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Oct 11, 2024 · Discover 15 fascinating facts about Scylla, the legendary sea monster from Greek mythology. Learn about her origins, appearance, and encounters with famous heroes.
In Greek mythology, Scylla [a] (/ ˈ s ɪ l ə / SIL-ə; Greek: Σκύλλα, translit. Skýlla , pronounced [skýlːa] ) is a legendary, man-eating monster who lives on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite her counterpart, the sea-swallowing monster Charybdis .
From the deadly Scylla and Charybdis, to the beautiful but dangerous Sirens, to the many-headed Hydra and the giant sea monster Cetus, these mythical creatures struck fear into the hearts of sailors and adventurers who braved the treacherous waters of the ancient world.
Greek myths were a huge part of the religion in Ancient Greece, and offer a glimpse into the lives of the ancient people who told them. Check out five of these fascinating Greek myths below, and meet the people-eating, fire-breathing beasts and the heroes who battled them!
- Family of Scylla
- Encyclopedia
- Classical Literature Quotes
- Sources
PARENTS
[1.1] KRATAIIS (Homer Odyssey 12.125, Hyginus Fabulae 199, Pliny Natural History 3.73) [1.2] PHORKYS & KRATAIIS (Apollodorus E7.20) [1.3] PHORKYS & TRIENOS (Apollodorus E7.20) [1.4] PHORKYS & KRATAIIS-HEKATE (Apollonius Rh. 4.828) [1.5] PHORKYS & LAMIA (Stesichorus Frag 220, Scholiast on Apoll. Rhod.) [1.6] POSEIDON & KRATAIIS(Eustathius on Hom. Od. 1714) [1.7] TRITON (Eustathius on Hom. Od. 1714) [2.1] TYPHOEUS & EKHIDNA (Hyginus Pref.& Fabulae 151)
SCYLLA (Skulla) and Charybdis, the names of two rocks between Italy and Sicily, and only a short distance from one another. In the midst of the one of these rocks which was nearest to Italy, there dwelt, according to Homer, Scylla, a daughter of Crataeis, a fearful monster, barking like a dog, with twelve feet, six long necks and mouths, each of wh...
PARENTAGE OF SCYLLA
Homer, Odyssey 12. 126 (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "Invoke Krataiis (Crataeis); she is Skylla's (Scylla's) mother; it is she who bore her to plague mankind." Stesichorus, Fragment 220 (from Scholiast on Apollonius Rhodius) (trans. Campbell, Vol. Greek Lyric III) (Greek lyric C7th to 6th B.C.) : "Stesikhoros (Stesichorus) in his Skyllasays that Skylla (Scylla) is the daughter of Lamia (the Shark).” Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca E7. 20 (trans. Aldrich) (Greek mythographer C2nd...
SCYLLA & THE VOYAGE OF ODYSSEUS
Homer, Odyssey 12. 54 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) : "[Kirke (Circe) warns Odysseus of the dangers he will face on his journey :] ‘When your crew have rowed past the Seirenes (Sirens), I will not expressly say to you which of two ways you ought to take; you must follow your own counsel there; I will only give you knowledge of both. On the one side are overshadowing rocks against which dash the mighty billows of the goddess of blue-glancing seas. The blessed gods call these rock...
SCYLLA & THE VOYAGE OF THE ARGONAUTS
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4. 786 ff (trans. Rieu) (Greek epic C3rd B.C.) : "[The goddess Hera addresses Thetis :] ‘I brought them [the Argonauts] safely through the Wandering Rocks, where fiery blasts rage and roar and the rollers break in foam on jagged reefs. But it still remains for them to pass the great cliff of Skylla (Scylla) and the gurgling whirlpool of Kharybdis (Charybdis).’" Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4. 825 : "[Hera commands the sea-goddess Thetis to guide the Argonaut...
GREEK
1. Homer, The Odyssey - Greek Epic C8th B.C. 2. Greek Lyric III Stesichorus, Fragments - Greek Lyric C7th - 6th B.C. 3. Aeschylus, Agamemnon - Greek Tragedy C5th B.C. 4. Plato, Republic - Greek Philosophy C4th B.C. 5. Apollodorus, The Library - Greek Mythography C2nd A.D. 6. Apollonius Rhodius, The Argonautica - Greek Epic C3rd B.C. 7. Lycophron, Alexandra - Greek Poetry C3rd B.C. 8. Athenaeus, Deipnosophistae - Greek Rhetoric C3rd A.D. 9. Nonnus, Dionysiaca - Greek Epic C5th A.D.
ROMAN
1. Hyginus, Fabulae - Latin Mythography C2nd A.D. 2. Ovid, Metamorphoses - Latin Epic C1st B.C. - C1st A.D. 3. Ovid, Fasti - Latin Poetry C1st B.C. - C1st A.D. 4. Ovid, Heroides - Latin Poetry C1st B.C. - C1st A.D. 5. Virgil, Aeneid - Latin Epic C1st B.C. 6. Pliny the Elder, Natural History - Latin Encyclopedia C1st A.D. 7. Seneca, Hercules Furens - Latin Tragedy C1st A.D. 8. Seneca, Medea - Latin Tragedy C1st A.D.
BYZANTINE
1. Suidas, The Suda - Byzantine Greek Lexicon C10th A.D.
Sep 20, 2024 · In the vast expanse of Greek mythology, Poseidon stands as a formidable figure, reigning as the God of the Sea. His dominion over oceans, rivers, and all aquatic life embodies both the beauty and terror of the sea. This duality is reflected in the myriad sea monsters that populate the myths surrounding him, creatures that invoke fear and awe in ...
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Scylla and Charybdis, in Greek mythology, two immortal and irresistible monsters who beset the narrow waters traversed by the hero Odysseus in his wanderings described in Homer ’s Odyssey, Book XII. They were later localized in the Strait of Messina.
