| In
Greek mythology, she was originally the gauther of
Poseidon and Gaia that brought about floods. She was,
however, changed into a sea monster by Zeus that sucked
water in and out three times a day, the manifestation of
this fate being a whirlpool. She was situated at one end
of the Strait of Messina, accompanied by her companion Scylla. There, the two pose a threat to
passing sailors, as they will have to pass by one of them
to get across the strait, and they are equally
treacherous. The expression "between Scylla and
Charybdis" is often used to describe a situation
where two paths, equally disastrous, have to be taken to
reach a goal. |