The Cyclops

After the most grueling siege in history, after ten long years Troy fell to the Greek armies. Some of the greatest heroes ever born had fought and died on both sides, Olympus was divided and the world would never be the same again. But the ordeal of many of the Greek heroes was far from over. Indeed for one man above all others, it had only just begun...

Odysseus
Second Century Greek Sculpture, housed
in the Villa of the Roman Emperor Tiberius
at Sperlonga

Cunning Odysseus, King of Ithaca and sacker of cities, was the man who won the Trojan War. Renowned the world over for his sagacity and brilliant mind, it had been he who had masterminded the stratagem of the Wooden Horse, a deception famous the world over even today. But now, nearly ten years after the Trojan citadel burned, a weary and despairing man sat before King Alcinous of Phaeacia. The Phaeacians had been most intrigued when a strange and ragged looking man had been washed up on their shores, but Alcinous was a kindly man, and entertained the stranger in his palace. That night, at the banquet, the court bard struck up a song, a song which rang with the deeds of those famous men at Troy so long ago now. The gathered crowd cheered as the song turned to the valiant heroism of those who fought inside Troy's walls as the city fell to its knees, most of all proud Odysseus, blessed by Athena. At the sound of the bard's song, the memories welled up afresh in the stranger's mind, and choked with emotion, tears fell from his eyes. Seeing his distress, Alcinous bade the bard fall silent, and prayed the stranger to reveal his as yet unknown name, and what force had brought him here. Realising he could remain anonymous no longer, the stranger replied "Where shall I begin, where end, my tale? For the list of woes which the gods in Heaven have sent me is a long one... I am Odysseus, Laertes' son. The whole world talks of my stratagems, and my fame has reached the Heavens...". The room fell silent. All were entranced by the hero's words, stunned and saddened at his melancholy. So, with a heavy heart, Odysseus began his mighty tale.

Ten long years ago, Odysseus and his men departed Trojan shores, desperate to see beloved Ithaca again. The journey should have been quick and easy, but little could they have known that it would be as arduous and perilous as the War had ever been. For the gathered Greek Kings had made sacrifices to the gods on the shores of Troy, giving praise for their triumph. But the rituals were in vain. For the Greek soldiers had desecrated the holy places within Troy when they stormed the city, burning her temples and slaughtering her priests. In their rage, the gods decreed a terrible retribution upon the Greeks...

Odysseus rescues his men from the Lotus Eaters
Engraver unknown

Odysseus' ships made landfall in the land of the Cicones, a vicious and warlike tribe who despised all foreign men. The Ithacans sacked their citadels, eager for plunder to take home for their families as they were. But the Cicones struck back, and many were killed in the ensuing slaughter. Rallying his men, Odysseus sounded their retreat, as they continued South on their journey home. Zeus the Thunderer, however, gathered the storm clouds and unleashed a tempest upon the sea, and for nine days the Greek ships were blasted across the Mediterranean, coming to the strange land. Odysseus sent two men to investigate the local tribe, and determine if they were hostile. The locals, however, were not violent at all, on the contrary they gave Odysseus' men lotus fruit to eat. As soon as the sweet, luscious fruit touched their lips, however, the men lost all thought of home and the worries of the world. All they desired was to remain here and feast on the Lotus flower for ever more. With a great struggle did Odysseus drag his men back to the ships, urgently making for distant shores, lest his whole crew fall victim to the dangerous fruit.

Home seemed more distant than ever when, sometime later, the ships chanced upon a dense fog which descended upon them, shrouding the moonlight. So dark was the night that the ships ran aground upon a peculiar island, not a large land, but a bountiful one. Lush and verdant, this island was teeming with life, and the weary crew dined well on the plentiful goat population of the island. For the first time in many long months, Odysseus and his men enjoyed a peaceful sleep. When Dawn arrived, and the light hit Odysseus' eyes, he awoke to the beauty of the island. Across the strait, however, there was a land that night had veiled. A wild and mountainous sight it was too, in the shadow of a towering volcano - Mount Etna. When the ships were filled to bursting with supplies, curious Odysseus picked his best ship's crew, and together they set sail across the strait, inquisitive as to the local peoples and their ways. Odysseus ordered gifts to be brought, in the form of wine taken from the groves sacred to Apollo, a wine fit for Olympus itself, such was the floral aroma that rose from it. A fitting present for the local leader who, Odysseus hoped, might grant hospitality to his men in return. How very wrong he would be.

