# Planctae

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{{Short description|Group of moving rocks in ancient Greek mythology}}
{{redirect|Wandering Rocks}}
In [Greek mythology](/source/Greek_mythology), the '''Planctae''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|p|l|æ|ŋ|k|t|iː}} ({{langx|el|Πλαγκταὶ}}, ''Planktai'', "Wanderers"), also known as '''Wandering Rocks''', were a group of rocks, between which the sea was mercilessly violent. The ''[Argo](/source/Argo)'' (led by [Jason](/source/Jason)) was the only ship to navigate them successfully (with divine help from [Hera](/source/Hera), [Thetis](/source/Thetis), and the [Nereids](/source/Nereids)). Jason chose to brave the Planctae instead of braving [Scylla](/source/Scylla) and [Charybdis](/source/Charybdis).

In the ''[Odyssey](/source/Odyssey)'' of [Homer](/source/Homer), the sorceress [Circe](/source/Circe) tells [Odysseus](/source/Odysseus) of the "Wandering Rocks" or "Roving Rocks" that have only been successfully passed by the ''[Argo](/source/Argo)'' when ''homeward'' bound. These rocks smash ships and the remaining timbers are scattered by the sea or destroyed by flames. The rocks lie on one of two potential routes to [Ithaca](/source/Homer's_Ithaca); the alternative, which is taken by Odysseus, leads to [Scylla and Charybdis](/source/Scylla_and_Charybdis). Furthermore, in the ''[Argonautica](/source/Argonautica)'', it was [Hera](/source/Hera), for her love of [Jason](/source/Jason), who sped the ''Argo'' through the [Symplegades](/source/Symplegades) safely.<ref>Homer, "The Odyssey", XII, 60–80.</ref>

The rocks also appear on the journey in the ''[Argonautica](/source/Argonautica)'' by [Apollonius of Rhodes](/source/Apollonius_of_Rhodes), who also locates them near Scylla and Charybdis, but beyond them rather than as an alternative route.<ref>Apollonius, ''The Argonautica'', 4.782-788</ref> Apollonius distinguishes between two sets of dangerous rocks, the Symplegades and the Planctae. The Symplegades were encountered on the way to the [Golden Fleece](/source/Golden_Fleece) and the Planctae were encountered on the return voyage. Which god or goddess helped the Argonauts safely sail through the Clashing Rocks is unclear in the text. [Athena](/source/Athena) helped in the former task, while [Thetis](/source/Thetis) and her sisters the [Nereids](/source/Nereids) helped in the latter one. However, the plans to help Jason pass these obstacles were ultimately orchestrated by Hera according to Apollonius, thus agreeing with Homer.<ref>Apollonius of Rhodes, "Jason and the Golden Fleece", Trans. Richard Hunter, [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press), [Great Clarendon Street](/source/Great_Clarendon_Street), Oxford, 1993, p. 158, note 117. Book II, 597–598 and Book IV, 859–958.</ref>

The similarities and differences between the Wandering Rocks and the [Symplegades](/source/Symplegades) has been much debated by scholars, as have potential locations for them. (See also ''[Geography of the Odyssey](/source/Geography_of_the_Odyssey)''.) As [Scylla and Charybdis](/source/Scylla_and_Charybdis) have often been located in the [Straits of Messina](/source/Straits_of_Messina), this has led some (like [E. V. Rieu](/source/E._V._Rieu)) to suggest the Wandering Rocks were located around [Sicily](/source/Sicily), with their flames and smoke coming from [Mount Etna](/source/Mount_Etna). An alternative theory of the geography of the ''Odyssey'' places Circe, the [Siren](/source/Siren_(mythology))s, Scylla & Charybdis and the Wandering Rocks, all mentioned in the stories of both Jason and Odysseus, in [northwest Greece](/source/Geography_of_the_Odyssey). [Tim Severin](/source/Tim_Severin) noted that the island of [Sesola](/source/Sesola) off the coast of [Lefkada](/source/Lefkada) looked very similar to the rocks from the Argo story, and also that the area is near a geological fault; he hypothesises that, due to both its similarity with the legends of the Symplegades and the stories of the ''Argo'' sailing home via the [Adriatic](/source/Adriatic_Sea) and [Ionian Sea](/source/Ionian_Sea)s, the original legend was copied to the area. Severin also supports his theory with locations for Scylla and Charybdis being located on the other side of Levkas, noting that the name "[Cape Skilla](/source/Cape_Skilla)" is still used for a nearby headland on the mainland.

==References==
{{reflist}}

Category:Mythological islands
Category:Places in Greek mythology

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Planctae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planctae) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planctae?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.