Antiphates

Antiphates (Greek Ἀντιφάτης ) was in Greek mythology the king of the giant, man-eating Laestrygonians whose land was located in the ancient world often in Sicily. According Dictys cretensis Antiphates was a son of the Laistrygon.

Seven days after Odysseus, who was on his long return journey from Troy to his native Ithaca, had left the god of the winds, Aeolus, he landed in the city of Laestrygonians, Telepylos. Three men, he sent as a scout. This met near the town on the daughter of Antiphates, as this just scooped water Artakie at the source. The girl led Odysseus ' men to the palace of his father. There she first met only the wife of the king, who brought her husband out of a meeting. Antiphates immediately devoured one of the scouts, the others fled to the ships. The alarmed by the roar of their king Laestrygonians threw huge stones from the top down on those eleven ships of Odysseus ' fleet, which had sailed into the port of Telepylos. After the Giants ate up the crews of the ships destroyed. Only with his own ship, Odysseus managed to escape because he had moored outside the narrow harbor entrance to a rock.

The Roman Satirikendichter Juvenal indicates that the name Antiphates was used proverbially for a tyrant.