Planctae
Encyclopedia
In Greek mythology
, the Planctae or Wandering Rocks were a group of rocks, between which the sea was mercilessly violent. The Argo
(led by Jason
) was the only ship to navigate them successfully (with divine help from Hera
, Thetis
, and the Nereids
). Jason chose to brave the Planctae instead of braving Scylla
and Charybdis
.
In the Odyssey
of Homer
, the sorceress Circe
tells Odysseus
of the "Wandering Rocks" or "Roving Rocks" that have only been successfully passed by the Argo
when homeward bound. These rocks smash ships and the remaining timbers are scattered by the sea or destroyed by flames. The rocks lie on one of two potential routes to Ithaca
; the alternative, which is taken by Odysseus, leads to Scylla and Charybdis
. Furthermore,
in the Odyssey of Homer, it was Hera
, for her love of Jason
, who sped the Argo through the Symplegades safely.
The rocks also appear on the journey in the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes
, who also locates them near Scylla and Charybdis, but beyond them rather than as an alternative route. Apollonius distinguishes between two sets of dangerous rocks. Namely, the Symplegades and the Planctae. The Symplegades were encountered on the way to the Golden Fleece
and the Planctae were encountered on the return voyage. Which god or goddess helped the Argonauts safely sail through the Clashing Rocks is unclear in the text. Athena
helped in the former task, while Thetis
and the Nereids
helped in the latter one. However, the plans to help Jason pass these obstacles were ultimately orchestrated by Hera according to Apollonius, thus agreeing with Homer.
The similarities and differences between the Wandering Rocks and the Symplegades
has been much debated by scholars, as have potential locations for them. (See also Geography of the Odyssey
.) As Scylla and Charybdis
have often been located in the Straits of Messina, this has led some (like E. V. Rieu
) to suggest the Wandering Rocks were located around Sicily
, with their flames and smoke coming from Mount Etna
. An alternative theory of the geography of the Odyssey places Circe, the Siren
s, Scylla & Charybdis and the Wandering Rocks, all mentioned in the stories of both Jason and Odysseus, in north west Greece. Tim Severin
noted that the island of Sesola off the coast of Levkas looked very similar to the rocks from the Argo story, and also that the area is near a geological fault; he hypothesises that, due to both its similarity with the legends of the Symplegades and the stories of the Argo sailing home via the Adriatic
and Ionian Sea
s, the original legend was copied to the area. Severin also supports his theory with locations for Scylla and Charybdis being located on the other side of Levkas, noting that the name "Cape Skilla" is still used for a nearby headland on the mainland.
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
, the Planctae or Wandering Rocks were a group of rocks, between which the sea was mercilessly violent. The Argo
Argo
In Greek mythology, the Argo was the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to retrieve the Golden Fleece. It was named after its builder, Argus.-Legend:...
(led by Jason
Jason
Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
) was the only ship to navigate them successfully (with divine help from Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
, Thetis
Thetis
Silver-footed Thetis , disposer or "placer" , is encountered in Greek mythology mostly as a sea nymph or known as the goddess of water, one of the fifty Nereids, daughters of the ancient one of the seas with shape-shifting abilities who survives in the historical vestiges of most later Greek myths...
, and the Nereids
Nereids
In Greek mythology, the Nereids are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris, sisters to Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon and can be friendly and helpful to sailors fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father...
). Jason chose to brave the Planctae instead of braving Scylla
Scylla
In Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice...
and Charybdis
Charybdis
Charybdis or Kharybdis was a sea monster, later rationalised as a whirlpool and considered a shipping hazard in the Strait of Messina.-The mythological background:...
.
In the Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
of Homer
Homer
In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
, the sorceress Circe
Circe
In Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic , described in Homer's Odyssey as "The loveliest of all immortals", living on the island of Aeaea, famous for her part in the adventures of Odysseus.By most accounts, Circe was the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid...
tells Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
of the "Wandering Rocks" or "Roving Rocks" that have only been successfully passed by the Argo
Argo
In Greek mythology, the Argo was the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to retrieve the Golden Fleece. It was named after its builder, Argus.-Legend:...
when homeward bound. These rocks smash ships and the remaining timbers are scattered by the sea or destroyed by flames. The rocks lie on one of two potential routes to Ithaca
Ithaca
Ithaca or Ithaka is an island located in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of and a little more than three thousand inhabitants. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia and...
