（*Sku/lla）
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 (Hom. Od. 12.73, &c., 235, &c.). Later traditions
represent Scylla as a daughter of Phorcys or Phorbas, by
Hecate Crataeis (Apollon. 4.828, &c., with the Scholiast),
or by Lamia; while others make her a daughter of Triton, or
Poseidon and Crataeis (Eustath. ad Hom. p. 1714), or of
Typhon and Echidna (Hygin. 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 (Ov. Met. 13.732, &c., 905,
14.40, &c.; Tib. 3.4. 89). Another tradition related that
Scylla was beloved by Poseidon, and that Amphitrite, from
jealousy, metamorphosed her into a monster (Tzetz. ad
Lycoph. 45 ; Serv. ad Aen. 3.420). Heracles is said to have
killed her, because she had stolen some of the oxen of
Geryon; but Phorcys is said to have restored her to life
(Eustath., Tzetz., Hygin., 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.
(Serv. ad Aen. 3.420.) 2. A daughter of King Nisus of
Megara, who, in consequence of her love of Minos, cut off
the golden hair from her father's head, and thereby caused
his death (Apollod. 3.15.8). She has sometimes been
confounded with the monster Scylla. - A Dictionary of Greek
and Roman biography and mythology, William Smith, Ed.
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