Navigating Impossible Choices — The Odyssey

After returning from the land of the dead, Ulysses and his men buried Elpenor on Circe's island and raised a mound with his oar on top. Circe warned Ulysses about the dangers ahead. First came the Sirens, whose song lured sailors to their deaths. He plugged his men's ears with wax and had them tie him to the mast so he could hear the song without steering the ship into ruin. When he begged to be freed, they bound him tighter and rowed on.

Next they entered a narrow strait between two deadly threats. On one side was Scylla, a monster with six heads that snatched men from the ship. On the other was Charybdis, a whirlpool that could swallow the whole vessel. Circe had told Ulysses to sail close to Scylla and accept the loss of six men rather than risk everyone in the whirlpool. That is exactly what happened. He watched six of his best companions carried off screaming while he could do nothing to save them.

They reached the island of the Sun, where sacred cattle and sheep grazed. Ulysses made his men swear they would not harm the herds, but contrary winds kept them trapped for a month until food ran out. While Ulysses went inland to pray, Eurylochus persuaded the starving crew to slaughter the Sun's cattle. Even as the meat cooked on the spits, the hides crawled and the joints lowed like living cows, but the men ate anyway.

When they put to sea again, Zeus sent a storm that shattered the ship with lightning. Every man drowned except Ulysses. He clung to wreckage, was swept back toward Charybdis, and barely escaped by grabbing a fig tree until his raft floated free. After nine more days at sea he washed up on Calypso's island, alone and alive when all his companions were gone.