The Sack of Troy
Painting by Johan Georg Trautmann

Making landfall upon the beach, Odysseus noticed high up on the slopes an enormous cavern. Fighting an ominous sense of foreboding, the King and his twelve finest warriors scaled the cliff and gazed within the towering entrance. The sight that waited there so amazed them that all thoughts of doubt left their minds. Baskets of the most luxurious cheeses towered high, pails full to the brim with milk and pens laden with the finest lambs all stretched before them. His comrades begged him to let them take some and swiftly make their flight. How much better if would have been for them all if they had, Odysseus mournfully confessed to the Phaeacian King, but alas that hindsight was not theirs, as the hero continued his tale. Odysseus forbade his men to steal from the cave, and was at any rate keen to meet the owner of these splendid things.  Lighting a fire, the Greeks settled down, guessing the owner to be out tending his flocks during the day, as they wondered what gifts their host might present them with. Some hours later, the herds came into their cave, their shepherd close behind. At last, the owner had come. But it was no native tribesman or leader of men. With a titanic crash the Greeks awoke with a start, some might have thought that they had been roused to a nightmare. An enormous pile of logs and fallen to the cavern floor, and the being who had dropped them stood not far behind. A towering giant, mightier in stature than any building raised by the hands of men, stood framed by the mouth of the cave. So feeble were they aside such a vast being, the Greeks had avoided the gaze of the giant's single and enormous eye. With a ripple of terror, Odysseus and his men shrank into the shadows, making not a sound. The Cyclops rolled an enormous boulder into the cave's entrance as some crude door, before turning to drive his flock deeper into the cave. After methodically milking his ewes, the Cyclops lit his fire, and with the orange glow, Odysseus' cover was blown. "Strangers!" the giant roared, "and who are you!"


            " Our hearts sank. The booming voice and the very sight
              of the monster filled us with panic..."
                                          - ODYSSEUS RECOUNTS MEETING THE CYCLOPS


Their courage faltering, the Greeks turned to their King, who boldly replied that they were Achaeans, returning from Troy, once proud subjects of King Agamemnon. Some god had lead them astray on their path home, and they were now suppliants before him. Odysseus reminded the Cyclops of his duty towards guests, for Zeus decreed the honour that bound a host to his guest. The pitiless Cyclops replied that the Cyclopes were no god fearing people, and that he cared nothing for Zeus or the Olympians, since his own strength was a match for they. Nevertheless, the giant demanded to know where Odysseus had moored his ship. Sensing danger for his men still down on the ships, cunning Odysseus replied that Poseidon had smashed up his ships and that they were stranded here. The cruel Cyclops made no reply, but triumphantly dived upon them. Seizing two of Odysseus' men, he dashed their heads against the cold, stone floor. Tearing them limb from limb, he devoured them, as the Greeks shouted in terror, weeping as they raised their hands to Heaven, begging Zeus for help. Taking a gulp of milk to wash down his ghastly meal, the Cyclops settled down into a sleep.

