Note 57 — BOOK I
John Conington translation
7:23. Scylla. A sea-monster, residing in a cave in certain rocks, also called Scylla, between Italy and Sicily. The upper part of this monster resembled a lovely woman. About the waist was a circle of dogs or wolves; below was the tail of a dolphin. The wolves reach out and seize passing ships and drag them on the rocks. Virgil’s Scylla is adopted by Milton as a description of one of the monsters guarding the gates of Hell.