After
narrowly surviving the Laestrygonians, Odysseus and his men sail to the island of Aeaea, the
land of Circe. Odysseus proceeds to kill a stag for a meal, and his crew draws slots to see who
will travel into the wilderness to investigate Circe's home. Eurylochus and twenty-two
companions set out for Circe's home, but Eurylochus senses danger when they arrive and stays
outside. Unfortunately, Circe gives the unsuspecting men a magical potion that turns them into
pigs. Eurylochus is horrified by the incident and returns to the base camp to report what
happened to Odysseus. When Odysseus asks Eurylochus to take him back to Circe's home, he
refuses, and Odysseus decides to make the journey alone to save his men.
As
Odysseus is traveling to Circe's home in the forest, the god Hermes visits him in the form of a
young man, who informs him of the fate of his crew under Circe's control. Hermes proceeds to
give Odysseus a powerful herb that will protect him from Circe's magic and prevent him from
being turned into a pig. Hermes also gives Odysseus instructions on how to deal with Circe by
telling him to threaten the goddess with his sword and force her to swear a solemn oath that she
will not harm him. With Hermes's advice and magical root, Odysseus is protected from Circe and
forces her to transform his crew back into men.
No comments:
Post a Comment