Scylla&Charybdis_Yu

We often hear or read the phrase "caught between Scylla and Charybdis" in our everyday lives, but how many of us actually get that reference? Here's some information about Scylla and Charybdis so you can look smart the next time you encounter that phrase or others like it.

Pronunciation ˌsɪlə ənd kəˈrɪbdɪs

Ancient Usage Scylla and Charybdis were two obstacles in Greek mythology. Located on the Strait of Messina, Scylla on the Italian side and Charybdis on the Sicilian side, these two creatures were nearly impossible to pass. Scylla was a sea nymph who was turned into a monster with four eyes and six dog heads which each had three rows of teeth. Charybdis was also once a beautiful naiad, but was turned into a sea monster/huge whirlpool. Scylla and Charybdis are mentioned in //The Odyssey// and //Jason and the Argonauts//.

Idiomatic Usage Sailors would have to choose either one obstacle or the other, both equally difficult to overcome, which led to the Latin phrase “//incidit in scyllam cupiens vitare charybdim//.” This phrase, which was coined in the 12th century, means “he runs on Scylla, wishing to avoid Charybdis” and has many modern English equivalents:
 * 1) Jumping from the frying pan into the fire
 * 2) Between a rock and a hard place
 * 3) Between the devil and the deep blue sea
 * 4) On the horns of a dilemma

Recent Usage - Launcelot: “Thus when I shun Scylla your father, I fall into Charybdis your mother.” (//The Merchant of Venice// 3.5.15-16) - “The rich have become richer, and the poor have become poorer; and the vessel of the state is driven between the Scylla and Charybdis of anarchy and despotism” (//A Defense of Poetry// by Percy Bysshe Shelley) -//Britannia between Scylla and Charybdis// by James Gillray - “Torn Between Scylla And Charybdis” by Trivium media type="youtube" key="4_nJ2vQg3EM?rel=0" height="315" width="420"

References "Between Scylla and Charybdis." //Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia//. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. <[]>.

"Scylla and Charybdis - Definition and Pronunciation | Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com." //Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com//. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. <[]>.

"Scylla and Charybdis - Myth Encyclopedia - Mythology, Greek, God, Legend, Names, Tree, Hero." //Encyclopedia of Myths//. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. <[]>.

"Scylla and Charybdis (Greek Mythology) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." //Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia//. Web. 06 Jan. 2012. <[]>.

Shakespeare, William, and William Lyon Phelps. //The Merchant of Venice//. New Haven: Yale UP, 1923. Print.