In Book XII of Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus and his men are leaving the land of Circe and she advises them on where to go next. She tells them that they will run into Scylla or Charydbis. She told Odysseus that while Scylla would eat 6 of his men, the ship and the remaining men would be safe to continue their journey. On the other hand, if he sailed near Charydbis, it would swallow the whole ship and eat all men. It was a clear decision to make because it was preferable to lose only part of his crew than everyone.