Editing Cyclopes (section)

===Cyclopean wall-builders===
[[File:MicenePortaLeoniMura.jpg|thumb|[[Cyclopean masonry|'Cyclopean' walls]] at Mycenae.]]
Cyclopes were also said to have been the builders of the so-called [[Cyclopean masonry|'Cyclopean' walls]] of [[Mycenae]], [[Tiryns]], and [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]].<ref>Fowler 2013, [https://books.google.com/books?id=scd8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA53 p. 53]; [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA66 p. 66]; Caldwell, [https://books.google.com/books?id=GyIKBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA36 p. 36 on lines 139&ndash;146]; Bremmer, p. 140; Mondi, p. 18; for Mycenae, see [[Pherecydes of Athens|Pherecydes]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=j0nRE4C2WBgC&pg=PA281 fr. 12 Fowler] [= ''[[FGrHist]]'' 3 fr. 12]; [[Euripides]], ''[[Electra (Euripides play)|Electra]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/euripides-electra/1998/pb_LCL009.279.xml 1159], ''[[Herakles (Euripides)|Heracles]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/euripides-heracles/1998/pb_LCL009.401.xml 943&ndash;946], ''[[Iphigenia in Aulis]]'', [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/euripides-iphigenia-aulis/2003/pb_LCL495.181.xml 152], [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/euripides-iphigenia-aulis/2003/pb_LCL495.331.xml 1500&ndash;1501], ''[[Iphigenia in Tauris]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/euripides-iphigenia_taurians/1999/pb_LCL010.241.xml 845&ndash;846]; [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.16.5 2.16.5], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-eng1:7.25.5 7.25.5&ndash;6]; for Tiryns, see [[Bacchylides]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0199.tlg001.perseus-eng1:11 11.77]; [[Strabo]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0099.tlg001.perseus-eng1:8.6.11 8.6.11]; [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]] [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.2.1 2.2.1]; [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.16.5 2.16.5], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.25.8 2.25.8], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-eng1:7.25.5 7.25.5&ndash;6]; for Argos, see [[Euripides]], ''[[Herakles (Euripides)|Heracles]]'', [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/euripides-heracles/1998/pb_LCL009.311.xml 15], ''[[The Trojan Women|Trojan Women]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/euripides-trojan_women/1999/pb_LCL010.119.xml 1087&ndash;1088]; for other ancient sources see Fowler 2013, [https://books.google.com/books?id=scd8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA53 p. 53 n. 206].</ref> Although they can be seen as being distinct, the Cyclopean wall-builders share several features with the Hesiodic Cyclopes: both groups are craftsmen of supernatural skill, possessing enormous strength, who lived in primordial times.<ref>Fowler 2013, [https://books.google.com/books?id=scd8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA53 p. 53].</ref> These builder Cyclopes were apparently used to explain the construction of the stupendous walls at Mycenae and Tiryns, composed of massive stones that seemed too large and heavy to have been moved by ordinary men.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA66 p. 66]; Tripp, s.v. Cyclopes, p. 181; Grimal, s.v. Cyclopes p. 119.</ref>

