Thermal degradation of ${eta}-carotene$, major carotenoid present in cured tobacco leaves, were carried out at $400,;600,;and;800^{circ}C$ which are similar to temperatures existing in the combustion zones of cigarettes, and subsequent volatile degradation products were analyzed by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The volatile compounds identified from degradation products included 36 aromatic hydrocarbons, 10 ${eta}-ionone-related$ compounds which have trimethylcyclohexane ring, and 7 others. Of these, 37 compounds including ${eta}-cyclogeraniol$ had not been previously reported in the literature as thermal degradation products of ${eta}-carotene$. The major compounds of degradation products at $400;and;600^{circ}C$ were ${eta}-xylene,;{alpha}-terpinene,;{beta}-cyclocitral,;ionene;(1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-1,1,6-trimethyl;naphthalene),;{eta}-ionone$, and dihydroactinidiolide. The major compounds at $800^{circ}C$ were the above six compounds plus toluene.