Scylla and Charybdis / Myth. Short summary

5 seconds

The sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis lived on opposite cliffs. It was impossible to pass unobstructed between them, dodging one monster, the ship fell into the possession of the other.

1 minute

In the waters of the vast ocean two cliffs loomed opposite each other. Both were the shelter of Scylla and Charybdis, the sea monsters. The distance between the cliffs was so small that it was no more than the flight of an arrow. Scylla had once been a beautiful nymph, which a sorceress had turned into a terrible monster out of envy.

The monster had six canine heads and twelve paws. It attacked unfortunate sailors who were passing near the rock. Charybdis, on the other hand, was a sea deity that sucked water into itself three times a day, forming a huge whirlpool. Many ships were destroyed by the unrestrained power of this goddess.

The sailors, aware of the two monsters in the rocks, preferred to take a detour around the strait. Only Jason and his Argonauts, guarded by Thetis, were able to pass unhindered between the mountains. However, Odysseus’s ships had to meet with Charybdis and Scylla. Miraculously surviving under the onslaught of the monsters the Greek warrior lost his ships and his crew.