Odysseus blinds Polyphemus
Painting by Pellegrino Tibaldi

Odysseus's first impulse was to draw his blade and slay the giant there and then, but wisdom prevailed. No man could move the vast boulder at the cave's door, and simply kill him would seal all their fates. Stricken groans came from his men, but Odysseus soothed them with his words, as they braced for morning. Dawn came once more, as the giant awoke. After slowly milking his ewes once more, he grabbed two more brave Greeks. Odysseus looked helplessly on at their grisly fate, crying with frustration. As the Cyclops left for the day to tend his flocks, however, Odysseus noticed that he had left his staff behind. If a staff it was, for to human eyes it was more like the mast of some great ship, such was its size. Forming a plan, he drew his sword and began to whittle the staff, sharpening it to a point. Thrusting the point into the fire, so as to harden it in the flames, the men drew lots to see who would have the brave task of helping Odysseus wield it. Just then the goats returned to the cave. With seconds to spare, Odysseus hid the point under a pile of dung, of which there was a great deal in the cave. Evening fell, and after milking his ewes once more, the Cyclops snatched two more of Odysseus' comrades and gobbled them down. Steeling his nerves for not the first, or the last, time, Odysseus beckoned to his men to pass him the wine he had brought. Approaching the fierce giant, Odysseus flattered him, offering him a gift of wine in the hope of pity. The Cyclops took the wine and drank deeply from it, as the intoxicating perfumes from it rose to his nostrils. The wine gave him such joy that he immediately demanded more, and the Odysseus' name, promising him a gift in return. Three times Odysseus refilled the bowl, and three times the Cyclops drained it to the last. Seeing the wine do its work on the giant's wits, Odysseus addressed him once more, "My name is Nobody. That is what I am called by my mother and father and by all my friends". Looking hopefully for his gift, Odysseus looked the giant in his monstrous eye. The heartless being answered, "of all his company I will eat Nobody last, and the rest before him. That shall be your gift". Barely had the word "gift" been uttered, when the Cyclops keeled over into a drunken stupor, vomiting forth a stream of wine and torn human flesh from his gullet.

Odysseus' Escape
Painting by Jacob Jordaens

Seizing their chance, Odysseus and his men thrust the staff into the glowing fire, and soon the tip was burning hot. Whispering encouragements to his men, Odysseus drove the stake into the Cyclops eye, twisting it with all his might. The heat singed the giant's brow, and the blood bubbled around the wound as his eye hissed furiously. The Cyclops let out a deafening shriek of agony, a shout which rang across the mountains, as the Greeks recoiled again, their nerve buckling. Such was the din, other Cyclopes soon crowded around the sealed entrance to the cave, demanding to know the cause for this disturbance. "What on earth is wrong with you Polyphemus?" they called from the night. "O my friends, it is Nobody's treachery that is doing me to death", Polyphemus shouted back. Confused, the Cyclopes replied "well, if you are alone and nobody is assaulting you, you must be sick", and off they went. Odysseus laughed to himself at the brilliance of his plan, but they had little time to waste. Groaning in pain, Polyphemus rolled aside the boulder at the door of the cave, and groped feebly, hoping to catch Odysseus or his comrades as they fled. Thinking quickly, Odysseus ordered his men to lash together the sheep in threes, using willow twigs from Polyphemus' enormous bed. For himself, Odysseus chose the most robust ram and, clinging tightly on, swung underneath it. As soon as Dawn arrived, the flock made for the pastures on the mountainside. Their master, however, still in blinding pain, ran his fingers along to tops of their fleeces as they passed through the mouth of the cave, for it did not occur to the Cyclops that men would hang beneath. Soon only the great ram remained. As the giant's hands recognised his favourite of the flock, he moaned "Sweet ram, why are you the last of the flock to pass out og the cave like this? You have never before lagged behind the others..." Odysseus felt a sudden pang of fear. "You must be grieved for your master's eye", Polyphemus mournfully concluded, and Odysseus breathed a sigh of relief. Releasing the ram, Polyphemus sat as the flock stepped into the fresh air once more. With many backward glances, Odysseus and his crew detached themselves and sprinted for the shore.

The Rage of Polyphemus
Painting by Annibale Carracci

Reaching the ship as fast as they could, Odysseus and his men were greeted with cries of joy, soon followed by lamentations at those lost. With urgent gestures, Odysseus beckoned them to silently load the flock on board and make their escape. As the oar blades struck the surf, Odysseus could not resist. Shouting in defiance, he taunted Polyphemus, "Cyclops! So he was not such a weakling after all, the man whose friends you meant to overpower and eat in your hollow cave! And your crimes were bound to catch up with you, you brute, who did not shrink from devouring your guests. Now Zeus and the other gods have paid you out!" Polyphemus felt a stab of rage. With a roar he tore off the pinnacle of the mountains and hurled it in the direction of Odysseus' voice. Soaring through the air, the rock struck the sea just ahead of the ship, but the resulting wave drove the Greeks back to shore. Seizing a pole, Odysseus pushed them off, frantically urging the crew to row for their lives. The will to shout more abuse took hold once again, as his men tried to restrain him. But anger and frustration was welling up in Odysseus too, frustration that home was no closer, frustration at his helplessness to save the lives of his men. His men begged him to stop, lest they all die. But Odysseus was not to be restrained, and shouted something he would later rue.


