Cyclops: The Origin Story of this Terrifying One-Eyed Giant

Entertainment
Published on Jan 18, 2020
Go check out the full Eons episode here! https://youtu.be/Do-ihwWeS3Y
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You might recognize the one-eyed giant from Ancient Greek myths, but the cyclops has appeared in stories across the globe for thousands of years. Some elements of the legend do differ, but there are striking similarities in all of these “Blinded Ogre” tales.

In this episode, you’ll hear all about Homer’s Polyphemus and Hesiod’s one-eyed blacksmiths, but also a little about the role paleontology has played in creating monsters. Join Dr. Zarka and special guests Kallie Moore and Blake de Pastino from Eons to learn all about the surprising fossil inspiration behind cyclopes. #cyclops #fossils #polyphemus #MonstrumPBS

Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Illustrator: Samuel Allen
Editor: Sara Roma
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Agnesi, V., C. Di Patti, and B. Truden. “Giants and elephants of Sicily.” Myth and Geology. Eds. L. Piccardi and W.B. Masse. Geological Society, Special Publication 273, 2007, pp. 263-270.

Asma, Stephen. T. On Monsters: A Natural History of Our Worst Fears. Oxford University Press, 2009.

Bremmer, Jan. N. “Odysseus versus the Cyclops.” The Norwegian Institute at Athens, 2002.

Glenn, Justin. “The Polyphemus Folktale and Homer’s Kyklopeia.” Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, Vol. 102, 1971, pp. 133–181.

Glenn, Justin. “The Polyphemus Myth: Its Origin and Interpretation.” Greece & Rome, Vol. 25, No. 2, Oct. 1978, pp. 141–155.

Hansen, William. Ariadne's Thread: A Guide to International Stories in Classical Literature. Cornell University Press, 2009.

Hesiod. The Theogony, Trans. H.G. Evelyn-White, Loeb Classical Library, Vol. 57, William Heinemann, 1914. https://www.theoi.com/Text/HesiodTheo...

Homer. The Iliad, Book 9. Trans. A.T. Murray, Classical Library, Vol. 1, Harvard University Press, 1924. https://www.theoi.com/Text/HomerOdyss...

Kaplan, Matt. The Science of Monsters: The Origins of the Creatures We Love to Fear. Scribner, 2012.

Mayor, Adrienne. The First Fossil Hunters: Dinosaurs, Mammoths, and Myth in Greek and Roman Times. Princeton University Press, 2011.

Suetonius. Lives of the Caesars, Volume II. Trans. J.C. Rolfe. Ed. Jeffrey Henderson. Loeb Classical Library, 1997.