Circe, << SUR see >>, a beautiful enchantress in Greek mythology, had the power to turn men into beasts. She lived on an island in the Mediterranean Sea. When Odysseus (Ulysses in Latin) landed on her island, Circe turned most of his men into pigs and drove them into a pigsty. But the god Hermes had given Odysseus a magic herb which protected him from Circe’s power (see Hermes; Ulysses). Odysseus forced Circe to give his men their human form again. After that, Circe became friendly. She loved Odysseus and persuaded him to stay with her on the island for a year. When he prepared to leave, she warned him about the dangers that awaited him, and told him how to overcome them. For example, Circe told Odysseus that by plugging his sailors’ ears with wax he could safely pass the island where the Sirens lived (see Siren). See also Odyssey; Scylla.
