Fan Casting

Back on the open sea, Odysseus encounters a siren disguised as his wife Penelope. While playing along with her charade, he asks her how he can return home without passing Poseidon, and she reveals that it can only happen by going through the lair of the six-headed sea monster Scylla, where Poseidon is afraid to go. She asks Odysseus to join her in the water, saying that she could relieve all of his suffering. Odysseus appears to give in before attacking her and exposing her identity. He reveals that he and his crew resisted her magical song by plugging their ears with beeswax, and his crew captures the rest of the sirens in the water. The sirens beg for mercy, but Odysseus vows not to make the same mistake he made with Polyphemus and commands his crew to kill them all. The crew then sails towards Scylla's lair, where Eurylochus reveals to Odysseus that he was the one who opened Aeolus's wind bag. Ignoring him, Odysseus commands that Eurylochus distribute six torches as they sail through the dark lair. Scylla, attracted to the light, eats the men holding the torches, allowing the rest of the crew to escape unharmed. Horrified by Odysseus's willingness to sacrifice his own men, Eurylochus leads a mutiny, subduing and imprisoning the captain. The crew lands the ship on the nearest island, which happens to be the home of the sun god Helios. Despite warnings from Odysseus, Eurylochus kills one of Helios's sacred cows for food. Angered by this disrespect, Helios sends Zeus to pass judgment on the crew. The god forces Odysseus to choose between allowing either himself or his remaining men to be killed. Determined to return home, Odysseus ultimately chooses the latter. Zeus spares Odysseus but destroys his ship and kills the rest of his crew.