The mythology of ancient Greece is rich in stories about the history and exploits of the gods of Olympus. We know about the supreme gods: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter and Persephone, Apollo, Athena, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Ares, Artemis. But the ancient stories about the journeys of Odysseus brought to our time another name for the Greek goddess-sorceress - Circe.
Who is she? Where did it come from and what abilities is it endowed with? What character does it have? Whom did she love, and who loved her? Was she honest and noble, or evil and cruel? The literature of Ancient Greece will answer all these questions.
Biography
Once upon a time, the sun god Helios met Perseid, daughter of the mighty titan of the Ocean. Young fell in love with each other without memory. Out of their love, a girl was born, whom her parents named Circe. In addition, the young demigoddess was related to Hekate - the goddess of the moon, darkness and magic, the keeper of dreams, the patroness of sorcerers.
Thanks to divine genetics, the little Circe opened an innate gift from childhood to fascinate people. In addition, the girl possessed strong magical abilities, which, together with great potential, developed surprisingly quickly.
Odysseus
Reading the stories of Homer, "Iliad" and "Odyssey," you can plunge into amazing stories about the travels of the king of the island of Ithaca - one of the lovers of Circe. Legends describe him as a strong warrior, a loving father and husband named Odysseus.
The author tells how long and hard the main character was to return home to his family. The writer allows you to feel the atmosphere of life and culture of the people of the island of Ithaca. Introduces us to the son of King Laertes and his beautiful, wise and faithful mother Penelope, who had been waiting for her husband for 20 long years. Where was the king all this time?
Odysseus spent the first 10 years on the Trojan War. The next ten he tried to return home, overcoming all the adventures sent to him by the gods. Tempting the man, Poseidon sent his ship to the island of Eze.
Eze Island
When the travelers were on the ground, they did not recognize the area. Odysseus, as captain, selected several sailors and ordered them to explore the island: are there any settlements, food, and drinking water nearby? Subordinates immediately hit the road. However, as it turned out, they were absolutely unexpected guests. Since no one invited them, they did not immediately begin to accept them, punishing them for curiosity.
Circe
The daughter of Helios and Perseids herself lived on the island - the sorceress Circe. She was the queen of the island. The circe punished all reconnaissance crews sent one after another to familiarize themselves with the island. The goddess offered the sailors a drink that turned visitors into pigs.
Hermes help
When the next group of sailors left and did not return, Odysseus decided to go on their own searches. Going down Hermes told him about the inhabitants of the island. The warning of the messenger about the divine gift of the goddess to charm all people did not frighten the hero. Then Hermes presented the man with a magical plant that blocks the magic of Circe. This will give him a chance to stay in his right mind.
Treaty of Odyssey and Circe
Odysseus came to the castle of the sorceress for his people. The circe, having seen a strong man, moreover, with immunity to her magical effects, showed interest in the captain. Odysseus made an agreement with the goddess: she will turn the sailors back into people, then the man will remain with her as a lover. The sorceress agreed.
Life on the island
The whole year spent the captain with the team on the island. During this time, a boy named Telegon was born from the love affair of Odysseus and Circe. Seafarers were treated as important guests. But a long absence did the trick, the crew got bored with the house. Knowing what the Circe means to the captain, the sailors asked the king to persuade the girl to let them go home. She agreed and even advised her beloved to go down to the underworld to find out her fate.
Beloved Circe
In addition to Odysseus, the goddess fell in love with other men, who suffered the revenge of a sorceress. The sea god Glaucus was also lucky to become the object of the sighing of the Circe. He, as it turned out, fell in love with the girl Skilla. The sorceress turned the unfortunate into a terrible monster. When asked what Circe did with Skilla, the goddess confessed to jealousy and resentment due to the neglect of Glaucus.
Another victim of one-sided love was Peak - the king of Avzonia and the son of Saturn. He did not reciprocate the goddess, for which he was reincarnated as a woodpecker.
Cruelty from the goddess’s selfishness was escaped only by King Ithaca - Odysseus. The surviving scriptures tell us that there was a completely different Circe with Odysseus. This is seen especially in the situation with the return of her lover home. Caring and gentle girl, realizing and accepting the situation, also gave parting words on the road.
Here about such a dual nature of the goddess legends tell us. Circe is a woman, a goddess, a sorceress, a granddaughter of the Titan Ocean, the daughter of Helios and Perseida, the mother of Telegon: cruel and gentle, selfish and understanding, impulsive and wise.