Circe
Circe Invidiosa
John William WaterhouseThe merman Glaucus, after watching the nymph Scylla come to the water to bathe each day, fell in love with her, but she would not return his favours and fled from him onto the land where he could not follow. Driven by despair, he went to Circe and begged her to make him a potion that would cause Scylla to fall in love with him, but upon hearing his tale, Circe herself fell in love with Glaucus. Intent upon having him for herself, she prepared a container with a poisonous charm and poured it into the waters where Scylla bathed. As soon as Scylla entered the bathing pool her lower body was transformed into six monstrous serpents with dog's heads that barked. She remained there in utter misery, unable to move, loathing everything and destroying all ships that came near her.
Circe
Wright Barker
Ulysses, on his many trials to return to Ithica, ran out of food and docked at the Aegean Isle, where Circe dwelt. He sent one half of his crew forward to see if there was any sign of hospitality on the island. This exploration party found Circe's dwellings, and as they approached her palace they saw it surrounded by all the beasts of nature, lions, tigers, wolves and the such, none of whom were fierce, as they were tamed by Circe's magic. They could hear the sounds of soft music, and gentle singing, so the leader of the crew, Eurylochus, called aloud and Circe herself came to greet them, invited them into her home and served them with wine and other delicacies. They all entered gladly, after weeks of starvation, all except Euryochus, who remained suspicious. Once the men were well fed and had drunk their fill, she touched them all and turned into swine. (One legend has it that she did not turn them into swine, but that her enchantment caused them to turn into the beast that was most like their innerselves, thus being swines in their true nature, that is the animal form they became). Euryochus, being the only one untouched by her potions and magick, raced back to tell Ulysses his tale.
Circe offering the cup to Ulysses
John William Waterhouse
Upon hearing this Ulysses determined to go himself and try to recover his companions. As he approached Circe's castle he was met by a youth who announced himself to be Mercury (Hermes), who warned him of Circe's magickal powers and armoured him with a sprig of the Moly plant, which would ward off her enchantments. Circe welcomed him as she had is crewmates, and attempted to transform him into a swine also. However, being protected by the power of the Moly plant, Ulysses attacked her with his sword and made her retract the spell that had transformed his men into swine. Circe then showed Ulysses and his men her true hospitality, and before leaving the island, Circe warned Ulysses of the danger of the Sirens that he must next face, and told him of the fearsome creature Scylla, and how best to defeat this treacherous part of his journey.