These master builders were famous in antiquity from at least the fifth century BC onwards.<ref>Bremmer, p. 140.</ref> The poet [[Pindar]] has [[Heracles]] driving the cattle of [[Geryon]] through the "Cyclopean portal" of the Tirynian king Eurystheus.<ref>[[Pindar]], [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/pindar-fragments/1997/pb_LCL485.401.xml fr. 169a7]; Fowler 2013, [https://books.google.com/books?id=scd8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA53 p. 53 n. 206]; Bremmer, p. 140 n. 21. [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.5.8 2.5.8] would seem to locate [[Eurystheus]]' "portal" in Mycenae, see Race, [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/pindar-fragments/1997/pb_LCL485.403.xml p. 403 n. 13]. See also [[Strabo]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0099.tlg001.perseus-eng1:8.6.2 8.6.2], which says that "Next after Nauplia one comes to the caverns and the labyrinths built in them, which are called Cyclopeian".</ref> The mythographer [[Pherecydes of Athens|Pherecydes]] says that [[Perseus]] brought the Cyclopes with him from [[Seriphos]] to [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]], presumably to build the walls of Mycenae.<ref>Fowler 2013, [https://books.google.com/books?id=scd8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA36 p. 36]; Gantz, p. 310; Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA243 p. 243]; [[Pherecydes of Athens|Pherecydes]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=j0nRE4C2WBgC&pg=PA281 fr. 12 Fowler] [= ''[[FGrHist]]'' 3 fr. 12].</ref> [[Proetus (son of Abas)|Proetus]], the mythical king of ancient [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]], was said to have brought a group of seven Cyclopes from [[Lycia]] to build the walls of Tiryns.<ref>Hard, [https://books.google.com/books?id=r1Y3xZWVlnIC&pg=PA237 p. 237]; [[Strabo]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0099.tlg001.perseus-eng1:8.6.11 8.6.11]. Compare with [[Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)|Apollodorus]] [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0548.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.2.1 2.2.1] which also connects these Cyclopes with Lycia, see Fowler 2013, [https://books.google.com/books?id=scd8AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA36 p. 36 n. 121].</ref>

The late fifth and early fourth-century BC comic poet [[Nicophon]] wrote a play called either ''Cheirogastores'' or ''Encheirogastores'' (''Hands-to-Mouth''), which is thought to have been about these Cyclopean wall-builders.<ref>Storey, pp. [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/nicophon-testimonia_fragments/2011/pb_LCL514.397.xml 397], [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/nicophon-testimonia_fragments/2011/pb_LCL514.401.xml 401].</ref> Ancient lexicographers explained the title as meaning "those who feed themselves by manual labour", and, according to [[Eustathius of Thessalonica]], the word was used to describe the Cyclopean wall-builders, while "hands-to-mouth" was one of the three kinds of Cyclopes distinguished by scholia to [[Aelius Aristides]].<ref>Storey, [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/nicophon-testimonia_fragments/2011/pb_LCL514.401.xml p. 401]; Scholia to [[Aelius Aristides]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=6N1EAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA408 52.10 Dindorf p. 408].</ref> Similarly,  possibly deriving from Nicophon's comedy, the first-century Greek geographer [[Strabo]] says these Cyclopes were called "Bellyhands" (''gasterocheiras'') because they earned their food by working with their hands.<ref>[[Strabo]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0099.tlg001.perseus-eng1:8.6.11 8.6.11]; Roller, [https://books.google.com/books?id=cFZoDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA472 p. 472 note on Strabo 8.6.11. '''Tiryns''']. According to Bremmer, p. 140, "Cyclopes were disparagingly named 'Bellyhands{{'"}}, because "the Greek upper-classes looked down upon those who had to work for a living".</ref>

The first-century natural philosopher [[Pliny the Elder]], in his ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'', reported a tradition, attributed to [[Aristotle]], that the Cyclopes were the inventors of masonry towers.<ref>[[Pliny the Elder]], ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/abstract/pliny_elder-natural_history/1938/pb_LCL352.639.xml 7.195].</ref> In the same work Pliny also mentions the Cyclopes, as being among those credited with being the first to work with iron,<ref>[[Pliny the Elder]], ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/abstract/pliny_elder-natural_history/1938/pb_LCL352.639.xml 7.198].</ref> as well as bronze.<ref>[[Pliny the Elder]], ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' [https://www.loebclassics.com/abstract/pliny_elder-natural_history/1938/pb_LCL352.639.xml 7.197].</ref> In addition to walls, other monuments were attributed to the Cyclopes. For example, [[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]] says that at [[Argos, Peloponnese|Argos]] there was "a head of Medusa made of stone, which is said to be another of the works of the Cyclopes".<ref>[[Pausanias (geographer)|Pausanias]], [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0525.tlg001.perseus-eng1:2.20.7 2.20.7].</ref>