Book 8

Summary

Scylla

[miniature, fol. 201r: scylla watching battle from her tower]

{T}he morning star had already become visible, and already the dawn appeared, bringing in and revealing the day and covering the darkness of night. Solar’s breath subsided and gentle Auster breathed and blew, providing a fair and gracious return to Cephalus and his men. They kept their course towards Athens, and arrived to great joy in less time than they had expected, since they had the right wind. [1–12]

In the meantime, powerful Minos laid siege to Lelegia and succeeded in destroying it, and returned via the mighty city of Alcathoë. There he set up camp. He thought he would capture it easily but met great opposition: Nisus put up strong resistance. He was king and lord of the land, experienced and trained in warfare, valiant in arms, full of knowledge, well endowed with friends and wealth. He protected and defended his territory well. Minos could make little headway against him; as long as Nisus was alive, he would never possess his land. Nisus successfully held out for a full seven months; Minos, out in the open, never managed to gain even a little ground. [13–31]

Nisus had a daughter of great renown, extremely wise and beautiful. The maiden was named Scylla. The girl would often climb a tall stone tower next to the walls in order to amuse herself. She used to watch the knights fight when they were in battle. She could see very well from the tower what was happening in every tent. She put so much of her care and attention into watching the lords in the army that she could make out one from the other: who held his lance best in the saddle socket, and who struck the most impressive blows in the bloodbath where the weapons clashed. [32–48]

She admired Minos above all others. She found him more impressive in battle than all the lords in the army. She didn’t think that much could shake him. When he was armed with his arms and held his shield by the straps, she thought he must have been born that way. There was no man in thirty kingdoms who knew better how to wield a sword. Whether on horseback or on foot, she deemed him superior to any other.