            "Cyclops, if anyone ever asks you how you came by your blindness, tell him
              your eye was put out by Odysseus, sacker of cities,
              the son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca!"
                                       - ODYSSEUS TAUNTS POLYPHEMUS

Polyphemus stopped. He remembered an ancient prophecy told amongst the Cyclopes, a prophecy that foretold that he would be robbed of his sight by a man called Odysseus. In return, the Cyclops called to Odysseus, bidding him return, so that he might present him with gifts to speed him on his journey, for his father was none other than Poseidon, the god of the sea himself. Fatally disbelieving, Odysseus angrily retorted "I only wish I could make as sure of robbing you of life and breath and sending you to Hell, as I certain that not even the Earthshaker will ever heal your eye!" As this, Polyphemus kneeled in prayer. Beseeching the skies, he called to his father, laying a curse on Odysseus and his men:


        "Grant that Odysseus, sacker of cities and son of Laertes, may never reach his home
          in Ithaca. But if he is destined to see his friends again, to come once more
          to his own house and reach his native land, let him come late, in wretched plight,
          having lost all his comrades, in a foreign ship, and let him find trouble in his home"
                                        - THE CYCLOP'S CURSE


Polyphemus prayed, and Lord Poseidon heard his prayer. Rising to his feet, with all his might, Polyphemus seized a boulder, mightier by far than the first, and with a roar hurled it towards Odysseus' proud words. Falling through the sky, the rock scraped the rear of the ship, but missed, though the resulting tidal wave propelled the Greeks to foreign shores. Odysseus and his men were overjoyed. Little did they know, as Odysseus later told King Alcinous in Phaeacia, what a world of pain the Cyclops had now unleashed upon them. For in his lair they had had a giant as a foe. Now they had a long ocean voyage home, and now they had the god of the sea himself as a foe...

United Kingdom

Penguin Classics:
The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)
(A version which keeps a dash of the original poetry, good if you like a balance between high poetry and readability)

Oxford World's Classics:
The Odyssey (Oxford World's Classics)
(An excellent choice if you want to read the Odyssey for it's story over it's poetry)

United States

Penguin Classics:
The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)
(A version which keeps a dash of the original poetry, good if you like a balance between high poetry and readability)

Oxford World's Classics:
The Odyssey (Oxford World's Classics)
(An excellent choice if you want to read the Odyssey for it's story over it's poetry)  

Hector and Achilles

We return today to the thick of the action, as the Trojan War reaches its climactic showdown, culminating in the most legendary confrontation in history - the duel of Hector and Achilles. The end was coming. For ten long years Greeks and Trojans have fallen in their tens and their thousands. For ten long years the mightiest heroes have been hurled to the House of Death. For ten long years strong walled Troy has weathered the storm, Prince Hector standing valiantly between the endless ranks of Greece and the city itself...

