Circe (SIR-see) warned me of two dangerous monsters that dwelt on either side of a very treacherous strait.  Scylla (SILL-uh) , once a beautiful maiden loved by a sea god, was transformed by Circe into a hideous monster because of jealousy.  This cave-dwelling monster was twelve feet in length with six long necks that each possessed a head.  Each head had three rows of teeth that devoured anything coming within their reach.  Her cave was located on a cliff overlooking the narrow passage of water. 

Opposite Scylla, under a fig tree, lived Charybdis (chah-RIB-diss).  This was a huge whirlpool that would suck water in and out three times a day.  If any boat happened to be near, Charybdis would surely swallow it.

As my boat approached the strait, my men and I were very watchful for the monsters.  Charybdis could be heard in the distance, but Scylla gave no such warning.  The boat sailed through the strait and the men kept a very close lookout for the engulfing waters.  While attempting to pass by the whirlpool, my crew was caught off-guard when Scylla emerged from her cave.  She caught six men in each one of her great mouths and took them back to her den.

The rest of the crew and the boat escaped the strait unharmed.  up until this point in our journey, the incident at the Strait of Scylla and Charybdis was the saddest thing that I had ever seen.

This project was developed by Sophomore students at Sandpoint High School for the 2001 University of Idaho EdTechQuest.  Contact us if you have any questions or comments.