Homer, Odyssey

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“‘Now on the other path are two cliffs, one of which reaches with its sharp peak to the broad heaven, and a dark cloud surrounds it. [75] This never melts away, nor does clear sky ever surround that peak in summer or in harvest time. No mortal man could scale it or set foot upon the top, not though he had twenty hands and feet; for the rock is smooth, as if it were polished. [80] And in the midst of the cliff is a dim cave, turned to the West, toward Erebus, even where you shall steer your hollow ship, glorious Odysseus. Not even a man of might could shoot an arrow from the hollow ship so as to reach into that vaulted cave. [85] Therein dwells Scylla, yelping terribly. Her voice is indeed but as the voice of a new-born whelp, but she herself is an evil monster, nor would anyone be glad at sight of her, no, not though it were a god that met her. Verily she has twelve feet, all misshapen,¹ [90] and six necks, exceeding long, and on each one an awful head, and therein three rows of teeth, thick and close, and full of black death. Up to her middle she is hidden in the hollow cave, but she holds her head out beyond the dread chasm, [95] and fishes there, eagerly searching around the rock for dolphins and sea-dogs and whatever greater beast she may haply catch, such creatures as deep-moaning Amphitrite rears in multitudes past counting. By her no sailors yet may boast that they have fled unscathed in their ship, for with each head she carries off [100] a man, snatching him from the dark-prowed ship. “‘But the other cliff, thou wilt note, Odysseus, is lower--they are close to each other; thou couldst even shoot an arrow across--and on it is a great fig tree with rich foliage, but beneath this divine Charybdis sucks down the black water. [105] Thrice a day she belches it forth, and thrice she sucks it down terribly. Mayest thou not be there when she sucks it down, for no one could save thee from ruin, no, not the Earth-shaker. Nay, draw very close to Scylla's cliff, and drive thy ship past quickly; for it is better far [110] to mourn six comrades in thy ship than all together.’

¹ 1

Further comments from W. Walter Merry, James Riddell, D. B. Monro, Commentary on the Odyssey (1886):
book 12 (general note)

Cross references from Sir Richard Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Antigone:
* [1-99]

Cross references from W. Walter Merry, James Riddell, D. B. Monro, Commentary on the Odyssey (1886):
2, 110 [Book 2 (b)]
8, 361 [Book 8 (th)]
9, 462 [Book 9 (i)]
24, 483 [Book 24 (ô)]

Cross references from Walter Leaf, Commentary on the Iliad (1900):
3, 211 [Book 3 (G)]
16, 317 [Book 16 (P)]

Cross references from Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854) (ed. William Smith, LLD):
scyllaeum [Scilla]

This text is based on the following book(s):
Homer. The Odyssey with an English Translation by A.T. Murray, PH.D. in two volumes. Cambridge, MA., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1919.
OCLC: 22584673
ISBN: 0674995619, 0674995627

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