POLYPHEMUS

Hero?
Polyphemus has a mysterious birth and eventual exile to earth by Zeus. Polyphemus is also not immortal like the gods and can be slain, most notably by Odysseus. As the centuries rolled on Polyphemus again displayed his almost “humanity” as he fell in love with a sea nymph who wanted nothing to do with the old cyclops.
Polyphemus eventually mellows as he ages, almost as if his injury has pulled back a layer of the old monster to show a lonely man abandoned on a small island longing for love.

Villain?
In Homer’s The Odyssey, the hero, Odysseus is on a quest to return home after the terrible war in Troy. Throughout the trials and tribulations he must face Odysseus and his men eventually come across Polyphemus who refuses hospitality to the men and attacks them. Polyphemus stands in the way of completion of the central quest of the story which puts him directly against Odysseus and his return home.

The History behind the Myth
The myth of Polyphemus was written in different centuries based on the part of the story. The first part of this story originated in the Odyssey, the second part was told by the third-century Alexandrian poet Theocritus and the last part was written by Lucian, in the second century A.D. Polyphemus’ story began after the war between the Titans and the Trojans when Zeus decided not to banish the Cyclops. Instead, he sent them to a resource abundant island in which he resided for the entirety of his life.

Polyphemus acts and aggressions

• Did not give protection and hospitality to the shipwrecked men but rather feasted upon them.
• Attacked Odysseus whom in turn stabbed in in the eye making him blind
• Eventually fell in love with the nymph Gelata. In one story Galata does give into Polyphemus not because of his love for her but the power that would come to her for being with the favored son of the Sea God.
• Attached and killed Acis, the prince that Galata fell in love with.

His own quest
Polyphemus has is own sort of quest a he attempted to win over Galata, a beautiful but mocking sea nymph, by singing her songs and trying to prove his love for her. The nymph would often toy with the Cyclop by coming close to him when he sang only to berate him with apples and mock him for the love for someone who would not love him. He never did win over Galata and it is said he never loved any but her and that no maiden ever love him.