Andromache bids farewell to Hector
Painting by Anton Pavlovich Losenko

But the tide has turned, with the slaying of Patroclus, Achilles' own cousin, Hector had sealed the Fates. Now, Greek hordes pour across the great plain of Troy, a lone figure far in front, driven mad with rage. The goddess Athena herself at his side, Achilles thunders across the plain, with Trojan battalion and Trojan god alike blasted from his path. The war has divided even great Olympus itself, with gods and goddesses torn in their loyalties, with many of their own children fighting on both sides. But now not even Ares, the god of war himself, can stand in the way of Fate. Hurling a vast boulder at the god, Athena brings murderous Ares crashing to the ground, Troy's greatest ally at last lying broken in the dust. His glittering form, bearing the armour forged by Hephaestus (for this story, please click here), god of fire and the forge himself, Achilles has no mercy for the sons of Troy, as their blood spatters his magnificent cuirass. Trojans flee in blind terror before the onslaught, desperately seeking the safety of the city, with but one man, Prince Hector, boldly facing down the coming doom. High on Troy's unbreakable walls and wizened with age, King Priam eyes the chaos of the field in despair. Calling his people back inside the walls with urgency, he sees another proud son of Troy rush to confront the carnage. Brave Agenor, another noble soul, incensed at the reversal of Troy's fortune, charges Achilles down. Barely days ago the Greeks were pinned against the beach, desperate, all hope seeming lost, as Hector even burned the first of their ships, and now Fortune had cast Troy a deadly hand. Taunting Achilles for his audacity, Agenor hurls his spear at the golden figure. His aim was true, as the deadly point soared straight at the son of Peleus' thigh. But no! A resounding clang rang out as the gleaming gifts of Hephaestus held true. Achilles' turn, but he is denied his prey, as Lord Apollo, god of the sun deflects his throw. The god spirits Agenor away, defiant against the turns of Fate. Achilles makes hot pursuit, bellowing threats at the god, oblivious to the fact that no man can slay a god.

Hector and Achilles
Painting by Rubens

As the wrathful hero clad in gold bears down upon Troy's gates with irresistible force, King Priam cries out to his son in vain. Having watched so many of his sons slain by Achilles' hands, he cannot bear to watch his favourite fall. Pleading with Hector to retreat within the walls, Priam's shouts are in vain. Moved to deranged grief at the coming judgement, the King of Troy tears his hair out in anguish, his Queen leading the women of Troy in a chorus of tears. But Hector is unmoved. To retreat now and enter the city, why he would die of shame, and disgrace would be heaped upon him. He considers for a moment, a fleeting thought, that maybe he could simply give Helen up to the Greeks, and hand over the riches of Troy to Agamemnon and Menelaus, the sons of Atreus (and grandsons of Pelops, whose story is told here). But no, Achilles will never see mercy, so bent on destruction is he. Any chance to end this war through words has gone, only death can bring that now. Hector, for a moment, cast his thoughts back to the peaceful days:


                                 " But Achilles was closing on him now
                                   like the god of war, the fighter's helmet flashing,
                                   over his right shoulder shaking the Pelian ash spear,
                                   that terror, and the bronze around his body flared
                                   like a raging fire or the rising, blazing sun... "
                                                        - THE HOUR OF HECTOR APPROACHES           

As the sun shone on the glorious arms of the gods bound to Achilles' form,  and the favour of the gods was arrayed against him, the spirit of Hector broke. Overcome with a human fear, a fear for life, Troy's last hope ran, desperate to push back the moment of his doom. Mighty Achilles, however, was relentless, tearing after Hector all the way, never letting up. Three times around the walls of Troy they ran, all eyes fixed upon them, the eyes of gods and men. High on Olympus Zeus the Thunderer looked down in pity at Hector's plight. Adamant, Zeus demands the gods decide once and for all what is to be Hector's fate, shall he be spared from the hand of Death this day, or will Achilles strike him down at last? The King of the Gods wishes greatly to spare Hector, but Athena protests, as if Zeus goes against the will of the Fates, the gods will no longer be loyal to him. Resigned to the coming end, Zeus bids Athena go forth and do as she feels is right, powerless to intervene as he is this time.

The Body of Hector
Painting by Jacques-Louis David

Far below on the Dardan Plain, as the two heroes reach the Gates of Troy for the fourth time, the hour as come. For all the gods to see, Zeus holds out his scales of gold, and within he placed the fates of both men, one for Hector the Prince of Troy and one for mighty Achilles. As the Thunderer raised them high, down fell the fate of Priam's son. As Zeus commanded Apollo to stand down, and all gods loyal to Troy to pull back from the field, Athena triumphantly soared down to Hector's side, and in her cunning took the shape of Deiphobus, another of Priam's sons. Warmed by the sight of his dear brother, the deceived Prince of Troy is heartened that he is no longer alone, blind as he is to the goddess's schemes. Athena speaks with the voice of Deiphobus, and sows fresh courage in Hector's heart, the valour which once broke the lines of Greece. Shouting in defiance of the Fates, Hector turns and faces his enemy boldly. Offering a pact to fierce Achilles, that the victor will return the defeated body of his foe to his friends, and not allow it to be the sport of crows and dogs, Hector appeals one last time to Achilles' mercy, but:


