Scylla is a famous monster from Greek mythology, a terrifying sea creature with six long necks and heads, each filled with rows of sharp teeth, who dwells in a rocky cliff opposite the whirlpool Charybdis. Her legend is most famously told in Homer’s Odyssey, where she devours six of Odysseus’s men as his ship passes through the narrow strait.
Who Was Scylla in Greek Mythology?
Scylla (pronounced SIL-uh) was a sea monster who lived in a cave on a sheer cliff on one side of a narrow strait of water, while the whirlpool Charybdis lurked on the other side. Sailors who tried to avoid one danger inevitably fell prey to the other, giving rise to the phrase “between Scylla and Charybdis,” meaning caught between two equally perilous choices. In Homer’s Odyssey (Book 12), the witch Circe warns Odysseus that no ship can pass Scylla without losing men, and that even the gods cannot save him from her. Odysseus chooses to sail closer to Scylla rather than risk the entire ship in Charybdis, and the monster snatches six of his strongest sailors from the deck, devouring them alive as they cry out to him.
Appearance and Depictions
Homer describes Scylla as having twelve feet, six long necks, and six heads, each with three rows of sharp teeth. Her voice is often said to sound like a young dog’s bark, which is fitting because her name may derive from the Greek word skyllÅ, meaning “to tear” or “to rend.” In later art and literature, she is frequently shown as a creature with a woman’s torso and fish tail, from which dog-like heads protrude at the waist. This later image became standard in Roman and Renaissance art, though it differs from Homer’s more monstrous description. The Roman poet Ovid, in his Metamorphoses, gives a detailed account of her transformation, describing her as a beautiful maiden from the waist up but with ravenous dogs sprouting from her loins.
Mythological Origins and Parentage
Scylla’s parentage varies across ancient sources, reflecting the fluid nature of Greek myth. Homer does not name her parents, but later authors offer several possibilities. The most common tradition, found in Apollodorus’s Library and Hyginus’s Fabulae, says she was the daughter of Phorcys, an ancient sea god, and Hecate, a goddess of witchcraft and the underworld. Other sources name her parents as Phorcys and Crataeis, or as the offspring of Typhon and Echidna, the parents of many Greek monsters. Ovid instead tells a story in which Scylla was originally a beautiful nymph loved by the sea god Glaucus, who sought the help of the witch Circe to win her affection. Circe, jealous of Scylla, poisoned the pool where she bathed, transforming her into the monster. This version is likely a later invention, as it conflicts with the older tradition that she was born monstrous.
The Strait of Messina and Historical Location
Ancient writers and modern scholars generally identify Scylla’s lair with a rocky promontory on the Italian side of the Strait of Messina, the narrow waterway separating Sicily from mainland Italy. The whirlpool Charybdis was placed opposite, near the Sicilian coast. The strait is indeed treacherous, with strong currents and eddies that can be dangerous for small boats, though no actual whirlpool of the kind described in myth exists today. The identification dates back at least to the Greek historian Thucydides, who mentioned the site in his history of the Peloponnesian War. Later Roman writers, including Virgil in the Aeneid, also placed Scylla there, and the name has remained attached to the location ever since. Some scholars suggest the myth may have originated from the real dangers of the strait, where sailors had to navigate between rocks and currents, but there is no evidence for a specific historical event behind the legend.
Scylla in Later Literature and Art
After Homer, Scylla appeared in many works of Greek and Roman literature, often as a symbol of inescapable danger. In Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas’s crew passes by her cave, and the poet describes her as a creature with a human face and a fish’s tail, surrounded by wolves and dogs. The Roman poet Ovid expanded her story in the Metamorphoses, giving her the tragic backstory of a beautiful girl transformed by Circe’s jealousy. In later European art, Scylla was a popular subject for painters and sculptors, especially during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, when artists depicted her as a half-woman, half-serpent with dog heads. She also appears in Dante’s Inferno, where she is mentioned among the monsters in the eighth circle of Hell. In modern times, she has been referenced in literature, film, and video games, often as a generic sea monster, though her specific myth is less well known than that of Medusa or the Minotaur.
Common Misconceptions and Confusions
One common confusion is between Scylla and Charybdis, since they are always mentioned together. Charybdis is not a monster in the same sense; she is a whirlpool that swallows the sea three times a day, often personified as a daughter of Poseidon and Gaia who was punished for stealing cattle from Heracles. Another misconception is that Scylla was a single-headed creature; in fact, all ancient sources agree she had multiple heads, usually six. Some modern retellings depict her as a mermaid-like figure with one tail, but this is a later artistic invention, not a classical description. Finally, some people assume that Scylla was a mortal woman who was cursed, but in the oldest sources she is a born monster, not a transformed human. Ovid’s version, which is the most popular today, is not the standard myth and should be understood as a literary variation rather than the original legend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “between Scylla and Charybdis” mean?
The phrase means being forced to choose between two equally dangerous or unpleasant options. It comes directly from the myth, where sailors had to pass between the monster Scylla and the whirlpool Charybdis, and avoiding one meant risking the other. It is still used in English today, often in political or business contexts, to describe a dilemma with no safe choice.
How did Scylla die?
In Greek mythology, Scylla does not have a well-known death story. She appears as an immortal or semi-immortal monster in most accounts, and no major myth describes her being killed. Some later sources say that Heracles killed her during his travels, but this is a minor detail not found in the most authoritative texts. In most versions, she simply remains a permanent danger in the strait.
Is Scylla a goddess or a monster?
Scylla is a monster, not a goddess, though she is sometimes described as the daughter of gods or sea deities. She has no cult or worship associated with her, and she is not listed among the Olympian or minor deities. Her role in myth is purely as a threat to sailors, not as a divine figure.
Did Scylla ever appear in any video games or movies?
Yes, Scylla has appeared in various modern media, including video games like God of War and Age of Mythology, as well as in films and TV shows that draw on Greek mythology. However, these appearances often take creative liberties with her appearance and story, sometimes combining her with other monsters or changing her abilities. For the most accurate depiction, it is best to read Homer’s Odyssey or Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
Why did Scylla eat Odysseus’s men?
Scylla ate Odysseus’s men because she was a man-eating monster, and they passed through her territory. In the Odyssey, Circe explicitly warns Odysseus that Scylla is unstoppable and that he cannot fight her, so he must simply accept the loss of six men to save the rest of the ship. The episode highlights the theme of unavoidable sacrifice in Odysseus’s journey.
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