In 1855 an asteroid was discovered that took its name from Circe. The 34 Circe.
For those who play chess, they will surely be familiar with Circe, a variation of the
well-known game. But let’s see who this Circe was, whose name has reached as
high as the stars.
Genealogy
Circe was the daughter of the Sun God and of Persida, one of the Oceanids. Her
brother was Aetius, the father of Medea, and her sister was Pasiphae, the wife of
King Minos. Circe was a minor deity. A nymph for some, a witch to others. Her
name is associated with the circus, the bird of prey.
Aia
She lived in Aia, where according to ancient tradition, was located on Mount
Circaion, in Italy. The mountain looked like an island, as it was surrounded by
sea. She lived in a magnificent palace in the woods and was accompanied
only by wolves, bears, lions and other animals that lived around the palace. All
these animals were in fact men, whom she had transformed and were now
serving her.
Circe and Odysseus
On the way back from Troy, Odysseus and his companions arrive on the island of
Circe. Circe not only welcomes them warmly but also prepares for them for a
great feast. Odysseus’ companions are excited. They eat, drink and enjoy the
comforts of the palace. Little do they know that they have fallen into a trap. Circe
has sprinkled magic herbs in their drink and in a little while they fall asleep. She
then touches them with her magic wand and transforms them into pigs.
Eurylochus who was on guard outside the palace, sees what is happening and
runs to tell Odysseus who happened to remain behind on the ship. Odysseus
heads straight to the palace. On the way however, Hermes stops him. He gives
him to drink an herb, the mole, so that he is not caught by the goddess’s spells
and advises him to draw his sword when she is going to transform him, as if to
take her life. He also tells him not to deny her love because only then will he be
able to save his friends. And so it was done. Odysseus, following literally the
advice of Hermes, manages to resist Circe and persuade her to lift the spell on his
companions. The men stayed on the island as Circe’s honoured guests for a year.
When the time came for Odysseus to be on his way, Circe gave him very detailed
instructions on how to go down to the Underworld, the Kingdom of Hades and
find the seer Teiresias because he would be the only one who can explain to him
why Poseidon is angry with him and how he could appease him so he can be
allowed to finally return home. Circe, knowing all the ritual procedures for
entering the Underworld, appears here as the gatekeeper and her island as the
entrance to Hades. However, she is also presented as the controller and
manipulator of weather phenomena. She promises Odysseus a favorable wind to
reach Ithaca and keeps her promise.
Circe’s kids
According to Hesiod’s Theogony and Telegonia, which is a continuation of the
Odyssey and is attributed to Eugamon the Cyrene, Circe gave Odysseus three
children. Wild, Latino and Telegonus. When Telegonus grew up, he moved to
Ithaca to find his father. Telegonus, looking for him, began to plunder the island.
Odysseus tried to stop him. Telegonos did not know that he was his father and
he killed him. As soon as he realized who he had killed, he took Odysseus’s
lifeless body and together with Penelope and Telemachus they returned to the
island of Circe. Circe makes them immortal and marries Telemachus while
Penelope marries Telegonus.
In a lesser-known version mentioned by Lycophron, Odysseus and Circe also
have a daughter named Cassiphon. She marries her half-brother, Telemachus,
and kills him because he had murdered her mother.
Circe and the Argonaut campaign
We also meet Circe in the Argonaut campaign.
Jason and Medea arrive in Aia and ask Circe to purify them for the death of
Apsyrtos and the seizure of the Golden Fleece. Circe recognizes her niece,
the daughter of Aetius and her brother, by the golden gleam of her eyes.
This being the signature of all the children and grandchildren of the Sun God
having this golden glow. Circe agrees to purify them by slaughtering a piglet
and letting the blood flow on them. But she is unhappy with her niece who
betrayed her father and expels them from the island.
Circe and Scylla
Is it Circe who transformed Scylla into the monster we meet in the Odyssey?
According to some traditions, yes. It is said that Circe was in love with Glafkos but
he denied her because he was in love with a young girl named Scylla. Then Circe,
in order to take revenge on him, transformed her into the well-known and
horrible monster.
Conclusion
Circe is the most complete example of a witch. She is dominant over the animal
and plant realms and she is dominant over natural phenomena. She has the
ability to regenerate and offer immortality. She purifies and communicates with
the dead. Finally, she is the most famous witch of the ancient Mediterranean
world.
Circe on YouTube
You can also watch Circe’s story on YouTube.
Audio is in slow Greek with English subtitles.
learningreek.com 