"
With these prophetic greetings great Circe met Ulysses on his return. He
besought her to instruct him in the nature of the Sirens, and by what
method their baneful allurements were to be resisted.
"They are sisters three," she replied, "that sit in a mead (by which your
ship must needs pass) circled with dead men's bones. These are the bones
of men whom they have slain, after with fawning invitements they have
enticed them into their fen. Yet such is the celestial harmony of their
voice accompanying the persuasive magic of their words, that, knowing
this, you shall not be able to withstand their enticements. Therefore,
when you are to sail by them, you shall stop the ears of your companions
with wax, that they may hear no note of that dangerous music; but for
yourself, that you may hear, and yet live, give them strict command to
bind you hand and foot to the mast, and in no case to set you free, till
you are out of the danger of the temptation, though you should entreat it,
and implore it ever so much, but to bind you rather the more for your
requesting to be loosed. So shall you escape that snare."
Ulysses then prayed her that she would inform him what Scylla and
Charybdis were, which she had taught him by name to fear. She replied:
"Sailing from Aeaea to Trinacria, you must pass at an equal distance
between two fatal rocks. Incline never so little either to the one side or
the other, and your ship must meet with certain destruction. No vessel
ever yet tried that pass without being lost but the Argo, which owed her
safety to the sacred freight she bore, the fleece of the golden-backed
ram, which could not perish.
Pages:
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47