Despite the passing of thousands of years, the stories of Greek mythology still resonate in the modern consciousness. Ask someone today what a Cyclops is, and most people will describe a giant with a single eye. In its simplest terms, this is exactly right.

The name Cyclops can be roughly translated as “round”, “ring” or “wheel-eyed”, and is an apt description. Greek writers would describe them as strong and stubborn giants, bearing a single round eye in the middle of the forehead. In Greek mythology there are two distinct generations of the Cyclopes, (plural of Cyclops). The oldest of these two generations predates Zeus’ generation of Olympian gods.

It is the first generation that plays a bigger role in Greek mythology, although it is the second generation that is perhaps better known to the casual reader.

The first Cyclopes were a trio of brothers, Arges, Brontes and Steropes. Sons of Uranus and Gaia, they were siblings to the other giants, the Hecatonchires, “the hundred-handed ones”, and the Titans.

Uranus fearful of the power and strength of his offspring kept them locked up. The Cyclopes and Hecatonchires were imprisoned in Tartarus, the deepest stretches of the Underworld. The Cyclopes, within Tartarus, slowly developed great blacksmithing skills.

When Cronus and the other Titans revolted against their father, the Cyclopes and Hecatonchires were initially released from their imprisonment.

Cronus though was as equally unsure of his position, as Uranus, his father, had been. Cronus, having taken over the position of supreme ruler of the cosmos, was fearful of his siblings’ immense strength, and so after only a short period of freedom, the Cyclopes found themselves once again back in Tartarus.

This time they were not alone, to ensure their confinement, Cronus had them guarded by Campe, a female dragon.

As supreme leader, Cronus was still faced with problems, not least of which was a prophecy that predicted his own downfall. To avoid this fate, Cronus was swallowing his own offspring as soon as they were born. With Rhea Cronus had six children, Demeter, Hestia, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. Zeus would have followed the others into the stomach of Cronus but Rhea, with the assistance of Gaea, substituted a stone wrapped in baby clothes for him.

Zeus grew up on Crete before returning to land of Cronus. There with the help of Metis, the offspring of Oceanus, he tricked Cronus into taking a potion that regurgitated Zeus’ siblings. With his siblings by his side, Zeus then led a revolt against Cronus and the other Titans. To aid in his revolt Zeus, released the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires from Tartarus.

The Cyclopes put their blacksmithing skills to use, providing the weapons needed by Zeus, and his brothers and sisters, to overthrow the Titans.

Zeus was provided with thunderbolts, which were to become a symbol of his power. The thunderbolts were given various properties; Arges provided brightness; Brontes added thunder; whilst lightning was supplied by Steropes. The three Cyclopes also forged Hades’ helmet of darkness, which allowed the wearer the gift of invisibility. Other gods also benefited; Poseidon received his trident; and later Artemis received her bow and arrow of moonlight; and Apollo his bow and arrow of sunrays.

It was Hades wearing his helmet of darkness that eventually ended the Titanomachy, the ten-year rebellion against the Titans. By putting on his helmet, Hades became invisible and managed to slip into the camp of the Titans and destroy their armaments.

The weapons provided by the cyclopes, would have a great impact in later events for the Olympian gods. Hades’ helmet was used by Perseus when he decapitated Medusa, whilst Zeus’ thunderbolts would later be the cause of the Cyclopes’ deaths.

After the Titanomachy had finished, Zeus was in the position of supreme ruler. Grateful for the assistance of the Cyclopes he allowed them to live with the gods on Mount Olympus. There they fashioned further weapons for the gods, also acting as assistants to Hephaestus, the god of smiths. During this time the Cyclopes were also credited with the construction of massive building projects, including the fortifications of Tiryns and Mycenae.

The happy existence of the Cyclopes on Olympus was relatively short-lived though. In a fit of rage, Zeus struck Asclepius down with one of his thunderbolts. This rage was caused due to Asclepius having raised a man from the dead, against the rules of the gods. Asclepius though was the son of Apollo. Apollo, in an act of vengeance struck, the Cyclopes down, blaming them for forging the weapon that killed his son.

Greek mythology then suggests that the ghosts of the giants went to reside in the heart of Mount Etna, an active volcano. Their presence was used to explain the noise and smoke that frequented from the volcano, as the ghosts continued to work their forges.

The first generation was therefore destroyed without any known offspring. The question is then generated as to their relation the Cyclopes of the second generation. The second generation are said to have the same physical attributes, without the associated blacksmithing skills.

The new Cyclopes were a group of lawless shepherds, raising sheep and goats. They lived in the remote sections of Sicily, although the area is often called Cyclops as well. These Cyclopes are said to be descendents of Poseidon, and would be of absolutely no note if Odysseus, and then later Aeneas, had not encountered one of their number.

The story of this encounter is found in the Homer’s Odyssey. The encounter involves Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon and Thoosa, a nereid (sea-nymph).

Odyesseus and twelve of his shipmates are trapped in Polyphemus’ cave, having feasted on the food found in it. The Cyclops has a taste for human flesh, and eats several of the ships crew. Odysseus realises that he could kill Polyphemus, but they would be unable to move the boulder blocking the cave entrance.

Odysseus therefore gets the Cyclops drunk before taking a spit from the cave’s fire and driving it through Polyphemus’ only eye.

Polyphemus has been tricked into believing that Odysseus’ name is “Nobody” and so he cries for help saying “Nobody is attacking him”. His cries are obviously ignored by his fellow Cyclopes.

The blinded Polyphemus, rolled the boulder away the next morning to allow his flock out to graze. Feeling the backs of his sheep as they pass, he misses Odysseus and the remaining members of his crew, as they were tied to the sheep’s undersides.

Odysseus cannot go without an act of bravado, and so as he sets sail, having taken a part of the Cyclops’ flock, he yells out his own name. As Polyphemus throws rocks at the departing ship, he calls upon Poseidon his father to prevent Odysseus’ return to Ithaca.

The only other mention of the Cyclopes in the Greek myths comes from two poems by Theocritus. Both poems are about Polyphemus as well, showing how indistinct the Cyclopes had become. These poems related the love life of Polyphemus prior to the arrival of Odysseus, and tell of his love for the sea nymph Galatea.

There has been much recent supposition about the origins of the Cyclopes myth. There are two current trains of thought. Smiths were well regarded in ancient times, and would often wear an eye patch over one eye, to prevent the possibility of being blinded by sparks in both eyes. Thus smiths would often be viewed as being one-eyed.

The second train of thought is based on the ancient Greeks uncovering the skulls of prehistoric elephants in Greece. An unknown species, the skull of the elephant would have a single round hole, where the trunk would have been attached. The Greeks could have mistaken it for the skull of a one-eyed giant.

Through Homer’s Odyssey, the tale of Polyphemus has become much more well-known than the tale of Arges, Brontes and Steropes. Yet it can easily be argued that they played a much more pivotal role in Greek mythology.

As yet no reason can be given as to why the Cyclopes suffered a demotion from being the armourers to Zeus, to lawless shepherds. Though the goodness’ of the trio of brothers should outweigh the actions of one.