Who was Circe’s lover?
Circe’s lover was Odysseus, the King of Ithaca and the titular figure of Homer’s Odyssey. Other myths mention her romantic pursuits of Glaucus, Picus, and Telemachus.
What was Circe the goddess of?
Circe was the goddess of sorcery in Greek mythology. She is recorded as having mastered the supernatural arts of transmutation, necromancy, illusion, and enchantment.
Where does the goddess Circe live?
Circe lives in a woodland palace on the isolated island of Aeaea. Some myths suggest Circe was banished to Aeaea.
When did Circe first appear in Greek mythology?
Circe first appeared in Greek mythology in Book 10 of the Odyssey, roughly dated to the 8th century BCE. Her next most significant appearance is in Hesiod’s Theogony.
Why did Odysseus sleep with Circe?
Odysseus was held hostage by Circe for a year; he slept with her to assure the safety of his remaining crew, who had been transmuted into pigs by the goddess.
How did Circe come to be?
Circe was the nymph daughter of the sun god Helios and the Oceanid Perse.[1] Other, more uncommon accounts regard her parents as Aeëtes and Hecate.
Table of Contents
Origins and Family
Circe is the daughter of the sun god Helios and the Oceanid nymph, Perse. Her siblings include the wife of King Minos, Pasiphaë; the Colchis king, Aeëtes; and the king of the Tauric Chersonese, Perses. Helios and Perse’s children were described as magically gifted, although none were as infamous as Circe.
Alternatively, she is referred to by the historian Diodorus Siculus as the daughter of Hecate, goddess of witchcraft, and Aeëtes, and her sister was Medea—the sorceress lover of the hero Jason.[2]
As a daughter of Helios, Circe was notoriously manipulative and carried herself with an air of entitlement. These personality traits were notable among her siblings as well. According to Ovid, Circe learned all she knew of herbology and potion crafting from her mother, Perse, who was well-versed in sorcery herself.
During Odysseus’s stay in Aeaea, Circe is said to have borne three sons: Telegonus, Agrius, and Latinus. Occasionally, a daughter, Cassiophone, is noted. Other popular accounts mention only Telegonus as born of their brief union.
Circe in Greek Mythology
In Greek mythology, Circe was often an antagonist. When faced with conflict, she used seduction, an age-old tactic of hers, and when that failed, she used her sorcery talents to gain the upper hand.
The Odyssey
Circe meets Odysseus in Book 10 of the Odyssey, sometime after the crew encounters the man-eating Laestrygonians. It is safe to say the traumatized crew was in a bad way. So, when Circe—a pretty, seemingly sympathetic minor goddess—offered them safe harbor, they were more than willing to trust her. That is, except for Odysseus’s second-in-command, Eurylochus.
The situation was thus: some of the crew went ashore with Eurylochus, while a small number stayed with the ship—Odysseus included. The crew that made landfall were eating potion-laced food and enjoying Circe’s “hospitality” while Odysseus, made aware of the suspicious sorceress, conspired with Hermes on how to survive this messy encounter.
Thankfully, Hermes was sent by everyone’s favorite patron, Athena, so Odysseus knew he was in safe(ish) hands. He was given an herb, moly, to make him immune to Circe’s sorcery. Then, he was advised to pretend to attack Circe, which would result in her requesting they share a bed instead.
Weird, for sure, but okay. No one said anything about Greek mythological characters being normal.
When all was said and done, Odysseus would have to make Circe swear on the gods that she would take no other action against him. With the knowledge imparted to him by Hermes, Odysseus went to Circe’s isolated palace in the woods. He discovers that his men who partook in the meal Circe provided were transmuted into wild pigs, which rightfully horrified and shocked Odysseus. He followed the divine instruction given to him.
What resulted was a year-long situationship that ended in children and a surprisingly cordial breakup. Perhaps more important than all the juicy drama, Circe ends up telling Odysseus what he needs to do to return home and which routes he should take to finally reach Ithaca.
The Telegony
The Telegony is a lost Greek epic that details the life of Telegonus, a son of Circe and Odysseus, who takes a journey to find his father, whom he had never known.[3] It is staged sometime after Odysseus returns to Ithaca and reunites with his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus.
In surviving fragments, Circe sends Telegonus off to locate Odysseus with a spear crafted by Hephaestus. It had a stingray barb at its point. Although the Telegony ends with Odysseus dying—albeit by mistake—at the hands of Telegonus and his fancy spear, the father and son do end up recognizing each other.
