Mythologis
Cyclops: The Complete Guide to the One-Eyed Giants of Greek Myth

Mythical Creatures Mythology

Cyclops: The Complete Guide to the One-Eyed Giants of Greek Myth

Polyphemus, the Smiths of Zeus and the One-Eyed Race

The complete guide to the Cyclopes: the man-eating Polyphemus who trapped Odysseus, the thunderbolt-forging smiths of Zeus, the builders of giant walls, and the meaning of the one-eyed giant.

160 pagesPDFEnglishMythologis Library

$14.99

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Inside this book

What you will read

  • 11 chapters, primary sources
  • Instant PDF download
  • Original ink illustrations
  • Homer, Hesiod and Greek legend
  • Designed for print quality
See all chapters  +
  1. 01The One-Eyed Giant
  2. 02Three Kinds of Cyclops
  3. 03Polyphemus the Shepherd
  4. 04Odysseus in the Cave
  5. 05No-Man and the Blinding
  6. 06The Curse of Polyphemus
  7. 07The Smiths of Hesiod: Forgers of the Thunderbolt
  8. 08The Cyclopes and the War of the Gods
  9. 09The Wall-Builders of Mycenae
  10. 10A Skull in the Rock: The Fossil Theory
  11. 11The Cyclops in Art and After

About this book

About this Mythical Creatures mythology guide

Polyphemus ate the men of Odysseus two at a time, until a sharpened stake found his single eye. But the Cyclopes of Hesiod forged the thunderbolt of Zeus. This is the complete guide to the one-eyed giants.

There is more than one kind of Cyclops, and the Greeks knew it. The most famous is Polyphemus, the man-eating shepherd-giant who trapped Odysseus and his men in a cave and ate them two at a time until a sharpened stake and a cup of strong wine put out his single eye. But Hesiod knew another kind entirely: the three sons of Earth and Sky who forged the thunderbolt for Zeus, master-smiths older than the gods. And the walls of Mycenae were so massive that later Greeks said only Cyclopes could have built them.

This is the complete guide to the Cyclopes in all their forms. The savage shepherd of the Odyssey and one of the greatest escape stories ever told; the divine smiths of Hesiod who armed the gods for war; the wall-building Cyclopes of legend; and the strange possibility that a fossil skull may lie behind the whole idea of a one-eyed giant.

The book follows the Cyclops from Homer to Hesiod to the archaeologists, drawing on the Greek sources and the modern scholarship, and every chapter cites where it comes from.

Delivered as a print-quality PDF within 24 hours of purchase.

What you will discover inside

  • Polyphemus and one of the greatest escape stories ever told
  • The trick of the name 'No-Man' that saved Odysseus
  • The curse that set Poseidon against Odysseus for ten years
  • The divine Cyclopes who forged the thunderbolt for Zeus
  • The giant walls only Cyclopes were thought strong enough to build
  • The fossil skull that may lie behind the one-eyed giant

Mythical Creatures mythology book at a glance

TraditionMythical Creatures mythology
Chapters11 chapters
Length160 pages
SourcesDrawn from the primary sources, cited inline
Reading levelBeginner-friendly. Every name and place is explained from scratch
FormatPrint-quality PDF
DeliveryPDF within 24 hours

Formats and editions

EditionWhat you getPrice
Instant PDFPrint-quality download, readable on any device. PDF within 24 hours.$7.99
PaperbackA paperback edition is on the way. Sign up on this page to hear when it lands on Amazon.Coming soon

About the author

Guillaume Henry, founder of Mythologis

Guillaume Henry

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Mythologis

Guillaume Henry founded Mythologis to make the world's mythologies readable without losing what makes them strange. Every Mythologis book draws on the primary sources first, cross-references multiple translations, and avoids inventing details that aren't in the originals.

More about the author

Questions about the Mythical Creatures mythology book

When will I receive my PDF?

Within 24 hours of purchase. Your download link arrives in your inbox automatically.

Is this just the Odyssey story?

Polyphemus and the cave are the centrepiece, but the book covers all three kinds of Cyclops, the man-eating shepherd of Homer, the thunderbolt-forging smiths of Hesiod, and the legendary builders of the great walls, plus the fossil theory behind the one-eyed giant.

Is this book based on primary sources?

Yes. It draws on Homer's Odyssey, Hesiod's Theogony, the Cyclops of Euripides and the later Greek and Roman sources, with references to the standard translations.

How long is the book?

Eleven chapters, around 160 pages depending on the final layout.

Will there be a paperback on Amazon?

The PDF is available immediately. A KDP paperback edition follows once the book has been validated by readers.

What formats is this book available in?

Every title is available as an instant PDF, downloaded the moment you buy it: the link appears on the confirmation page and lands in your inbox. Selected titles also have a paperback edition on Amazon. Where the paperback is not out yet, you can sign up to be notified the day it does.

What is the return policy?

The PDF is delivered instantly by Mythologis. If a download ever fails or a file looks wrong, get in touch and we will make it right. Paperbacks bought on Amazon are handled under Amazon's own returns and refund policy.

Can I order from outside the United States?

Yes. The PDF is a digital download, so it works instantly anywhere in the world, with nothing to ship. Where a paperback edition exists, it is sold across Amazon's international marketplaces, with shipping rates and delivery times depending on your country.

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