In the Odyssey it is mentioned that Odysseus passed near the place where the Sirens lived, who charmed the sailors with their song and they, enchanted, forgot their destination, their wives and children, following them to their island, where they found, ultimately, death. In the description of the meadow where the Sirens dwelt, there were heaps of bones all around, of carcases whose skin had shriveled and whose flesh had rotted…

Odysseus, informed by Circe of the danger he was in by passing there, plugged the ears of his companions with wax and ordered them to tie him to a mast, so that he could enjoy their song, without the risk of following them. He was the second to escape the Sirens, since as is well known, during the Argonauts' journey, Orpheus managed, with the music of his lyre, not to distract his companions and follow these sea monsters.

According to Myth, the Sirens lived on the island of Anthemoessa, in the Straits of Messina.Their names vary, depending on the sources that mention them, but the following are indicative:Aglaope -brilliant in appearance, Thelxiopeia -charming in speech, Thelxiope -charming in appearance or Peisenoi -as persuasion of the mind. In these names are recognized the "favors" of the modern entertainment of the magical world of cinema and television...But these evidences are not enough to convince that Homer could be "warning" people about this particular charming "madness"...

The picture shows "Odysseus and the Sirens" on a vase in the British Museum. It is important to consider this ancient depiction of the Sirens, as in film, television and cartoons, the forms of the Sirens have been altered, sometimes making them look like Mermaids or other fictional depictions of the creator's imagination.

Sirens are female entities, with the head and body half of a woman and half of an avian predator. However, they often appear with human characteristics and the ability to transform into stone. Their island, according to current data, is located along the coast of S. Italy, off the Sorrento Peninsula.

The danger and suffering they caused to sailors and travelers was great, and no one managed to escape from them. The Argonauts were the only ones who until then managed to cross the island and be saved, thanks to the music of Orpheus. Rescuing them also meant the transformation of the Sirens into rocks and thus their death. According to Apollodorus and Hyginus, the fate of the Sirens reserved death when a ship would pass by this island.

According to others, the Sirens died because they were defeated in a musical contest. Throughout mythological historiography, there has been an abundance of information and descriptions of their dual nature. According to Ovid, the Sirens were companions of Persephone. Her abduction from Hades was also the occasion to give them wings and start the search for the girl on land and sea. 

In other versions, their transformation is due to Demeter's anger at the abduction of her daughter or Aphrodite, due to not honoring their beauty and the graces of love. In any case, however, it was their enchanting voice and melodious songs that made them the ultimate disaster should any ship encounter them. The crew would never return to their destination again.

It was Circe who saved Odysseus and his crew from certain destruction. Poseidon, enraged at the blindness of Polyphemus, saw to it that the ship was sent to the most dangerous places. Odysseus, approaching the island, took care to ensure their defense. Suddenly the strong wind that was driving the ship stopped. At that moment, Odysseus began to cut pieces of beeswax and molded them until they were soft, to fill the ears of his companions.

Some rowed the ship, while the rest took care of tying Odysseus to the mast. Passing the island, the Sirens observed who was on board the ship, and immediately, with their melodious voice, they sang for Odysseus, who had not covered his ears. He was immediately roused by the call of the sirens, ordering his men to free him. Adhering to his earlier instructions, the two crew members in charge of him, Periides and Eurylochus, only tightened the ropes while the others rowed the ship away from the Sirens.

Many of the challenges on Odysseus' journey are depicted as man's weakness to greed and lust, and the Sirens are just one of the many trials he will face during this journey. Curiosity is almost certain to be a danger to a man. In this case, however, the temptation of the Sirens is not seduction in the literal, carnal sense, but rather an intellectual promise of unspeakable knowledge, which Odysseus finds especially alluring.

Temptations are but a distant echo of the melodious songs of the Sirens. Only then did Odysseus think and decide rationally.