The Tale of Odysseus and the Cyclops is a well-known Greek myth told by Homer in his Odyssey. The Odysseus and the Cyclops myth is about the one-eyed, enormous Cyclops who menaced and nearly killed the hero Odysseus. The Cyclops is one of Greek mythology's most famous figures. His name comes from the Greek word for "cycling," because he was believed to live on one eye of the land or sea. In ancient Greece, it was common practice for pirates to use one eye as a trophy - hence the name "Cyclops." Like many other heroes in myths, Odysseus' own adventures had begun when he was a young man. He had fought in several battles including the one against the Cyclops. After these victories, he had gone home to Ithaca where he had spent seven years recovering from his injuries. During this time, his wife Penelope had been married to four different men because Odysseus was away fighting in many wars. When he finally returned home, she didn't recognize him at first because of all the scars he had received during his adventures. She later learned that he was still alive when someone else came forward claiming to be Odysseus. In some versions of the story, the Cyclops only has one eye because he lost the other in battle. In others, he has no mouth so he can't eat. Still others say that he has one tooth instead of a mouth.