Editing Circe (section)

=== Homer's ''Odyssey'' ===
[[File:Circe-Frederick Stuart Church-1910.9.4 1a Smithsonian American Art Museum.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.05|[[Frederick Stuart Church|Frederick S. Church]]'s ''Circe'' (1910)]]

In Homer's ''Odyssey'', an 8th-century BC sequel to his [[Trojan War]] epic ''[[Iliad]]'', Circe is initially described as a beautiful goddess living in a palace isolated in the midst of a dense wood on her island of Aeaea. Around her home prowl strangely docile lions and wolves. She lures any who land on the island to her home with her lovely singing while weaving on an enormous loom, but later drugs them so that they change shape.<ref>Homer, ''Odyssey'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Hom.+Od.+10.212&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136 10.212ff].</ref> One of her Homeric epithets is ''polypharmakos'', "knowing many drugs or charms".<ref>[[LSJ]] [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dpolufa%2Frmakos s. v. πολυ-φάρμα^κος]; [[Homer]], ''[[Odyssey]]'', [http://data.perseus.org/citations/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0012.tlg002.perseus-grc1:10.261-10.301 10.276].</ref>

Circe invites the hero Odysseus' crew to a feast of familiar food, a pottage of cheese and meal, sweetened with honey and laced with wine, but also mixed with one of her magical potions that turns them into swine. Only [[Eurylochus (mythology)|Eurylochus]], who suspects treachery, does not go in. He escapes to warn Odysseus and the others who have remained with the ship. Before Odysseus reaches Circe's palace, [[Hermes]], the messenger god sent by the goddess of wisdom [[Athena]], intercepts him and reveals how he might defeat Circe in order to free his crew from their enchantment. Hermes provides Odysseus with [[moly (herb)|moly]] to protect him from Circe's magic. He also tells Odysseus that he must then draw his sword and act as if he were going to attack her. From there, as Hermes foretold, Circe would ask Odysseus to bed, but Hermes advises caution, for the treacherous goddess could still "unman" him unless he has her swear by the names of the gods that she will not take any further action against him. Following this advice, Odysseus is able to free his men.

After they have all remained on the island for a year, Circe advises Odysseus that he must first visit the [[Underworld]], something a mortal has never yet done,<ref>Homer, ''Odyssey'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0136%3Abook%3D10%3Acard%3D475 10.475—541].</ref> in order to gain knowledge about how to appease the gods, return home safely and recover his kingdom. Circe also advises him on how this might be achieved and furnishes him with the protections he will need and the means to communicate with the dead. On his return, she further advises him about two possible routes home, warning him, however, that both carry great danger.