description
A cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead.The name is widely thought to mean "round-eyed" or "circle-eyed". They are the son of Uranus and Gaea, as well as the sons of Poseidon on Thoosa. They are as tall as giants, and they would tower over you. There are many different types of cyclops.
The Cyclopes, Sons of Uranus and Gaia
The earliest cyclopes were Titans, the sons of Uranus and Gaia written about by Hesiod. Brontes, Steropes and Arges (or Pyracmon, according to the Roman Virgil) were associated, respectively, with thunder, lightning and brightness. These three giants are credited with lending these qualities to Zeus' thunderbolt when they forged it at their master Hephaestus's forge. They are also credited with Artemis' bow and arrows, Poseidon's trident and other weapons of the Greek gods. Though they are ill-tempered, Zeus values them for the loyalty they showed him when he overthrew his father and their brother Cronus as well as for their skill at the forge. In Greek myth, they are usually said to live on Lemnos with Hephaestus; in later Greek and in Roman traditions, they are said to live on Sicily with Hephaestus or Vulcan.
The Servants of Hephaestus
The original cyclopes (or in some mythologies, Poseidon) gave birth to a race of sons -- no daughters, for some reason -- who were also cyclopes, but of lesser stature and power. These cyclopes lived with and served Hephaestus at his forge but were of far lesser skill than their fathers. Later legends had them losing all forging and other technological skills and instead living a life as primitive shepherds.
Hekatonkhires, the Thracian Cyclops
The Thracian cyclopes are much older than the Greek or Roman cyclopes and much stranger in appearance. In addition to the single eye, they were said to have hands growing out of their chests and were often referred to as the "hundred-handed." In some legends, they were born to Gaia and Uranus and thus were Titans. Here there are three only, Briareus, Cottus and Gyges, and they each have fifty heads as well as a hundred hands. In other Thracian legends, they are simply cyclopes with a hundred hands each and are credited with building the cyclopean walls found in Mycenaean ruins throughout Greece. These walls are amazing engineering feats, made of rough gigantic stone blocks lifted into place and then shaped slightly to fit in with adjacent stones using no masonry. Many of them still stand today.
sources:
http://www.ehow.com/info_8221436_types-cyclops.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclops
http://www.ehow.com/info_8221436_types-cyclops.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclops