Polyphemus and His World: A Literary History from the Odyssey to the Hellenistic Period

Abstract

This dissertation traces the development and evolution of Polyphemus as a literary characterfrom the Odyssey to the Hellenistic period, examining extant and fragmentary texts from this stretch of time chronologically, with the help of archaeological evidence on occasions. Although the Odyssey presents the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops from the hero’s perspective, its description of Polyphemus shows his potential to become a full-fledged character, which subsequent writers kept exploiting. Chapter 1 starts with an investigation of the origin of the story and of the figure of the one-eyed monster and argues that different images of Polyphemus and multiple versions of the story existed in the minds of the early Greeks. Later sections of the chapter explore the world of the Homeric Polyphemus while attempting to clarify issues surrounding his relationship with other Cyclopes and with his environment. I end the chapter by demonstrating that the Polyphemus episode in the Odyssey anticipates later discussions of what it means to be Greek or the Other. The three sections of Chapter 2 examine the significance of Polyphemus as a dramatic character in the fifth century: from the fragments of Epicharmus, Aristias, Callias and Cratinus we see that he is made more human and is used metaphorically to represent certain types of people; Aristophanes in the Wasps makes Philocleon a human embodiment of Polyphemus; and Euripides’ Cyclops renders understanding Polyphemus as a caricature of Sicily and of Athens both plausible. Chapter 3 demonstrates that in the fourth century writers of different genres, including Philoxenus, Plato and several playwrights of Middle Comedy, keep exploring the metaphorical potential and human aspects of Polyphemus in important and fresh ways. Chapter 4 interprets Theocritus’ characterization of Polyphemus through a psychological lens: the poet reveals the depth and complexity of the Cyclops’ inner world. From then on, Polyphemus’ human sides become the focus of the Hellenistic poets who feature him in their works. This study presents a coherent picture of this character’s metamorphoses, and shows the numerous ways in which it is an integral part of Ancient Greek culture.