Homer, The Odyssey, Book 10 - The Laestrygonians and the Sorceress Circe

Homer, The Odyssey, Book 10 (of 24)
"The Laestrygonians and the Sorceress Circe"

About The Odyssey:
The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem composed in dactylic hexameter. It consists of 24 books and is attributed to the poet Homer, although it likely preserves a much older storytelling tradition. The poem follows Ulysses (Odysseus), the king of Ithaca, as he attempts to return home after fighting in the Trojan War. The Odyssey holds major cultural significance as one of the foundational texts of Western literature. It influenced ancient education, storytelling, and values, and has preserved key aspects of Greek mythology, heroism, and social customs.

About Book 10:
Ulysses (Odysseus) and his crew also encounters the Laestrygonians, giant cannibals who destroy all but Ulysses’s ship. He sails to Aeaea, home of the sorceress Circe. She turns his men into swine, but Mercury (Hermes) gives Ulysses a magical herb to resist her spell. He confronts Circe, who restores his men and hosts them for a year. Before they leave, she instructs Ulysses to visit the underworld for guidance.

English Translation:
Samuel Butler (1900)

Image:
Odysseus pursuing Circe (c. 440 BCE),
Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Music:
Ottorino Respighi, “Pini di Roma” (1925), The President's Own Marine Band,
Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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