Telegonus brings Penelope, Telemachus, and Odysseus’s body back to Aeaea, where some later accounts say Circe raised Odysseus from the dead. However, most interpretations conclude that Odysseus is only buried on Aeaea and that Telegonus marries Penelope and Telemachus marries Circe after the sorceress makes them all immortal.
Other Myths Involving Circe
Circe is featured in several other myths that take place before Homer’s Odyssey.
Glaucus and Scylla
The first myth of Circe in her pre-Odyssey years involves the minor god, Glaucus, and the nymph Scylla. This myth also acts to explain how Scylla became a monster, and—you’ve probably guessed it—Circe is 100% to blame. By several mythographer’s interpretations, Circe’s treatment of Scylla may have been why she got banished to Aeaea.
As the legend goes, Glaucus was completely smitten by Scylla. The problem was that she didn’t love him back. He reached out to Circe to see if she would craft him a love potion. Circe immediately fell hopelessly in love with Glaucus and refused to make a potion, instead offering him her hand in marriage.
Glaucus’s rejection sent her into a rage.
Circe, hurt and vengeful, found out where Scylla bathed and proceeded to poison her bathwater. When Scylla next bathed, she was transformed into a horrible monster and fled.
Medea
In the accounts of Circe being a daughter of Hecate, Medea is Circe’s sister. However, Circe is more frequently described as Medea’s aunt. Regardless of their kinship, the two encounter each other in the Argonautica. Medea, Jason, and the Argonauts travel to Aeaea to be absolved of the murder of Medea’s brother, Absyrtus.
Circe ended up purifying those involved and quickly ushered everyone off her island thereafter. This is one of the rare depictions of Circe being, all things considered, a rational character.
Transforming Picus
As if Circe’s jealousy and poor emotional regulation weren’t already highlighted in previous myths, we have the legend of Picus. Picus was a handsome man married to a nymph whom he adored. At some point, Circe encountered him and fell head over heels. Unfortunately, Picus didn’t feel the same.
To punish Picus for rejecting her advances, Circe turned him into a woodpecker. His wife ultimately wasted away and died from heartbreak.
The Origin of Moly
In ancient Greek literature, moly is an herb that could allow an individual to resist magical influences and poisons. Modern scholars believe that moly, as it was known, is actually the Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis L.).
During the Gigantomachy, a giant, Picolous, is said to have fled the battle. He made his way to Aeaea and attempted to chase Circe off. Her father, Helios, came to her aid and killed Picolous, whose corpse was transformed into the moly plant.
Circe’s Appearance, Powers, and Abilities
According to various ancient scholars, Circe possessed all the physical characteristics that a daughter of Helios would have.
Apollonius of Rhodes, the author of the Argonautica, noted how Circe’s eyes were a flashing golden. To Homer, she was “dreadful” yet had “lovely hair and human speech.” Indeed, the beauty of her hair was addressed in the mysterious Orphic Argonautica (the Argonaut myth from the perspective of Orpheus), wherein her hair is described as fiery “rays of light.”[4]
From these sources, we can assume some things: Circe was eloquent, had unusual golden eyes, and was likely a redhead. All in all, she was as radiant—literally—as all other children of Helios.
Frequently shown with a wand in hand, Circe’s magical abilities are well known in Greek myths. She was a sorceress who had mastered various types of magic, from transmutation to necromancy. She also had extensive knowledge of potions and herbs, which, in legend, could only be combated by moly.
Circe’s sorcery made her stand out against other divinities in the Greek pantheon. Despite being a minor goddess—a nymph—Circe had to learn most of her skills. She was taught by her mother, Perse, whom she eventually surpassed in knowledge.
Circe’s Island: Aeaea
With sweeping pastures and rolling hills, the mythical island of Aeaea was as much a refuge for heroes as it was a trap, depending on the residential sorceress’s mood. Aeaea is described as an unusual, isolated place in the Mediterranean, with later records placing it somewhere beneath Italy. Otherwise, ancient records place Aeaea near the primeval river Oceanus.
The Argonautica notes the presence of multi-limbed creatures lurking near Aeaea’s shore, while the Odyssey accounts for docile wolves and lions closer to Circe’s stone palace in the woods. While several creatures on Circe’s island are believed to be former lovers of hers transformed, others are summed up as odd curiosities she keeps around for company. Meanwhile, in the Aeneid, Virgil notes just how loud Aeaea was. From the sea, sailors could hear the sounds of lions, bears, boars, and wolves.
Within Greek mythology, Aeaea as a setting represents temptation. More specifically, it represents the temptation of knowledge and the process of transformation. Circe ultimately gives Odysseus the knowledge he needs to reach Ithaca, though at a cost. Separately, Medea and the Argonauts were “transformed” after purifying rites were performed by Circe on their behalf.
