What does the idiom between Scylla and Charybdis mean?
Both Scylla and Charybdis gave poetic expression to the dangers confronting Greek mariners when they first ventured into the uncharted waters of the western Mediterranean. To be “between Scylla and Charybdis” means to be caught between two equally unpleasant alternatives.
What is Thrinacia in the Odyssey?
Thrinacia (Homeric Greek Θρινακία Thrinakíā, from θρῖναξ “trident”; English pronunciation /θrɪˈneɪʃə, θraɪ-/) is the island home of the Cattle of Helios in Book XII of Homer’s Odyssey, guarded by Helios’ daughters Lampetia and Phaethusa.
How do you pronounce cerebus?
noun, plural Cer·ber·us·es, Cer·ber·i [sur-buh-rahy] for 2. Also Kerberos [kur-ber-uhs] . Classical Mythology.
Where are the Scylla and Charybdis located?
Scylla and Charybdis were mythical sea monsters noted by Homer; Greek mythology sited them on opposite sides of the Strait of Messina between Sicily and the Italian mainland. Scylla was rationalized as a rock shoal (described as a six-headed sea monster) on the Italian side of the strait and Charybdis was a whirlpool off the coast of Sicily.
Why was Odysseus advised to avoid Scylla and Charybdis?
They were regarded as maritime hazards located close enough to each other that they posed an inescapable threat to passing sailors; avoiding Charybdis meant passing too close to Scylla and vice versa. According to Homer’s account, Odysseus was advised to pass by Scylla and lose only a few sailors,…
Who was the Greek hero who met Scylla and Charybdis?
Another Greek hero to encounter Scylla and Charybdis was Odysseus in his return journey from the Trojan War, Odysseus though was not so fortunate as to have the gods on his side at the time, and so Odysseus was forced to follow the advice of the goddess Circe.
When did torn between Scylla and Charybdis come out?
American heavy metal band Trivium also referenced the idiom in “Torn Between Scylla and Charybdis”, a track from their 2008 album Shogun, in which the lyrics are about having to choose “between death and doom”. In 2014 Graham Waterhouse composed a piano quartet, Skylla and Charybdis, premiered at the Gasteig in Munich.