12/26/2017 Scylla (princess) - Wikipedia

Scylla (princess)
Scylla is a princess of Megara in
Greek mythology. She is mentioned
by Ovid.

As the story goes, Scylla was the

daughter of Nisus (Nisos) the King
of Megara, who possessed a single
lock of purple hair which granted
him invincibility. When Minos, the
King of Crete, invaded Nisus's
kingdom, Scylla saw him from the
city's battlements and fell in love
with him. In order to win Minos's
heart, she decided that she would
grant him victory in battle by
removing the lock from her father's
head and presented it to Minos. "Scylla" By Oleksii Gnievyshev
(2016)
Disgusted with her lack of filial
devotion, he left Megara
immediately. Scylla did not give up easily and started swimming after Minos's
boat. She nearly reached him but a sea eagle, into which her father had been
metamorphosed after death, drowned her. Scylla was transformed into a
seabird (ciris), relentlessly pursued by her father, who was transformed into a
sea eagle (haliaeetus).[1][2]

Scylla's story is a close parallel to that of Comaetho, daughter of Pterelaus.

Similar stories were told of Pisidice (princess of Methymna) and of
Leucophrye.

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Scylla appears in
Alexander Pope's
mock-heroic "Rape of
the Lock" as part of
an extended
representation of
gallant chatter round
a card table in the
guise of a heroic
battle:

Ah
cease,
rash 17th-century engraving of Scylla falling in love
youth! with Minos
desist
ere 'tis
too late,

Fear the
just
gods,
and
think of
Scylla's
fate!
Chang'd
to a
bird,
and
sent to
flit in
air,

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She
dearly
pays
for
Nisus'
injur'd
hair![3]

References
1. Ovid, Metamorphoses VIII, 6-151, esp. 154-151
2. Hyginus, Fabulae, 198
3. "Rape of the Lock", canto III.

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