Carly Symington

First Document

The Cyclops by Euripides

The Cyclops

            The myth of the Cyclops is a well-known tale among the ancient Greeks.  Everyone knew that Cyclops were monsters of a gigantic manner, yet with human qualities and only one eye.  The Cyclops by Euripides, translated by E.P Coleridge focuses on the tale of how Odysseus is lost on the island at the foot of Mount Aetna.  This encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus, although he remains unnamed in the version translated by E.P Coleridge, is the same myth that is featured in the Odyssey by Homer.  The story of Polyphemus is a well-known myth that Euripides made into a satyr play, and Homer worked into his epic poem The Odyssey.

            The play The Cyclops by Euripides is the only full satyr play of ancient Greece in existence today.  A satyr play is a play that tries to bring comedic relief to the audience.  In ancient Greece, plays were preformed in groups of three or four.  The other plays in the collection were usually tragedies, and the last play to perform was a satyr play.  The purpose of presenting a satyr play last is to let the audience leave the performances of the day lighthearted.  Satyr plays usually included light themes that consisted of, for example, drinking or sexual content.

Euripides was born around 484 B.C, and he wrote an estimated total of 92 plays.  He only won four first prizes for his works in his lifetime, but now after his death he is known to be the most popular of the three tragedian writers (Euripides, Sophocles, and Aeschylus.) 

            The epic poem The Odyssey by Homer was written in 800 B.C, about 400+ years before Euripides time.   It is arguably one of the most famous pieces of literature, rooted, of course, in the fact that it is one of the oldest pieces of literature in the world.  Needless to say, the story of the Cyclops has been around for ages.

            Since the Cyclops was originally a Greek myth, being retold among the different generations by word of mouth, it is expected that many different versions develop throughout the years. Along with the different versions, there are different translations.  Each translation can be viewed as a betrayal of the original myth.  Each translation takes something away from the original, also.  Even though Homer and Euripides were among the first people to write the legend down, there have been many different translations since, and each one a little different than the next.

There are two known generations of Cyclops.  The first generation is said to be the sons of Gaia and Uranus (the earth and the sky).  They were disowned by their father Uranus, however, and imprisoned deep into the earth.  Cronus eventually set them free by defeating Uranus.  Their freedom, unfortunately, did not last long, for Cronus feared they would take over his kingdom.  The Cyclops were known for being huge, burly, stubborn creatures that roamed the land.  Therefore, he banished them to Tartarus, deep in the underworld.  The Cyclops were trapped until freed by Zeus, who needed their help in the battle against the Titans.  The first generation of the Cyclops were three brothers named Brontes, Steropes, and Arges.  They were known as the first blacksmiths, and they helped Zeus by making his thunderbolts.  In a sense, they were also his protectors.  Since, they helped Zeus; he allowed them to stay in Olympus. 

            The second generation of the Cyclops were ruthless shepards.  They descended from Poseidon, and the most noteworthy of these Cyclops is Polyphemus.  Polyphemus is the Cyclops that Euripides based his play on, and Homer mentioned in his epic poem. 

Polyphemus lives on the island at the foot of Mount Aetna.  Here, he enslaved the poor family of Silenus.  Silenus ended up on the island because he and his family were lost on their journey at sea.  The opening scene to Euripides play is Silenus raking and cleaning the Cyclops cave.  Silenus’ children are in the fields collecting the herds and milking the cows.  Silenus notices off in the distance of the shores, there is a lost boat.  As the play unfolds, it turns out that this is the boat of Odysseus and his crew, and they are lost.  Odysseus and his crew are searching for food.  They are delighted to see Silenus, but he sorrowfully tells the crew that there is no food.  Odysseus begs once again, and he offers wine in return.  The Cyclops is spotted returning home in the distance, and Odysseus and his crew panic.  Silenus tells them to go into the cave and calm down.  He will take care of everything.  All Odysseus and his crew have to do is follow his lead. 

            The Cyclops comes into the cave.  He sees Odysseus and his crew, and is infuriated.  Silenus tells the Cyclops they are robbers.  This makes the Cyclops even angrier, and he starts to eat them one by one.  Odysseus is appalled that Silenus is lying to the Cyclops.  He speaks up to make things clear.  He tries to explain that he and his crew are not robbers.  They are merely looking for food.  The Cyclops begins to eat them one by one out of anger.  Odysseus, however, has a plan.  Odysseus offers the Cyclops wine, and Polyphemus gets drunk.   While he is drunk and passed out, Odysseus sets fire to him, and burns out his eye.  The Cyclops wakes up and screams in agony.  He demands to know who did this to him.  Odysseus answers that Noman did; Noman meaning no one.  Odysseus escapes while the Cyclops is occupied trying to find Noman.    This is the same version of the Cyclops as in Homer’s epic poem.

            The picture above is an ancient Greek vase painting.  Vase paintings were common in ancient Greece to depict many different stories.  This one tells the tale of the Cyclops Polyphemus.  In this picture, he is getting his eye burned by Odysseus.   Vase paintings are either black figured or red figured.  This one happens to be a black figured painting. 

            Comparing the two versions of the Cyclops, there is nothing drastically different that makes them separate stories.  They are both derived from the same myth that has been passed through ancient Greek literature.  Everything in ancient Greek culture is based upon myths and legends that come from the Gods.   They center their lives on the Gods, and how the mere mortals can make the Gods happy.  Most of the stories that have become famous in modern times were common knowledge in ancient Greek times, and common tales in Euripides, Sophocles, and Aeschylus’s times.  

Works Cited

“Cyclops.”  Monstrous.com.  http://www.monstrous.com/monsters/cyclops.htm

“Cyclopes.”  Pantheon.org.  Anne Baldwin.  March 3 1997. 

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/c/cyclopes.html

“Euripides.”  Imagi-nation.com.  http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc4.htm

“The Cyclops.”  Classics.mit.edu. E. P. Coleridge. Aug 30 2006.

http://www.classics.mit.edu/euripides/cyclops.html