She not only lifted the spell she had placed on the men, but made them better. She soon realized who he was, however, as she had been told that Odysseus of Ithaca would be the only man to ever resist her magic. Odysseus did as he was instructed, and Circe was shocked that he resisted her spells. He could not refuse as she was a goddess.Įven then there was a chance of treachery, so Hermes advised him to make her swear by the gods that she would not make any further attempt to harm him. Instead, Circe would ask Odysseus to go to bed with her.
PERSONALITY TRAITS PENELOPE ODYSSEY FREE
If he harmed the witch, however, he would never be able to free his men from her spell. When Circe attempted to use her wand, the god told Odysseus to pull out his sword and act as though he was about to kill her. It would make him immune to Circe’s charms and her poisons. The god offered assistance in avoiding Circe’s traps.įirst, he gave Odysseus an herb called moly. Odysseus went alone so as to not risk any more men, while his second in command pleaded with him to not put himself in danger.Īs he traveled the path to the house, he was met by Hermes.
Odysseus would not agree to abandon his enchanted men, but allowed Eurolochus to remain on the ship while he took action. He was certain that if any of them approached her they would meet the same fate. He was terrified as he told Odysseus his tale and begged to not have to go back to Circe’s house. He ran back to the ship to tell his captain about their sorry fate. Then, with a wave of her magic wand, she turned them all into pigs.Įurylochus saw his crewmates being driven to the pigsty, weeping as they were locked inside. She served the men simple, comforting food that they did not suspect was laced with a powerful magic potion.įirst she made the men forget their homes and feel totally at ease with her. Eurylochus, Odysseus’s brother-in-law and his second in command, suspected something sinister and hid outside while his companions ate their unexpected lunch.Įurylochus was right to be suspicious of the charming woman that had welcomed them so quickly. After months at sea they were happy to accept and did not question why she had so much to spare. The men were terrified, but gathered their wits and made themselves known to the singing woman they could hear inside.Ĭirce greeted them warmly and invited the men inside for a meal. In fact, the wild animals rubbed up against them like pets. Lions and wolves lounged in the grass but seemed completely docile, making no move to attack the intruders. The men were surprised by the animals that surrounded the home. They soon found Circe’s house in a clearing in the forest. The men heard beautiful singing as they made their way toward the smoke. He sent some of men to scout the island after seeing smoke from a chimney rising up from the forest. Odysseus and his crew landed on the fictional island of Aeaea in the far west as they struggled to reach Ithaca. Later generations saw her as a dangerous seductress, and many Greeks saw her spell on Odysseus’s crew as a caution against vice, but there’s a lot more to Circe than those interpretations would make you believe! Circe in Homer’s OdysseyĬirce is most well-known for the role she plays in the epic voyage of Odysseus. She was a mother and a jealous woman in love.
She met with other adventurers who she was less willing to help. Without Circe’s assistance, it is doubtful whether Odysseus would have survived his treacherous journey at all.īut there was a lot more to the story of Circe than how she helped Odysseus find his way after placing a spell on some of his men. She initially seemed like a threat to the lives of his crew, but she became one of the men’s greatest benefactors. She is most famous for her role in the epic story of Odysseus. Most people think of Circe as a sorceress, a witch, or even a temptress. She is rarely described as a goddess though. Her father was the sun god Helios and her mother was, depending on the source, either a naiad or the goddess of magic Hecate.
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