                             " A swift dark glance
                               and the headstrong runner answered, 'Hector, stop!
                               You unforgivable, you... talk not of pacts to me.
                               There are no binding oaths between lions and men..."
                                                    - ACHILLES TO HECTOR

Achilles Triumphant
Painting by Franz Matsch

All words spent, the hour of battle had come. With a godly throw, Achilles cast his deadly spear at the Prince of Troy. Ducking barely in time, Hector was spared the Hand of Death, as the bronze point pierced the ground. Unperturbed, Athena wrenched the weapon from the Earth and returned it to Achilles, hidden from Hector's eyes. Courage building, Hector is elated, if Achilles can miss, perhaps there is hope? For the countless thousands of Troy's sons whose blood stains the Earth now, Hector marshalled all his strength and hurled his own lance, its murderous point soaring through the air. A direct hit! But woe, though the spear struck the Shield of Achilles' dead centre, the craft of Hephaestus was not so easily undone. Not for the first time, with a deafening clang did a spear spin off the armour of Achilles. His strength sapped by his throw, Hector railed with frustration, shouting out to loyal Deiphobus to pass him another spear. But Deiphobus was no longer there, and Hector realised the trickery deployed against him. Embracing his fate at last, the noble Prince of Troy roared, "So now I meet my doom. Well let me die, but not without a struggle, not without glory, no, in some great clash of arms that even men to come will hear of down the years!"

With one last burst of glory, Hector took his sword from his side and lunged at Achilles, as an eagle which has seen its prey high up in the sky soars down to its hapless quarry. With a shout of rage, Achilles dived too, the rays of the sun falling upon his metalled form, as though the hero was aflame. Since Hector wore the armour that Achilles himself once wore, before it was torn from the lifeless form of Patroclus, Achilles' aim was true. With all his might Achilles drove his spear through Hector's throat, as the Prince of Troy at last fell broken to the dust. His lifeblood gushing from his wound, Hector gasped for breath, struggling against approaching Death. With his last efforts, he implores Achilles to give his body to Troy. But no, Achilles, inhuman with anger, savagely taunts the fallen Prince with what is to come. As the darkness begins to fall over Hector's eyes, and he at last begins to know peace, he calls down one last curse upon his conqueror, foretelling Achilles own demise will come, as soon he will join him in the House of Death. As the spirit of Hector is borne to the Underworld, the Greeks explode with shouts of triumph, as Achilles tears the armour from Hector's back. His foe's death alone unable to sate his rage, Achilles pierced Hector's ankles, threading a leather strap through them and binding them to his chariot. With a lash of his whip, Achilles charges around the walls of Troy, the lifeless Prince dragging over the harsh ground, with the eyes of all Troy on this outrage...

As the most famous duel in history, the final confrontation of Hector and Achilles is as legendary today as it ever was in ancient times. The poem which tells its story is one worthy of the epic events themselves. You can find it and read it (and trust me, its worth it) in the Iliad, one of the earliest surviving works of literature in the West. For over 15,000 lines of some of the greatest poetry ever written, for the price of a cinema ticket, you can get it easily of Amazon:

United Kingdom

Penguin Classics:
The Iliad (Penguin Classics)
(A translation which retains much of the poetic meter, and my personal recommendation)

Oxford World's Classics:
The Iliad (Oxford World's Classics)
(A translation which forgoes some of the poetic epithets, more suitable for the casual reader)

United States

Penguin Classics:
The Iliad (Penguin Classics)
(A translation which retains much of the poetic meter, and my personal recommendation)

Oxford World's Classics:
Iliad (Worlds Classics)
(A translation which forgoes some of the poetic epithets, more suitable for the casual reader)

The Son of Tantalus

The struggles between men and gods often bring out the very best, and the very worst in both in the legends of the ancient world. The lowliest peasant could be raised to the divine, and the mightiest king could fall to the most humiliating ruin. For there existed a delicate balance between the mortal world and the immortal plain, a balance which held bound within it dire consequences for those who sought to violate the laws of nature. For every man blessed with Paradise in the golden, sun drenched Elysian fields, many more were cursed to hideous retribution in the fires of Tartarus. One such malign soul was Tantalus.

