Dictionary of Meaning
<<Back
Please select a letter:
A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
W |
X |
Y |
Z |
0-9
Click here for Shopping
Polyphemus
*** Shopping-Tip: Polyphemus
Image:Cycloop.jpg thumb|right|280px|Odysseus and his men blinding the cyclop Polyphemus (detail of a proto-attic amphora, c. [[650s BC|650 BC, museum of
Eleusis)]]
'''Polyphemus''' (
Greek:'''ΠολÏ?φημος''',
transliteration transliterated as '''Polyphemos''' in
Robert Fitzgerald's translation), a character in
Greek Mythology, is a
Cyclopes Cyclops, the one-eyed son of
Poseidon and
Thoosa. He also plays a pivotal role in
Homer's ''
Odyssey''.
Polyphemus in Homer's ''Odyssey''
In the story of
Homer's ''
Odyssey,'' during the titular character's journey home,
Odysseus lands on the Island of the Cyclopes. He then takes eleven other men and sets out to find supplies. The Greeks find a large cave. They enter and proceed to feast on cheese they find there. Unknown to them, the cave is the home of the Cyclops Polyphemus, who soon returns home to find Odysseus and his men there. The cyclops then rolls a great stone in front of the entrance to his cave, trapping the Greeks within. Odysseus then devises a very clever escape plan, true to his character throughout the
Iliad and the Odyssey.
To make Polyphemus unwary, Odysseus gives him a barrel full of very strong, unwatered
wine. When Polyphemus asks for Odysseus' name, Odysseus tells him "ουτις," a name which is translated as "Noman" or "Nobody," but which has been used allusively by later authors. Once the giant falls asleep, Odysseus and his men use a spear that had been hardened in the fire to destroy Polyphemus' only eye. He yells out to his fellow Cyclopes that "Noman" ("Nohbdy" in
Robert Fitzgerald's translation) hurt him; the others take this to mean that Polyphemus has lost his mind, since he's being attacked by "nobody". They also conclude his condition is a curse from a god, and so they do not intervene. In the morning, Odysseus ties his men and himself to the undersides of Polyphemus'
domestic sheep sheep. When the Cyclope lets the sheep out to graze, he feels their backs to ensure the men aren't riding out, but doesn't feel the men underneath.
Image:Jakob Jordaens 009.jpg thumb|left|220px|Odysseus in the cave of Polyphemus, [[Jacob Jordaens, first half of
17th century]]
Once the sheep (and men) are safely out, Polyphemus realizes that the men aren't in his cave. As Odysseus and his men sail away, he boasts to Polyphemus that "Noman didn't hurt you, Odysseus did!" Unfortunately, Odysseus didn't realize that Polyphemus was the son of
Poseidon; Odysseus had already earned the enmity of that god, by defiling his temple in Troy and devising the sack of Troy, a city that held Poseidon in greatest esteem (although Poseidon had largely fought on the side of the Greeks during the ''
Iliad''). Polyphemus then casts a curse upon Odysseus, spiced with a hefty rock that he throws after the ship; for this, Poseidon causes Odysseus a great deal of trouble throughout the rest of the ''Odyssey''.
Other mythological figures
Additionally, one of the
Argonauts was named '''Polyphemus'''. He helped
Heracles search for
Hylas, and both were left behind by the
Argo.
Category:Argonauts
Category:Greek mythological people
Category:Characters in the Odyssey
Category:Sicilian characters in Greek mythology
Category:Cyclopses
bg:Полифем
de:Polyphem
es:Polifemo
fr:Polyphème
it:Polifemo
nl:Polyphemos
ja:�リュフェモス
pl:Polifem
pt:Polifemo
ru:Полифем (циклоп)
sr:Полифем
tl:Polyphemus
uk:Поліфем
*** Shopping-Tip: Polyphemus
