The Story of Nisus and Scylla

1. The Story of Nisus and Scylla

2. War Against Megara • Minos, son of Zeus and Europa, attacks the kingdom of Megara in the Corinthian Isthmus (An ally of Athens). • Megara’s king, Nisus, had a lock of purple hair. As long as the purple lock was kept on his head, his kingdom could not be overtaken and he could not die. • The war goes on for over 6 months and it looks like neither side will ever win.

3. Scylla- Daughter of Nisus • Scylla goes to the tower of the castle everyday to watch the battles. The war has been going on for so long that she has learned the names of the enemies’ captains and their armor. • Scylla Falls deeply in love, with Minos, the leader of the Cretan army. She even compares his beauty and skill to Apollo.

4. Internal Struggle • Scylla starts thinking up ways as to how she can be with Minos. She even considers offering herself as a hostage to him. Eventually, she realizes that she could give him her father’s country as a dowry of marriage. • However, Scylla doesn’t want to win her love over through treason. But soon she is convinced that her father is losing the war and better to end it without more blood shed; and that girls before her this deeply in love had done the same thing so why couldn’t she?

5. Scylla’s Mistake • Thinking that this will make her the mistress of Minos, Scylla cuts off her father’s purple lock while he is sleeping, thus killing him. • She goes to Minos’ camp and offers him “her fathers’ life”, or the lock, and says that “love has led me to do this”. All that she wants in return is Minos. • Her plan backfires for Minos shrinks away from her gift and exclaims “May the gods cast you out, and earth and ocean reject you, infamous daughter of our time!”

6. Megara Is Conquered • Although Minos rejects the gift, he takes full advantage of Scylla’s actions by conquering Megara. • After imposing his laws, Minos gets ready to set sail back to his home. He of course plans to leave Scylla behind.

7. Scylla’s Anger • When Scylla sees that she will not be rewarded, she begins to yell at Minos. She cries out that his parents were not really Zeus and Europa for they are incapable of having a monster like him for an offspring. • Because of her actions, Scylla can no longer live in Megara; and since Minos has forbid her from Crete, she has no where to go. Because of this, she decides to go with Minos whether he likes it or not.

8. Conclusion • When she sees Minos leaving without her, she jumps into the water and clings to the stern of the boat. • Her father, who has now been turned into an Osprey, or a sea hawk, sees his daughter and attacks her with his beak. • Scylla loses her grip and begins to fall into the water. However, a god taking pity turns her into a ciris to save her from drowning. • From that day on, the sea hawk attacks the ciris whenever they are near each other, in vengeance of the ancient crime.

9. The Cretan Warriors Outside Megera

10. Scylla Falling In Love with minos

11. Scylla offering minos the lock of hair

12. Scylla clinging to the ship

13. Ciris- the bird that scylla was turned into. • Sea hawk- the bird that nisus was turned into.

14. Alternate Ending? • In different versions of the story, Minos ties Scylla to the stern with her head in the water so she drowns. • In another version, Scylla is transformed by Circe into a sea monster with tentacles and creatures growing from her middle. She forever lives in a cave and eats sailors who pass her by.

15. The End! Questions??????????