Having never read the Odyssey before, I was first really surprised by how gory it was. The descriptions were incredibly vivid and kind of alarming, to be frank. I really enjoyed the stories about Circe, especially the one about Circe’s Magic. I was really surprised when she turned Odysseus’ men into pigs, but was incredibly astonished at his plan to get them back with Hermes’ help.
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| (Odysseus and Circe, Greek vase painting) |
The character of Hermes is really important in this story, as he gives Odysseus the moly that protects him from the drugs that Circe used to entrap his men. Moly is “black at the root with a milk-white flower… difficult for mortals to uproot, though the gods of course can do anything.” Hermes tells Odysseus that the moly will protect him from her drugs and enchantments, and it does, allowing him to rescue his men from her just as Hermes describes to him. I was surprised that they stayed with Circe for over a year, but considering the life of luxury and pleasure that they were leading with her, I’m not sure I would give that up so easily either.
Odysseus is a very intriguing character, and I really enjoyed reading about the challenges he had to overcome in his voyage back home. I’m looking forward to reading more about this!
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