Scylla’s family tree is tangled because ancient sources disagree on nearly every branch. The most famous version, from Homer’s Odyssey, makes her a monster with no named parents, but later poets gave her a genealogy. In the most widely repeated account, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Scylla is the daughter of the sea god Phorcys and the sea goddess Hecate (or Crataeis, depending on the source). Other traditions name her parents as Typhon and Echidna, or Phorcys and Scylla’s own mother, the sea nymph Crataeis. This article untangles the conflicting family lines and explains what is known about her offspring.
Who Is Scylla in Greek Mythology?
Scylla is a sea monster from Greek mythology who lived in a cave on a narrow strait, often identified with the Strait of Messina between Italy and Sicily. In Homer’s Odyssey (Book 12), she is described as a creature with six long necks, each bearing a head with three rows of sharp teeth, and twelve feet. She barked like a dog, and her lower body was hidden in the cave. Sailors who passed too close were snatched up by her heads and eaten. She is often paired with Charybdis, a whirlpool monster on the opposite side of the strait, and the phrase “between Scylla and Charybdis” means being caught between two dangers.
Parents: The Conflicting Accounts
The identity of Scylla’s parents varies by author and era. There is no single canonical family tree. The most commonly cited versions are:
- Homer (Odyssey 12): No parents are named. Scylla is simply a monster, described as a terrible creature that even the gods fear.
- Hesiod (in a lost work, quoted by later scholia): Scylla is the daughter of Phorcys and Hecate. This makes her a granddaughter of Pontus (Sea) and Gaia (Earth) through Phorcys, and a granddaughter of Perses and Asteria through Hecate.
- Ovid (Metamorphoses 13-14): Scylla is the daughter of Phorcys and Crataeis (a sea nymph). In Ovid’s telling, she was once a beautiful nymph who was transformed into a monster by the witch Circe out of jealousy over the sea god Glaucus.
- Apollodorus (Bibliotheca): Names her parents as Phorcys and Hecate, aligning with Hesiod.
- Other traditions: Some late sources name Typhon and Echidna as her parents, which would make her a sibling of Cerberus, the Hydra, and the Chimera. This version appears in a few scholia and is less common.
Because the sources conflict, it is impossible to give a single definitive family tree. The most consistent element is that her father is usually Phorcys, an ancient sea god, but her mother is either Hecate (a Titaness associated with magic) or Crataeis (a sea nymph).
Siblings: Who Are Her Brothers and Sisters?
If Scylla is the daughter of Phorcys and Hecate, then her siblings would include other monstrous offspring of that pair. However, the ancient sources do not consistently list Scylla among the children of Phorcys and Hecate. The more common children of Phorcys and his sister Ceto (not Hecate) are the Gorgons, the Graeae, and the dragon Ladon. Scylla is not usually included in that group. If her mother is Hecate, then she might be the sister of the monster Aegipan (in some versions) or of the goddess Circe (in others), but again, this is not standard. The truth is that Scylla has no well-attested siblings in any single source. The only sibling relationship that appears in some late texts is with the monster Charybdis, but they are usually described as two separate threats, not siblings.
Offspring: The Strange Case of the Fish
Scylla is rarely said to have children, but there is one notable exception. In a fragment attributed to the Hellenistic poet Euphorion (preserved in later scholia), Scylla is said to have given birth to a fish called the drakon or drakontion (a kind of sea creature). This is a very obscure reference and not part of the mainstream myth. In most stories, Scylla is a sterile monster, and no offspring are mentioned. The only other connection to offspring is through her name: the word “Scylla” was sometimes used for a type of crustacean or fish, but that is not a mythological child.
How the Family Tree Changed Over Time
The evolution of Scylla’s family tree reflects how Greek myths were adapted by different poets. Homer, writing in the 8th century BCE, treats Scylla as a nameless terror with no genealogy. Later poets, especially in the Hellenistic and Roman periods, felt the need to explain her origins, so they invented parents for her. Hesiod (or his school) connected her to Phorcys and Hecate, which gave her a divine but monstrous lineage. Ovid, in the 1st century CE, turned her into a tragic figure, a beautiful maiden transformed by Circe, and made her the daughter of Phorcys and Crataeis. This version is the most familiar to modern readers because of Ovid’s influence on later art and literature. The Typhon and Echidna version appears only in a few late scholia and is likely an attempt to make Scylla part of the family of famous monsters.
Common Misconceptions About Scylla’s Family
One common misconception is that Scylla is the daughter of the sea god Poseidon. This is not supported by any ancient source. Another is that she is the sister of the Gorgon Medusa. That is also incorrect; Medusa’s sisters are Stheno and Euryale, and her parents are Phorcys and Ceto, not Phorcys and Hecate. Some modern retellings, especially in young-adult fiction, have made Scylla a daughter of the Titan Oceanus, but that is a modern invention. The most persistent error is treating the Homeric version as the only one, when in fact Homer never gives her a family. Readers should be aware that the family tree is not fixed and varies by source.
Why the Family Tree Matters
Understanding Scylla’s family tree helps clarify her role in Greek mythology. If she is the daughter of Phorcys and Hecate, she is a descendant of the primordial sea and a figure of magic and transformation. If she is the daughter of Phorcys and Crataeis, she is a more localized sea monster, tied to a specific nymph. The Typhon and Echidna version makes her part of the “monster family” that includes Cerberus and the Hydra, emphasizing her role as a terror for heroes. Each genealogy serves a different narrative purpose: Homer uses her as an impersonal force of nature, Ovid uses her as a tragic victim, and the later mythographers use her as a genealogical curiosity. For a reader, the family tree is less about a single answer and more about how myths evolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Scylla’s parents in the most common version?
In the most common version, from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Scylla is the daughter of Phorcys and Crataeis. In Hesiod’s version, her mother is Hecate instead. Both agree on the father, Phorcys, an ancient sea god.
Is Scylla related to Charybdis?
No, Scylla and Charybdis are not related in any ancient source. They are simply two monsters that live on opposite sides of a strait. The phrase “between Scylla and Charybdis” comes from their location, not a family connection.
Did Scylla have any children?
In a very obscure fragment from Euphorion, Scylla is said to have given birth to a fish-like creature, but this is not a standard myth. In most stories, she has no offspring.
Why does Scylla have different parents in different stories?
Greek myths were not fixed; each poet could invent or adapt details. Homer did not name her parents, so later writers filled the gap with their own genealogies. The differences reflect the creativity of individual authors, not a single canonical tradition.
Is Scylla a goddess or a monster?
Scylla is always described as a monster in the myths, even when she has divine parents. She is not worshipped as a goddess. Her divine lineage makes her more formidable, but she is still a creature to be feared.
Related
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- Aba in Greek Mythology: Origins & Meaning
- Pothos in Greek Mythology: Desire Personified
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