Cyclops: The Myth and Its Cultural History - Hardcover

by Mercedes Aguirre (Author), Richard Buxton (Author)

A Cyclops is popularly assumed to be nothing more than a flesh-eating, one-eyed monster. In an accessible, stylish, and academically authoritative investigation, this book seeks to demonstrate that there is far more to it than that - quite apart from the fact that in myths the Cyclopes are not always one-eyed!

This book provides a detailed, innovative, and richly illustrated study of the myths relating to the Cyclopes from classical antiquity until the present day. The first part is organised thematically: after discussing various competing scholarly approaches to the myths, the authors analyse ancient accounts and images of the Cyclopes in relation to landscape, physique (especially eyes, monstrosity, and hairiness), lifestyle, gods, names, love, and song. While the man-eating Cyclops Polyphemus, famous already in the Odyssey, plays a major part, so also do the Cyclopes who did monumental building work, as well as those who toiled as blacksmiths. The second part of the book concentrates on the post-classical reception of the myths, including medieval allegory, Renaissance grottoes, poetry, drama, the visual arts, contemporary painting and sculpture, film, and even a circus performance. This book aims to explore not just the perennial appeal of the Cyclopes as fearsome monsters, but the
depth and subtlety of their mythology which raises complex issues of thought and emotion.

Author Biography

Mercedes Aguirre, Profesora Contratada Doctora, Universidad Complutense, Richard Buxton, Emeritus Professor of Greek Language and Literature, University of Bristol

Mercedes Aguirre holds the post of Profesora Contratada Doctora at the Department of Classical Philology in the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. She is also currently a Visiting Fellow in the University of Bristol, and has been elected a Life Member at Clare Hall at the University of Cambridge. Her areas of research are Greek literature, Greek mythology and iconography, and the reception of Greek mythology in the modern and contemporary world.

Richard Buxton is Emeritus Professor of Greek Language and Literature at the University of Bristol, specialising in the study of ancient Greek mythology, literature, and religion. He is committed to bringing his enthusiasm for classical antiquity, especially its mythology, to as wide an audience as possible. By using accessible and jargon-free language in all his writings he aims to bring home to modern readers the creative power and imaginative influence of ancient myths.