Fear of the Sea and the Feminine in Ancient Greece: the Case of Scylla

This work aims to study the evolution of the figure of Scylla in both literary and iconographic sources, from the Archaic period to the Hellenistic period. The conceptualisation of the monstrous figure as a manifestation of various social anxieties opens a space to observe the different changes in the mentality of ancient society through the bodily transformations of the monster. In this way, Scylla will be studied in a maritime context, reflecting on the dangers of navigation and the fear of death at sea. Later, a gender perspective will be applied, and her figure will be analysed within a patriarchal society, where as a female monstrous figure, she reflects the fears related to questioning gender roles. In both cases, a deep concern and fear regarding the individual’s relationship with the world and the role they play in society is revealed. This way, the figure of Scylla reveals one of humanity’s most intimate and transcendental concerns.