The Story of Glaucus and Scylla

The gods of the water received him graciously, washing away his mortality. A hundred rivers poured their waters over him . Then he lost all sense of his former nature and all consciousness. When he recovered, he found himself changed in form and mind.

His hair was sea-green, and trailed behind him on the water; his shoulders grew broad, and what had been thighs and legs assumed the form of a fish's tail. The sea-gods complimented him on the change of his appearance, and he himself was pleased with his new looks.

Circe was a powerful sorcerer. A goddess and she fell in love with Glaucus. After asking for help with his situation, Circe jealously mixed together a potion that would instead turn Scylla into a monster. She tricked Glaucus to pour the potion where Scylla liked to swim.

Scylla plunged into the water up to her waist. She was horrified to see a brood of serpents and barking monsters surrounding her! At first she could not imagine they were a part of herself, and tried to run from them, and to drive them away; but as she ran she carried them with her, and when she tried to touch her limbs, she found her hands touch only the yawning jaws of monsters. Scylla had became a monster, with six dogs as her feet.

Scylla was a Nereid, a nymph of the sea. She was extremely beautiful and because she believed so, rejected every man who tried to gain her love.

She was turned into a monster by the potion of Circe, a goddess of sorcery. Originally, she helped bring lost and helpless sailors on the sea to shore and safety, but after her change into a monster, wandered the seas to consume helpless sailors.

• Glaucus is a fisherman.
• He heads to the beach of Anthedon to count his fish.
• Fish come alive.
• Glaucus tastes the herb.
• Glaucus changes into a merman.
• He falls in love with Scylla.
• Scylla rejects him.
• Glaucus asks Circe the witch for help.
• Circe tricks Glaucus and gives him a faulty potion.
• Glaucus uses the potion on Scylla.
• Scylla turns into a monster
• Glaucus forgets Scylla.

The story of Glaucus and Scylla is a somewhat terrible story. Some might say that Scylla however deserved this, and her turning into a monster was a type of punishment.

Conclusion.

The Herb

Glaucus was a fisherman, one who feared nothing. He went ashore to sort his catch of fish for the day. After emptying his net and laying out his catch in the long grass, the fish rose to life and entered the water again. All of a sudden, the fishes, which had been laid on the grass, began to revive and move their fins as if they were in the water; and while he looked on astonished, they all moved off to the water, plunged in and swam away.

He did not know what to make of this, whether some god had done it, or some secret power in the grass.

"What herb has such a power?" he exclaimed; and gathering some, he tasted it.

Quick Summary.

Longing for Water

The Story of Glaucus and Scylla

The juices of the plant reached Glaucus' lips and he found himself agitated with a longing desire for the water. He could no longer stop himself, but bidding farewell to earth, he plunged into the stream.

About Scylla

Scylla's Change.

The Island of Aeaea

One day Glaucus saw the beautiful maiden Scylla. He fell in love with her. She turned to run immediately on sight of him and ran till she came to a cliff overlooking the sea. Here she stopped and turned round to see whether it was a god or a sea-animal, and observed with wonder his shape and colour.

Glaucus approached Scylla in attempt to gain her love. What he didn't know was that Scylla, while rejoicing too much in her own beauty, rejected everyone.

Glaucus then decided to go to the island of Aeaea and ask the sorceress Circe for help.

Circe was not to be trusted.

Circe

Destroyer of the Sea

Scylla's temper grew as ugly as her appearance, and she took pleasure in devouring helpless mariners who came within her grasp.

She destroyed hundreds of ships at sea till at last she was turned into a rock, and as such still continues to be a terror to seamen.

The End