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The CYCLOPES belong to the first generations of
deities, being generally called sons of
Uranus and
Gaia [but see other
parentages in the list below]. They are well known
for having only one eye in their forehead, and for
having given weapons to
Zeus,
Poseidon, and
Hades.
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Uranus gets rid of his
offspring
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The CYCLOPES were bound and cast into
Tartarus by
Uranus, to make there
company to their brethren the
HECATONCHEIRES.
In this way, their father expected to get rid of
the terrible generations he was procreating.
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Betrayed by Cronos
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When the Titan Cronos
revolted against his father
Uranus [see also
Castration of
Uranus], he delivered both the CYCLOPES and the
HECATONCHEIRES,
but later, following the example of his father and
predecessor, Cronos shut
them up in Tartarus
again.
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Zeus sets them free
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Later on, when Zeus
attacked the TITANS [see
Titanomachy],
Gaia prophesied victory to
him if he would have both the CYCLOPES and the
HECATONCHEIRES as
allies. So he slew their jaileress Campe [see
Underworld], and set
them free.
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Weapons for the gods
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The CYCLOPES then gave
Zeus the thunderbolt,
Hades a helmet, and
Poseidon the trident.
And armed with these weapons, the gods overcame the
TITANS.
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Destroyed by Apollo
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It is said that because
Zeus smote
Asclepius with a
thunderbolt, Apollo,
father of Asclepius,
angry on that account, slew the CYCLOPES (Arges,
Brontes 1, and Steropes), who had fashioned the
thunderbolt for Zeus.
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The Cyclops
Polyphemus 2
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Whereas the children of
Gaia were like the gods,
the race of Polyphemus
2 was formed by a fierce and uncivilized
people.
The Cyclops
Polyphemus 2 loved
the Nereid Galatea 1, but she in turn loved Acis,
the son of Faunus 1 and a Symaethian Nymph. This
triangle drama caused the death of Acis, who was
buried by a rock hurled at him by the jealous
Polyphemus 2. Acis
was turned into a river.
Later Polyphemus
2 was blinded by
Odysseus.
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