The Tantalisation of Tantalus
Painting by Giocchano Assereto

The son of Zeus, the thunder god himself, and the sea nymph Plouto, Tantalus was of an exalted line. King of the mighty realm of Phrygia too, he was a powerful man indeed. The bounty of the Earth, the reverence of man and the lineage of gods, however, had made Tantalus a proud man. Soon, he began to to question the omnipotence of the Olympians. However, his cruel leanings as yet unknown, one day Tantalus was invited to the dine at a banquet with the gods themselves, high on Mount Olympus (just as Ixion had been too, for this story, please click here). Far from being honoured at this request from on high, Tantalus decided to use this opportunity to put the gods to the test. Legend spoke of a magical substance that was the food of gods, a divine material borne to Olympus by doves shining white as the burning sun. This substance was ambrosia, which sustained the ageless life of the immortals, and granted invulnerability to whomsoever should seek sustenance from it. At the table of Olympus, the gods honoured Tantalus by allowing him to taste Ambrosia, and nectar, the drink which sustained the immortals. Through sleight of hand, Tantalus slipped a portion below the table, with an eye to sharing this majestic food with mortal men, out of spite for the gods. The King of gods and men was unmoved, though he saw Tantalus' ploy, such envy was to be expected from mortals, who so frequently believed their own plight to be greater than that of all others. The worst, however, was yet to come.

The Fall of Tantalus
Engraving by Hendrick Goltzius

Tantalus invited the gods to try a dish of his own making, as gratitude for the warm hospitality they had granted him. Happily, they agreed. Resolved to testing their so called omiscience, Tantalus decided upon a grisly trial. Cruel and heartless to the bone, Tantalus murdered his own son, Pelops, and boiled his flesh. Slicing the corpse up, Tantalus crafted a fine dish, one which veiled its gruesome secret from mortal eyes. Returning to the banquet hall, Tantalus served up the evil dish to the assembled gods. At once, the enraged gods were made aware of Tantalus' fell designs, as all things are laid bare before their eyes. All that is, except for Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, who absent mindedly began to chew on one of Pelop's shoulders, distracted by grief as she was at the loss of her daughter Persephone (whose story will be told in a future post). The fury of the Thunderer was a terror to behold, for the slaughter of one's own kin was the gravest of crimes, the most vile of corruptions and most heinous of sins a man could commit. Zeus banished Tantalus to Tartarus, the deepest, darkest and most grim depths of the Underworld. In this cruel land, the most evil men and women met their fates, and it was here too that the Titans were bound in their infernal prison (for this story, please click here). Like Sisyphus before him, Tantalus was doomed to an eternity of vain struggling (for the damnation of Sisyphus, please click here). Tantalus was ordered to stand in a pool of water, deep in unholy Tartarus. Zeus imbued within him an agonising thirst, yet whenever Tantalus should try to drink from the pool, the Thunderer commanded the waters to recede before his very eyes, so that his thirst should never be quenched. Furthermore, Zeus imposed another ordeal:


           " Trees spread their foliage high over the pool and dangled fruits above
              his head - pear trees and pomegranates, apple trees with their glossy
              burden, sweet figs and luxuriant olives. But whenever the old man made
              to grasp them in his hands, the wind would toss them up towards the clouds "
                                                           - THE PUNISHMENT OF TANTALUS

The Peloponnese
Photograph taken by Ulrich Tichy

Condemned to an eternal fate of thirst and hunger, the fate of Tantalus was sealed, bound in the abyss. Stunned by Tantalus inhumanity, Zeus ordered Clotho, one of the Three Fates, to restore Pelops to life. Realising that Pelops had a peculiar stance due to his mangled shoulder, Hephaestus, the god of the forge, crafted a new shoulder from the finest ivory, and granted it to the young prince. Aphrodite, goddess of sensuality bestowed the gift of extraordinary beauty upon Pelops, taking pity upon the prince too. Poseidon, the god of the oceans and the Lord of Horses, gave Pelops a winged chariot which could ride the surface of the seas. Setting forth from Olympus lofty heights, Pelops travelled the lands of Greece, the legends of his grace and prowess spreading before him. Even the lands he travelled through took their name from him, and it is indeed after Pelops that the Peloponnese is named.

