Who Is Circe (Kirke)?
The island goddess who turns men into pigs
Circe is a goddess who lives on the island of Aeaea and a daughter of Helios, the sun god. A master of drugs and magic, she is best known as an enchantress or witch.
In this story, she serves Odysseus's men a drugged meal when they visit her hall, then strikes them with her wand and turns them into pigs. But her magic has no effect on Odysseus, who carries moly, an herb given to him by Hermes. With his sword at her throat, Circe swears to do him no more harm and turns his men back into humans. She then hosts the crew generously for a whole year, tells them to journey to the Underworld, and gives detailed warnings about the dangers ahead, including the Sirens.
Later traditions say that she and Odysseus had a son named Telegonus.
Episodes featuring this character4
NEWEpisode 4
Pigs on the Outside, Still Men InsideCirce
Deep in a forest stands a beautiful mansion, and the scouts who go there are turned into pigs by the goddess Circe. Odysseus walks in alone. With a white flower from the messenger of the gods and the nerve to stand his ground, he wins the witch over. But after a year of peace, she tells him something he never wanted to hear: "First, you must go to the Land of the Dead."
19 pages
NEWEpisode 5
What the Greatest Hero Said After DeathThe Nekyia — Journey to the Underworld
At the lightless edge of the world, Odysseus summons the dead—yet even when his own mother appears, he keeps his sword raised so the prophet can drink the blood first. Three times her shade slips through his arms, and the heroes of Troy speak their hearts. Odysseus learns what it truly means to come home alive.
19 pages
NEWEpisode 6
He Wanted to Hear the Song That KillsThe Sirens
Odysseus wants to hear the Sirens' song, which promises to answer any question. Knowing from the start that he'll lose to it, he has his crew tie him to the mast. When the song takes hold and he screams, "Untie me!", his men, their ears stuffed with wax, only pull the ropes tighter. The promise he made before the song began is what saves him.
19 pages
NEWEpisode 7
Sacrifice Six, or Sink Them AllScylla and Charybdis
On one side, a whirlpool that swallows whole ships. On the other, an undying monster that always takes six men. Odysseus alone knows the truth. He keeps it from his crew and just keeps shouting "Row!" Then the hands reach out to him, calling his name, and there is nothing he can do.
19 pages