Symbolism and Representation
Circe represented transformation—both physical and metaphorical—as well as the power and perceived dangers of female sexuality and autonomy. She famously changes Odysseus’s crew into pigs, robbing them of their human form. She forced Scylla and Picus to undergo similar transformations.
The change that Circe represents isn’t sweet and slow: it is quick, unwanted, and often brutal. However, Circe was also capable of cleansing one’s spirit. Metaphorically speaking, she could wipe a person’s slate clean.
For example, Circe purified Medea and the Argonauts after they committed the horrific act of murder with incredible success. Odysseus and his men were allowed to leave Aeaea after a year, and while they were all touched by Circe’s magic one way or another, she gave them vital information on how they could get home.
As far as being a symbol of female sexuality and autonomy, Circe frequently switched up the roles of the sexes in a patriarchal society. When sailors came to the island of Circe, she always had the upper hand. She maintains social dominance throughout Odysseus and his crew’s time on Aeaea and quickly deals with potential dangers through her wit and skill. She was as magical as she was manipulative.
In mythology, no one who went to Circe’s island of Aeaea was left unchanged by their experiences there—for better or worse. Therefore, the Greeks saw Circe as a legendary, transformative figure who should be both feared and venerated. Homer didn’t call her a “dreadful goddess” for nothing.
Circe in Art, Literature, and Modern Culture
Circe has appeared in various forms across art, literature, and modern media, evolving with each era. How Circe is depicted often reflects the changing societal views on female power, sexuality, and autonomy.[5]
Ancient art has Circe as a beautiful, magic wand-wielding figure surrounded by various animals. Alternatively, she is also shown to be holding a mortar and pestle, suggesting her skill in crafting potions. Several surviving attic figures depict the scene from the Odyssey where Odysseus first draws his blade against Circe. To the Romans, Circe maintained her identity as a powerful sorceress, such that they named Mount Circeo in her honor.
At the start of the Renaissance and throughout the Baroque period, Circe’s image became more elaborate in the shadow of Christianity. Artists depicted her as a beautiful, almost ethereal figure, often emphasizing her physical beauty and seduction. The Florentine poet Giovanni Boccaccio used Circe as an example of an unvirtuous woman, a seductress with many lovers. Boccaccio’s interpretation became popular, and Circe gained notoriety as a prostitute.
In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Circe continued to be a subject of artistic interpretation: she was a witch, a temptress, and yet wholly independent and powerful in her own right. At this point in history, images of Circe challenged traditional portrayals of women.
In literature, Circe has—and remains—a figure of speculation. She has been depicted as much of a predator as a victim, a villain as much as a heroine. More recently, she has gained renewed interest as the protagonist and narrator in Madeline Miller’s novel, Circe.
Modern media and culture have also done their due diligence in exploring Circe’s character. She is a must-have in film and television adaptations of the Odyssey and has appeared as an antagonist pitted against Wonder Woman in DC Comics. The character Cersei Lannister in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book saga and HBO’s Game of Thrones clearly takes some inspiration from the Greek goddess of the same, albeit spelled differently, name.
Circe’s Spell Over Time
Circe remains a powerful and complex figure in mythology, embodying both wisdom and transformation. Her portrayal in ancient texts, particularly in Homer’s Odyssey, emphasizes her multifaceted nature as a goddess. Her powers are feared and yet her cunning is admired.
While often seen as a seductress and sorceress, Circe also represents themes of self-discovery, using her magic to guide rather than merely punish—something she does plenty of. Her role in the ancient Greek mythical narrative reflects the power of knowledge, the consequences of choices, and the ability to shape one’s destiny.
References
- Evelyn-White, Hugh G., trans. 1914. Hesiod, Theogony. https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D1003.
- Oldfather, C. H., trans. 1935. Diodorus Siculus: Library of History. https://www.theoi.com/Text/DiodorusSiculus4C.html#6.
- Lendering, Jona. 2020. “Telegony.” Livius.org. https://www.livius.org/sources/content/epic-cycle/telegony/.
- Colavito, Jason. 2011. The Orphic Argonautica. Translated by Jason Colavito. N.p.: Lulu.com.
- Cummings, Robert. 2019. “Circe’s Transformations: Art Images of the Greek Sorceress Through the Ages.” Andaman Inspirations. https://andamaninspirations.com/2019/03/26/circes-transformations-art-images-of-the-greek-sorceress-through-the-ages/.