The Lure of the Sirens in the Odyssey Isn’t What You Think It Is

Odysseus and the Sirens. What made the Sirens’ song so alluring?

One of the many fascinating adventures of Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey is his encounter with the Sirens. The Sirens have the appearance of beautiful women, but are half bird. They sing, and their song is so compelling that men are irresistibly drawn toward them. In the Odyssey they are situated on rocks in the ocean. Men coming towards them on boats would have their boats smashed…