Scylla (princess)

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17th century engraving of Scylla falling in love with Minos
17th century engraving of Scylla falling in love with Minos

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

As the story goes, Scylla was the daughter of Nisus, 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. Disgusted with her lack of filial devotion, he left Megara immediately. She was transformed into a seabird, relentlessly pursued by her father, who was transformed into a sea eagle. (Ovid VIII, 35)