Homer · tr. Bryant, 1871

Book X · Episode 3 of 6

Circè Turns Men to Swine

Circè bewitches half the crew

Scenes

  1. Circè’s Enchanted Halls — Eurylochus finds palace guarded by beasts
    • Hewn stone palace sits in a vale
    • Wolves and lions are tamed by drugs
    • Beasts fawn like dogs instead of attacking
    • Men wait uneasily in the portico
    • Circè sings sweetly while weaving
  2. Turned to Swine — Circè’s wine turns men to swine
    • Polites urges the men to call out
    • Eurylochus alone suspects a trap
    • Drugged wine erases their memory of home
    • Their minds stay human despite the change
    • They’re fed acorns and cornel fruit
  3. Eurylochus’s Report — Eurylochus alone escapes, reports fate
    • Grief leaves him unable to speak
    • His eyes brim with tears
    • He describes the stately palace and singer
    • He held back, suspecting treachery
    • None of the others ever returned
  4. Odysseus Vows to Go — Odysseus arms himself, ignores Eurylochus
    • He orders Eurylochus to guide him back
    • Eurylochus clutches his knees, pleading
    • He urges immediate flight instead
    • Eurylochus may stay and eat instead
    • A necessity he cannot resist compels him