Think you know your Greek? Read Circe in Greek here: Κίρκη – Η Θεά της Μαγείας
Hello again my mythology and history Greek enthusiasts!
Today we are looking at Circe, the goddess of magic.
To begin with, astronomy lovers might know her from the night sky. In 1855, an astronomer discovered an asteroid and took its name from Circe, naming it the 34 Circe. In addition, chess players will surely recognize her name because it belongs to a popular variation of the traditional board game.
But let’s see who this legendary goddess actually was, whose name has reached as high as the stars.
Genealogy
To understand her origins, we must look at her divine family tree.
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.
Even though she came from such a powerful lineage, ancient writers often considered her a minor deity. For instance, some texts describe her as a nymph, whereas others view her as a powerful witch.
Her name also connects directly to the Greek word kirkos, which means a bird of prey.
Aia
She lived on the legendary island of Aia. According to ancient tradition, this mythical place was located on Mount Circeo in Italy. The mountain looked like an island, as it was surrounded by sea.
Inside the deep woods, she lived in a magnificent palace. She was not entirely alone, however, as wolves, bears, and lions accompanied her around the estate. In reality, all these wild animals were actually men whom she had previously transformed, and they now served her.
Circe and Odysseus
On their long way back from Troy, Odysseus and his companions arrived on the goddess’s island.
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.
The goddess had secretly sprinkled magic herbs into their wine. and in a little while they fell asleep. She then touched them with her magic wand and transforms them into pigs.
Meanwhile, Eurylochus was standing guard outside the palace. He saw the entire transformation happen, so he ran back to warn Odysseus, who had stayed behind on the ship. Hearing the terrible news, Odysseus headed straight toward the palace.
On his way there, however, Hermes stopped him. He gave him to drink an herb, the mole, so that he is not caught by the goddess’s spells and advised him to draw his sword and rush at her as if to take her life when she tried to use her wand.
The messenger god also told him not to deny her love, because only intimacy would allow him to save his friends. Following this advice, Odysseus managed to resist her magic. He successfully persuaded Circe to lift the spell from his loyal companions.
Afterward, the men stayed on the island as honored guests for a full year.
Underworld
When the time finally came for Odysseus to to leave, she gave him 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.
Since she knew every single ritual procedure for entering the realm of the dead, she acts as a true gatekeeper here. In fact, ancient writers present her island as the very entrance to Hades.
However, she is also presented as the controller andmanipulator of weather phenomena. She promises Odysseus a favorable wind to reach Ithaca and keeps her promise.
Circe’s Children
According to Hesiod’s Theogony and Telegonia, which is a continuation of the Odyssey and is attributed to Eugamon the Cyrene. She gave him three children. Wild, Latino and Telegonus.
When Telegonus grew up, he traveled to Ithaca to find his father.
While searching for him, the young prince began to plunder the island. Odysseus naturally tried to stop the raider. Because Telegonus did not recognize his father, he tragically killed him in battle.
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. There, Circe makes them all 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 then 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. They wanted absolution for the murder of Apsyrtus and the theft of the Golden Fleece.
She immediately recognized Medea as her niece, the daughter her brother Aetius, by the golden gleam of her eyes.
This unique glow was the signature trait of all the Sun God’s children and grandchildren. Therefore, she agreed to purify the couple by slaughtering a piglet and letting the blood wash over 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 several ancient myths, yes.
It is said that Circe was in love with Glafkos but he rejected her because he was in love with a young girl named Scylla. Then, in order to take revenge on him,the godess transformed her into the well-known and horrible monster.
Conclusion
Circe is the most complete example of a witch.
She rules completely over the animal and plant realms, while also controlling natural phenomena. Moreover, she holds the power to regenerate life and offer immortality. She purifies the guilty and communicates effortlessly with the dead.
Ultimately, she remains the most famous sorceress of the ancient Mediterranean world.
Circe on YouTube
You can also watch her fascinating story on YouTube.
Audio is in slow Greek with English subtitles.
Want to challenge your Greek? Check out the Greek version: Κίρκη – Η Θεά της Μαγείας
