A dangerous invitation
After the destruction of most of his fleet by the Laestrygonians, Odysseus reaches Aeaea with one ship. He divides the survivors into two groups, and a scouting party led by Eurylochus finds Circe’s house. Wolves and lions surround it but behave with unusual tameness. Inside, Circe sings while weaving. The household seems to offer order and comfort after a voyage of violent encounters.
Circe invites the men in, mixes food and drink with a drug, and strikes them with her wand. They acquire the bodies of pigs while retaining their human minds. Eurylochus, who had remained outside because he suspected a trap, escapes to report the disaster. His caution is essential evidence for the rescue, even though the poem later shows tension between him and his commander.
Source: Odyssey · Odyssey 10.133–260
Help, resistance, and an oath
Odysseus goes to recover his companions. On the way Hermes meets him, explains Circe’s methods, and gives him moly, a plant that will counter her drug. He also supplies a sequence of actions: resist the enchantment, draw the sword, and require a solemn promise that Circe will not harm him. The encounter therefore depends on a god’s knowledge as well as the hero’s resolve.
Circe’s potion fails, and Odysseus follows the instructions. She recognizes the man whose arrival Hermes had foretold and swears the required oath. After their union she offers him food, but he refuses to eat while his men remain transformed. Circe restores them with another preparation; they return to human form, younger-looking and more impressive than before. Tears of recognition replace the first scene’s false welcome. The same household and skilled power that produced captivity now provide restoration.
Source: Odyssey · Odyssey 10.261–399
A refuge that still delays return
The whole surviving company moves to Circe’s house and remains for a year. Eventually the men remind Odysseus that they must go home. Circe agrees to release them but explains that their route first requires a journey to consult the dead prophet Tiresias. Her role changes again: the dangerous host becomes a source of indispensable directions. After the underworld visit she supplies warnings for the next stage of travel.
This sequence resists a simple portrait of Circe as either a hostile monster or a generous helper. Her treatment of the men changes through resistance, oaths, and continuing exchange. The story also separates restored bodies from restored purpose. The sailors become human again well before they resume the labor of getting home. Their prolonged comfort is another threat to the voyage, less spectacular than the pigsty but capable of stopping the return just as effectively.
Source: Odyssey · Odyssey 10.400–574; 12.1–141
- Period / witness
- Archaic Greek epic, conventionally late eighth or seventh century BCE; Butler translation 1900
- Recording context
- The Odyssey belongs to an ancient Greek epic tradition transmitted through manuscripts and papyri. Its imagined travels cannot establish the historical locations or origins of every episode.
A recording location is not necessarily a story’s origin. Dates of texts, copies, and translations answer different questions.
Explore time & place →Read the sources
These references support the explanation above. Rights and edition notes are recorded individually.
Odyssey ↗
Homer (traditional attribution); translated by Samuel Butler · Ancient Greek epic conventionally dated late eighth or seventh century BCE; translation first published 1900; electronic edition updated 2026-11-02
Edition & rights note