; the alternative, which is taken by Odysseus, leads to Scylla and Charybdis
Scylla and Charybdis
Being between Scylla and Charybdis is an idiom deriving from Greek mythology. Several other idioms, such as "on the horns of a dilemma", "between the devil and the deep blue sea", and "between a rock and a hard place" express the same meaning of "having to choose between two evils".-The myth and...
. Furthermore,
in the Odyssey of Homer, it was Hera
Hera
Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. Her chief function was as the goddess of women and marriage. Her counterpart in the religion of ancient Rome was Juno. The cow and the peacock were sacred to her...
, for her love of Jason
Jason
Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
, who sped the Argo through the Symplegades safely.
The rocks also appear on the journey in the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes
Apollonius of Rhodes
Apollonius Rhodius, also known as Apollonius of Rhodes , early 3rd century BCE – after 246 BCE, was a poet, and a librarian at the Library of Alexandria...
, who also locates them near Scylla and Charybdis, but beyond them rather than as an alternative route. Apollonius distinguishes between two sets of dangerous rocks. Namely, the Symplegades and the Planctae. The Symplegades were encountered on the way to the Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
and the Planctae were encountered on the return voyage. Which god or goddess helped the Argonauts safely sail through the Clashing Rocks is unclear in the text. Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
helped in the former task, while Thetis
Thetis
Silver-footed Thetis , disposer or "placer" , is encountered in Greek mythology mostly as a sea nymph or known as the goddess of water, one of the fifty Nereids, daughters of the ancient one of the seas with shape-shifting abilities who survives in the historical vestiges of most later Greek myths...
and the Nereids
Nereids
In Greek mythology, the Nereids are sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris, sisters to Nerites. They often accompany Poseidon and can be friendly and helpful to sailors fighting perilous storms. They are particularly associated with the Aegean Sea, where they dwelt with their father...
helped in the latter one. However, the plans to help Jason pass these obstacles were ultimately orchestrated by Hera according to Apollonius, thus agreeing with Homer.
The similarities and differences between the Wandering Rocks and the Symplegades
Symplegades
The Symplegades or Clashing Rocks, also known as the Cyanean Rocks, were, according to Greek mythology, a pair of rocks at the Bosphorus that clashed together randomly. They were defeated by Jason and the Argonauts, who would have been lost and killed by the rocks except for Phineas' advice. Jason...
has been much debated by scholars, as have potential locations for them. (See also Geography of the Odyssey
Geography of the Odyssey
Events in the main sequence of the Odyssey take place in the Peloponnese and in what are now called the Ionian Islands . Incidental mentions of Troy and its house Phoenicia, Egypt and Crete hint at geographical knowledge equal to, or perhaps slightly more extensive than that of the Iliad...
.) As Scylla and Charybdis
Scylla and Charybdis
Being between Scylla and Charybdis is an idiom deriving from Greek mythology. Several other idioms, such as "on the horns of a dilemma", "between the devil and the deep blue sea", and "between a rock and a hard place" express the same meaning of "having to choose between two evils".-The myth and...
have often been located in the Straits of Messina, this has led some (like E. V. Rieu
E. V. Rieu
Emile Victor Rieu CBE was a classicist, publisher and poet, best known for his lucid translations of Homer, as editor of Penguin Classics, and for a modern translation of the four Gospels which evolved from his role as editor of a projected Penguin translation of the Bible...
) to suggest the Wandering Rocks were located around Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, with their flames and smoke coming from Mount Etna
Mount Etna
Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently standing high, though this varies with summit eruptions; the mountain is 21 m higher than it was in 1981.. It is the highest mountain in...
. An alternative theory of the geography of the Odyssey places Circe, the Siren
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
s, Scylla & Charybdis and the Wandering Rocks, all mentioned in the stories of both Jason and Odysseus, in north west Greece. Tim Severin
Tim Severin
Tim Severin is a British explorer, historian and writer. Severin is noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society and the Livingstone Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society...
noted that the island of Sesola off the coast of Levkas looked very similar to the rocks from the Argo story, and also that the area is near a geological fault; he hypothesises that, due to both its similarity with the legends of the Symplegades and the stories of the Argo sailing home via the Adriatic
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
and Ionian Sea
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea , is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, south of the Adriatic Sea. It is bounded by southern Italy including Calabria, Sicily and the Salento peninsula to the west, southern Albania to the north, and a large number of Greek islands, including Corfu, Zante, Kephalonia, Ithaka, and...
s, the original legend was copied to the area. Severin also supports his theory with locations for Scylla and Charybdis being located on the other side of Levkas, noting that the name "Cape Skilla" is still used for a nearby headland on the mainland.