Odyssey: A Daily Odyssey through Homer’s The Odyssey
Aug 28, 2026 · 9 min · 8 segments
Some dangers cannot be avoided — only chosen between. Survival demands loss. In *The Odyssey*, Book 12, Circe reveals the grim choice that awaits Odysseus after the Sirens. One path leads past…
Landon SolanoHost
On the other part are two rocks, whereof one reaches the sharp peak to the wide heaven, and a dark cloud encompasses it.
This never streams away, and there is no clear air about the peak neither in summer nor in harvest-tide.
No mortal man may scale it or set foot thereon, not though he had 20 hands and feet, for the rock is smooth and sheer as it were polished.
And in the midst of the cliff is a dim cave turned to Erebus, towards the place of darkness, whereby ye shall even steer your hollow ship, noble Odysseus.
Not with an arrow from a bow might a man in his strength reach from this hollow ship into that deep cave.
Her voice indeed is no greater than the voice of a newborn whelp, but a dreadful monster is she, nor would any look on her gladly, not if it were a god that met her.
Verily she hath 12 feet all dangling down, and six necks exceeding long, and on each a hideous head, and therein three rows of teeth set thick and close, full of black death.
Up to her middle is sunk far down in the hollow cave, but forth she holds her heads from the dreadful gulf, and there she fishes, swooping round the rock for dolphins or sea-dogs, or whatso greater beast she may anywhere take, whereof the deep-voiced Amphitrite feeds countless flocks.
Thereby no sailors boast that they have fled scatheless ever with their ship, for with each head she carries off a man, whom she hath snatched from out the dark-prowed ship.
But that other cliff, Odysseus, thou shalt note, lying lower, hard by the first.
And thereon is a great fig tree growing in fullest leaf, and beneath it mighty Charybdis sucks down black water, for thrice a day she spouts it forth, and thrice a day she sucks it down in terrible wise.
Never mayest thou be there when she sucks the water, for none might save thee then from thy bane, not even the Earth-Shaker.
But take heed, and swiftly drawing nigh to Scylla's rock, drive the ship past, since of a truth it is far better to mourn six of thy company in the ship than all in the selfsame hour.
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On the other part are two rocks, whereof one reaches the sharp peak to the wide heaven, and a dark cloud encompasses it.
This never streams away, and there is no clear air about the peak neither in summer nor in harvest-tide.
No mortal man may scale it or set foot thereon, not though he had 20 hands and feet, for the rock is smooth and sheer as it were polished.
And in the midst of the cliff is a dim cave turned to Erebus, towards the place of darkness, whereby ye shall even steer your hollow ship, noble Odysseus.
Not with an arrow from a bow might a man in his strength reach from this hollow ship into that deep cave.
Her voice indeed is no greater than the voice of a newborn whelp, but a dreadful monster is she, nor would any look on her gladly, not if it were a god that met her.
Verily she hath 12 feet all dangling down, and six necks exceeding long, and on each a hideous head, and therein three rows of teeth set thick and close, full of black death.
Up to her middle is sunk far down in the hollow cave, but forth she holds her heads from the dreadful gulf, and there she fishes, swooping round the rock for dolphins or sea-dogs, or whatso greater beast she may anywhere take, whereof the deep-voiced Amphitrite feeds countless flocks.
Thereby no sailors boast that they have fled scatheless ever with their ship, for with each head she carries off a man, whom she hath snatched from out the dark-prowed ship.
But that other cliff, Odysseus, thou shalt note, lying lower, hard by the first.
And thereon is a great fig tree growing in fullest leaf, and beneath it mighty Charybdis sucks down black water, for thrice a day she spouts it forth, and thrice a day she sucks it down in terrible wise.
Never mayest thou be there when she sucks the water, for none might save thee then from thy bane, not even the Earth-Shaker.
But take heed, and swiftly drawing nigh to Scylla's rock, drive the ship past, since of a truth it is far better to mourn six of thy company in the ship than all in the selfsame hour.
