Charybdis
Charybdis is a mythical whirlpool associated with the Strait of Messina, located at the northern entrance to the Fretum Siculum, near Cape Pelorus. In ancient lore, Charybdis is depicted as a female monster, the offspring of Poseidon and Gaia, who was cast into the sea by Zeus. This whirlpool was believed to suck in and expel water three times daily, posing a significant danger to sailors navigating the strait. Charybdis is often mentioned alongside another monster, Scylla, who resided in a cave directly opposite. The phrase "between Scylla and Charybdis" has come to symbolize the dilemma of choosing between two perilous options. Notably, the legendary ship Argo, manned by the Argonauts, successfully evaded both threats; however, Odysseus's ship faced destruction due to Charybdis after losing several crew members to Scylla. This myth highlights the treacherous nature of the strait and the challenges faced by ancient mariners.
Charybdis
The name given to a stretch of sea on the western side of the northern entrance to the Fretum Siculum (Strait of Messana, now Messina), adjoining Cape Pelorus (Peloro)
According to tradition, Charybdis was a whirlpool (though none is now to be seen in the area) which sucked in and spewed out water three times a day. The whirlpool was thought of as a female monster—the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia—whom Zeus had thrown into the sea. In conjunction with another monster Scylla, who inhabited a cave opposite, it was believed that Charybdis destroyed every ship that tried to pass through the strait: `between Scylla and Charybdis’ signified avoiding an evil, only to fall into a greater one. The legendary vessel Argo, manned by the Argonauts, escaped both monsters; but the ship of Odysseus, after he had lost six sailors to Scylla, was wrecked by Charybdis, from which the hero himself was saved only by clinging to a fig tree that grew over the whirlpool.