Steropes
Steropes (Greek: Στερόπης) was one of the three Hesiodic Cyclopes in Greek mythology.[1]
Life
[edit]Steropes is a child of Gaia and Uranus, and his siblings include his fellow cyclopes, Arges and Brontes, along with the Titans and the Hecatoncheires.[2] After his birth, Uranus is said to have locked Steropes and his cyclopes brothers in Tartarus out of fear, along with the Hecatoncheires.[3] During the war between the Titans and the Gods, Arges, Brontes, and Steropes were freed to fashion lightning bolts for Zeus during his attempt to overthrow the gods.[4] According to Apollodorus, Steropes and his fellow cyclopes also fashioned the Helmet of Invisibility for Hades, and the trident for Poseidon.[5]
Possible death
[edit]In Hesiod's Catalogue of Women, the three Cyclopes, including Steropes, are said to have been killed by Apollo in retaliation for his son Asclepius being killed by a lightning bolt.[5][6] However, this contradicts Hesiod's Theogony, which implies the cyclopes are immortal. The mythographer Pherecydes of Athens fixes this discrepancy by stating that the cyclopes' sons were killed by Apollo, rather than the cyclopes themselves.[7] Another source suggests that Zeus killed the cyclopes to prevent them from making lightning bolts for anyone other than himself.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Ovid. Fasti.
- ^ Seaford, Richard (2015-12-22), "Cyclopes", Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Classics, doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199381135.001.0001/acrefore-9780199381135-e-1972, ISBN 978-0-19-938113-5, retrieved 2024-12-23
- ^ Hesiod. Theogony. pp. 154–158.
- ^ Henderson, Jeffrey. "THEOGONY". Loeb Classical Library. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ a b Hard, Robin (2004). The Routledge Handbook of Greek Mythology: Based on H.J. Rose's "Handbook of Greek Mythology". Psychology Press. ISBN 978-0-415-18636-0.
- ^ Henderson, Jeffrey. "Alcestis". Loeb Classical Library. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
- ^ Fowler, Robert Louis; Flaccus, Quintus Horatius (2000). Early Greek Mythography: Texts (in Greek). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-814740-4.
- ^ Fowler, Robert L. (2000). Early Greek Mythography: Volume 2: Commentary. OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-814741-1.