Who Is Antiphates?
King of the man-eating Laestrygonian giants
Antiphates is the king of the Laestrygonians, a race of giants. He lives in the town of Telepylus and is portrayed as a terrifying giant who eats humans.
In this story, after being turned away from Aeolus's island, Odysseus's fleet sails into the Laestrygonians' harbor. Three scouts meet the king's daughter at a spring and are led to his hall, where they are terrified by the queen, as huge as a mountain peak. The king is called home and seizes one of the three for his meal. At his shout, giants from all over town gather on the cliffs and hurl boulders, smashing the eleven ships inside the harbor. Only Odysseus's ship, moored outside the harbor, escapes.
This disaster nearly wipes out the fleet, and from here on the voyage continues with just one ship.