Word soon spread throughout the lands of Greece however, of the proclamation of King Oinomaos of Elis, that to the best of men he would give the hand of his daughter, Hippodaemia, in marriage. Any man was welcome to try, but should he fail, he would die. For the challenge was a chariot race, whereby the suitor would attempt to reach the Isthmus of Corinth. Oinomaos would set off in immediate pursuit, in full armour, and if he caught up, he would slay the man. Twelve men had so far accepted the King's deadly challenge, and twelve lay slain, their heads now hanging from the Royal Palace. For the King, unbeknownst to the suitors, possessed the horses and arms of Ares, the god of war, and no human mercy. The stakes were high indeed, when Pelops arrived at the court of Oinomaos.

The Land of Elis
Photograph taken by the author

Entering the throne room, Pelops came before the King to accept the lethal challenge. Lurking nearby, however, was Hippodameia herself, and she was immediately struck by the dart of Eros, stunned by the handsome form of Pelops, blessed by the gods as he was. That night, before the race began, Hippodameia made a secret visit to the quarters of Myrtilos, the King's charioteer. Begging him to help her and come to Pelops' aid in the race, she won Myrtilos over, who agreed, harbouring secret desires for the princess himself. Dawn arrived and rose into the sky, as the line was set and the chariots were made ready. Careful to avoid being seen, however, Myrtilos approached the King's chariot and removed the axle pin from the wheels, replacing it with one made of wax. Pelops soared off the line, racing along the coast of the land which bore his name. With a shout, King Oinomaos set off in pursuit, spear raised and primed for blood once more. However, the sun beat down, and the stresses of the race soon took their course, and the wax began to melt. The King's chariot began to fall apart, and Oinomaos, entangled in the reins was thrown to the sand, dragging helplessly through the ground. Battered, broken and dying, Oinomaos realised Myrtilos' treachery, and with his last words cursed the charioteer to die by Pelops' hand.

Triumphant with victory, Pelops returned to claim Hippodameia's hand, stopping on the road to collect some water. On his return to his new princess he saw Myrtilos attempting to steal away with his new bride, maddened as the charioteer was with passion. Enraged, Pelops seized Myrtilos and hurled him from Cape Geraistos, fulfilling the prophecy of King Oinomaos. Myrtilos however, seething with injustice, proclaimed a terrible curse upon the House of Pelops and his progeny, that it should be forever hounded by strife, and afflicted by death, its descendants doomed to die before their time...

The tale of the treachery of Tantalus, and the adventures of Pelops, is a legendary one in the lore of the ancient Greeks. The cursed line of Pelops would continue to shape the course of history for generations, and the curse would inflict its terrible price for years to come. Not even mighty Agamemnon, King of Mycenae, and grandson of Pelops through his father Atreus, would escape it. But the legacy of Pelops that lives on today is the land of Southern Greece, a land of magnificent beauty, among whose illustrious sons can be counted the formidable Spartans, the greatest warriors ever born. What of Tantalus? Well, his legacy is found within our very language. For even today in English, if a person is tantalised, they are victim to temptation...


United Kingdom

The Library of Greek Mythology:
The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
(A vast collection of stories from old Greece, written and compiled in ancient times)

The Odyssey:
The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)
(One of the greatest pieces of world literature, which recounts the punishment of Tantalus)

The Metamorphoses:
Metamorphoses: A New Verse Translation (Penguin Classics)
(A Roman epic poem, which recounts the plight of Pelops, and many other heroes)

United States

The Library of Greek Mythology:
The Library of Greek Mythology (Oxford World's Classics)
(A vast collection of stories from old Greece, written and compiled in ancient times)

The Odyssey:
The Odyssey (Penguin Classics)
(One of the greatest pieces of world literature, which recounts the punishment of Tantalus)

The Metamorphoses:
Metamorphoses (Penguin Classics)
(A Roman epic poem, which recounts the plight of Pelops, and many other heroes)