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1. Scylla 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 which contained three rows of
sharp teeth. The opposite rock, which was much lower, contained an immense fig-tree, under
which there dwelt Charybdis, who thrice every day swallowed down the waters of the sea, and
thrice threw them up again : both were formidable to the ships which had to pass between them
(Fab. praef.). Some, again, describe her as a monster with six
heads of different animals, or with only three heads (Tzetz. ad Lycoph. 650
; Eustath. l.c.). One tradition relates that Scylla originally was
a beautiful maiden, who often played with the nymphs of the sea, and was beloved by the marine
god Glaucus. He applied to Circe for means to make Scylla return his love; but Circe, jealous
of the fair maiden, threw magic herbs into the well in which Scylla was wont to bathe, and by
these herbs the maiden was metamorphosed in such a manner, that the upper part of her body
remained that of a woman, while the lower part was changed into the tail of a fish or serpent,
surrounded by dogs (ad Lycoph. 45 ;
l.c.). Virgil (Aen. 6.286) speaks of several Scyllae, and places them in the lower world (comp.
Lucret. 5.893). Charybdis is described as a daughter of Poseidon and Gaea, and as a voracious
woman,who stole oxen from Heracles, and was hurled by the thunderbolt of Zeus into the sea,
where she retained her voracious nature. (