Nisyros in the context of "Gigantes"

The Dodecanese (UK: /ˌdoʊdɪkəˈniːz/, US: /doʊˌdɛkəˈniːz/; Greek: Δωδεκάνησα, Dodekánisa [ðoðeˈkanisa], lit. 'twelve islands') are a group of 15 larger and 150 smaller Greek islands in the southeastern Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Anatolia, of which 26 are inhabited. This island group generally defines the eastern limit of the Sea of Crete. They belong to the wider Southern Sporades island group.

Rhodes has been the area's dominant island since antiquity. Of the others, Kos and Patmos are historically the most important; the remaining 12 are Agathonisi, Astypalaia, Halki, Kalymnos, Karpathos, Kasos, Leipsoi, Leros, Nisyros, Symi, Tilos, and Megisti. Other islands in the chain include Alimia, Arkoi, Farmakonisi, Gyali, Kinaros, Levitha, Marathos, Nimos, Pserimos, Saria, Strongyli and Syrna.

Gyali (Greek: Γυαλί "glass", also spelled Giali or Yali, pronounced [ʝaˈli]) is a Greek volcanic island in the Dodecanese, located halfway between the south coast of Kos (Kardamaina) and Nisyros. It consists of rhyolitic obsidian lava domes and pumice deposits (which are mined in huge quantities). No historical eruptions are known, but the most recent pumice eruptions overlie soils containing pottery and obsidian artifacts from the Neolithic period (10,000–4,500 BC). The island has two distinct segments, with the northeastern part almost entirely made of obsidian and the southwestern part of pumice. These are connected by a narrow isthmus and beach made of modern reef sediments. Anciently, the island was known as Istros (Ancient Greek: Ἴστρος).

Kos (Greek: Περιφερειακή ενότητα Κω) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the region of South Aegean. The regional unit covers the islands of Kos, Nisyros and several smaller islands in the Aegean Sea.

In Greek and Roman mythology, the Giants, also called Gigantes (Greek: Γίγαντες, Gígantes, singular: Γίγας, Gígas), were a race of great strength and aggression, though not necessarily of great size, known for the Gigantomachy (also spelled Gigantomachia), their battle with the Olympian gods. According to Hesiod, the Giants were the offspring of Gaia (Earth), born from the blood that fell when Uranus (Sky) was castrated by his Titan son Cronus.

Archaic and Classical representations show Gigantes as man-sized hoplites (heavily armed ancient Greek foot soldiers) fully human in form. Later representations (after c. 380 BC) show Gigantes with snakes for legs. In later traditions, the Giants were often confused with other opponents of the Olympians, particularly the Titans, an earlier generation of large and powerful children of Gaia and Uranus.

In Greek mythology, Polybotes (/ˌpɒlɪˈboʊtiːz/) (Ancient Greek: Πολυβώτης) was one of the giants, the offspring of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky). He fought Poseidon during the Gigantomachy, the war between the giants and the gods.

In Greek mythology, Antiphus or Ántiphos (/ˈæntəfəs/; Ancient Greek: Ἄντιφος) is a name attributed to multiple individuals:

• Antiphus, a Phthian prince as the son of King Myrmidon and Peisidice, and brother of Actor. He may be the same with Antippus, the father of Hippea who became the mother of Polyphemus, Caeneus and Ischys by Elatus, king of the Lapiths.
• Antiphus, the Thespian son of Heracles and Laothoe, daughter of King Thespius of Thespiae. Antiphus and his 49 half-brothers were born of Thespius' daughters who were impregnated by Heracles in one night, for a week or in the course of 50 days while hunting for the Cithaeronian lion. Later on, the hero sent a message to Thespius to keep seven of these sons and send three of them in Thebes while the remaining forty, joined by Iolaus, were dispatched to the island of Sardinia to found a colony.
• Antiphus, a defender of Thebes in the war of the Seven against Thebes who was killed by Amphiaraus and Apollo.
• Antiphus, son of Thessalus, the son of Heracles, and Chalciope. With his brother Pheidippus, Antiphus lead the forces of Calydnae, Cos, Carpathus, Casus and Nisyrus on the side of the Greeks against Troy. He was also believed to have invaded a region of Greece that he named Thessaly after his father.
• Antiphus, a Trojan prince as one of the 50 sons of King Priam and son of Hecuba. During the Trojan War, he killed Leucus, and later was killed by Agamemnon. In another account, Antiphus and his brothers, Agavus, Agathon, and Glaucus, were all slain by Ajax, son of Telamon.
• Antiphus of Maeonia, son of Talaemenes and brother of Mesthles; both he and his brother were allies of Priam in the Trojan War.
• Antiphus, son of Aegyptius and brother of Eurynomus. He was a Greek commander who sailed from Troy with Odysseus. Having previously escaped death at the hand of Eurypylus (son of Telephus), Antiphos was devoured by Polyphemus.
• Antiphus, an old friend of the house of Odysseus.

The name Antiphus is not to be confused with Antiphōs (Ἀντίφως), which refers to a soldier in the army of the Seven against Thebes who killed Chromis but was himself killed by Hypseus.