Book 12: The Sirens; Scylla and Charybdis

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Book 12 The Sirens Scylla and Charybdis
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• Odysseus is back from the land of the dead and
  they return to Circes island. Circe advises
  Odysseus on what he must do to survive the Sirens
  and Scylla and Charybdis. Finally, they come to
  Thrinacia, where Odysseus starving men steal
  Helios cattle, despite Circes warning. As a
  result, all but Odysseus are lost at sea. He
  drifts to Calypsos island.

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People to know

• The Sirens
• Dangerous, singing, flying women whose song will
  bewitch sailors, keeping them from thoughts of
  home or children

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Scylla

• Female sea-monster
• Has 12 legs, like tentacles
• 6 heads, with 3 rows of teeth in each mouth
• Ships cannot pass her without harm
• She takes one man for every gullet

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Charybdis

• Female whirlpool that swallows the sea
• A ship cannot make it past
• If Odysseus goes past Charybdis he will lose his
  ship and all of his men
• Therefore, he goes past Scylla, knowing he will
  only have to sacrifice 6 men