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In early Greek mythology, Sirens were known as beautiful women who lived on the sea, and sang beautiful songs. Their songs would often force ships into rocky shores and cause men who heard their songs to walk off a cliff to their death. In addition, “Men who heard their song became instantly enhanced, mesmerized, and walked to them where they received only gruesome death, at times by drowning or sometimes being eaten” (History of Sirens, paragraph 2). Sirens are often depicted as mermaids in modern portrayals, but originally, they had a woman’s head and a bird’s body. According to Greek mythology, the Sirens were the daughters of Achelous, god of water and rivers. They were also notably “created to be the playmates of young Persephone,” but they sprouted wings and became a bird hybrid as a result of Persephone’s abduction (History of Sirens, paragraph 3). In some accounts, they wished to sprout wings in order to aid them in their search for Persephone, however some other sources claim they were turned into monsters by Persephone’s mother.

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According to Homer, the Sirens lived on an island near Scylla and Charybdis. On this island, they would wait for passing sailors to come along, so they could sing their captivating music and lure the sailors to their doom. It is said that their homeland has been perpetually layered with the rotting corpses of their victims. Sirens were dangerous creatures, as they would "bewitch everybody who approached them. There is no homecoming for the man who draws near them unawares...For with their high clear song the Sirens bewitch him, as they sit there in a meadow piled high with the skeletons of men, whose withered skin still hangs upon their bones” (The advice of Circe, Odyssey, 12:39-47). One of the most famous scenes from the Odyssey was when the Sirens tried to lure in Odysseus and his crew on their way home to Ithaca.  However, Odysseus was very intelligent and was much harder to capture than the other sailors before him.

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The Sirens in The Odyssey mainly represent the idea of temptation and seduction. In the text, the sirens are cannibals with one major purpose: lure sailors in with a trap and destroy them. They would sing a sweet song that was attached with promises of happiness, but this satisfaction would only be temporary. In the end, the victim of the Sirens would be killed off and ruined. This is similar to how the aspect of temptation works. Usually, the temptation to do bad things is for the purpose of enjoyment and pleasure. However, this contentment never lasts as doing bad deeds leads to consequences in the long run. In addition, the Sirens are painted as a symbol of seduction towards men. In Greek mythology, women are often illustrated as a luring of men and loss of innocence. This theme could carry on to the Sirens, who are pictured as women that seduce men into coming near them only to kill and eat the men whole.

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This illustration shows Sirens surrounding a ship, ready to sink it and kill the sailors. They prey on men by tempting them and, as shown in the photo, their song could cause any man to jump into the water.

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This vase was painted to depict sirens tempting Odysseus on his journey home. It illustrates Odysseus listening to the song of the sirens while strapped to the ship's mast and also shows Odysseus's men ignoring the song through covering their ears with beeswax.

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The picture shows sirens after luring a sailor from his ship and killing him. They all surround his corpse, supposedly ready to eat him.

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The Sirens Of Greek Mythology - (Greek Mythology Explained)

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“History of Sirens.” Real Mermaids. http://www.realmermaids.net/mermaid-history/siren-history/ Accessed 9 December 2018

Cartwright, Mark. “Siren.” Ancient History Encyclopedia, 16 April 2015. https://www.ancient.eu/Siren/. Accessed 9 December 2018