Polyphème

In the Greek Mythology, Polyphème (in Greek old Πολύφημος / Polúphêmos , literally “which speaks much, chatterer”) is a Cyclops, wire of Poséidon and Thoosa.

Myth

It appears in particular in the Odyssey of Homère: Ulysses and his companions putting foot at ground on the island of the Cyclops, they venture in a broad cave. Finding an abundance of food they are useful and feast. What it do not know, it is that they are in the cave of Polyphème which locks up them in the cave, benefitting from the occasion to devour several of them. But Ulysses prepares a plan to escape.

In order to make Polyphème less alert, Ulysses gives him a barrel of very strong wine and not cut. When Polyphème requires which it is in Ulysses, this last answers him “Nobody”. Once the deadened giant, Ulysses and his men use a reinforced lance and burst the eye of the giant. The next morning, Ulysses hangs his men like itself under the sheep of Polyphème. Thus, when as to its practice, the Cyclops leaves its sheep to lead them to the pasture, the men are transported out of the cave. As Polyphème is from now on blind, it cannot see them, although by precaution it touches the back of its sheep to check that the men do not escape by this means. Later, when one asks him who returned it blind man, he can only answer: “nobody” - what leaves its rather perplexed interlocutors.

This episode seems to be one of the reasons of the eagerness of Poséidon against Ulysses.

Undoubtedly before it becomes blind, Polyphème was in love. This love is told in two poems in Greek language of the sicilian poet Théocrite in the neighborhoods of 275 av. J. - C., and in the metamorphoses of Ovide. Polyphème éprend of beautiful the Galatée, a néréide (marine nymph). This one prefers the sicilian shepherd to him Acis. Polyphème, having keep silent them surprised unit, its rival by crushing it under a rock. Galatée then changes the blood of Acis into a river bearing its name to Sicily.

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