The phrase “between Scylla and Charybdis” refers to a difficult situation with no good way out, originating from Homer’s Odyssey. Odysseus had to navigate a narrow strait between a monster called Scylla and a whirling monster called Charybdis. Sacrifices must be made to minimize losses. The phrase is commonly used to describe challenging situations. The physical location that inspired Homer’s imagination is uncertain.
To be trapped between Scylla and Charybdis is to be caught in an extremely challenging situation. There is no good way around the situation and any choice you make will generate losses. The metaphor is comparable to the phrase being trapped between a rock and a hard place, or between a rock and a whirlpool.
The origin of the phrase can be traced back to Homer’s Odyssey. On the journey home, Odysseus has to navigate a narrow strait. On one side of the strait is a monster called Scylla, which will happily devour any sailors within its reach. On the other side is Charybdis, a whirling monster that will suck a ship into the depths of the sea.
Odysseus is quite stuck trying to successfully navigate between Scylla and Charybdis. To avoid the maelstrom, he must maneuver close enough to the Scylla to devour her sailors. Scylla is described as having six heads, each of which grabs a soldier and eats it. However, his alternative would be to sacrifice all his men by facing Charybdis.
Homer’s description refers directly to its current meaning in common usage. There is no way to get stuck between Scylla and Charybdis without suffering some kind of loss. The question that arises in a difficult situation must be: “How can I meet the least number of losses?” Ulysses chooses to face the difficult choice in this way. He faces death for some, but not all of his men.
A less lethal example of the phrase is found in the first Harry Potter novel. Harry, Ron and Hermione face such a choice while playing chess. Ron realizes that the game is only winnable if he sacrifices himself. However, since it is wizard chess, Ron risks his own life through sacrifice, in hopes that Harry and Hermione will step forward and face Voldemort. Indeed, most chess games work on this principle. To win, you have to make calculated sacrifices.
Since Troy certainly existed, many scholars have actually tried to find a physical location that matches Scylla and Charybdis. Until recently, most people identified the Strait of Messina as closest to Homer’s description, minus the monsters. It’s a narrow strait, and it’s in front of a rock called Scylla, and it also includes a whirlpool. However, the whirlpool is not particularly strong and rarely poses a danger.
Others have identified the location as Cape Skilla. Cape Skilla is closer to Greece and has geographical features in line with Homer’s description. Regardless of an actual physical location that may have inspired Homer’s imagination, the phrase is commonly used, in the sense of a challenging situation from which one cannot escape without great difficulty and loss. There is no easy choice when caught between Scylla and Charybdis, and no simple solution to the tangle.
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