Chapter XV: Book X: Æolus--the Lœstrygonians--Circe

"So we sailed on and reached the island where dwells
Æolus with his wife and family of six sons and six
daughters, who live together amid great and continuous
plenty. I staid with him a whole month, and when I would
go, he tied all the winds up (for he was their keeper) in
a leather sack, which he gave me; but he left the West
wind free, for this was the one I wanted.

"Nine days did we sail, and on the tenth we could see our 28
native land with the stubble fires burning thereon. I had
never let the rudder out of my hands till then, but being
now close in shore I fell asleep. My men, thinking I had
treasure in the sack, opened it to see, on which the
winds came howling out and took us straight back to the
Æolian island. So I went to the house of Æolus and prayed
him to help me, but he said, 'Get you gone, abhorred of
heaven: him whom heaven hates will I in no wise help.' So
I went full sadly away.

"Six days thence did we sail onward, worn out in body 77
and mind, and on the seventh we reached the stronghold
of king Lamus, the Læstrygonian city Telepylus, where
the shepherd who drives his flock into the town salutes
another who is driving them out, and the other returns
his salute. A man in that country could earn double wages
if he could do without sleep, for they work much the same
by night as they do by day. Here we landed, and I climbed
a high rock to look round, but could see no signs of men
or beast, save only smoke rising from the ground.

"Then I sent two of my crew with an attendant, to see 100
what manner of men the people might be, and they met
a young woman who was coming down to fetch water from
the spring Artacia, whence the people drew their water.
This young woman took my men to the house of her father
Antiphates, whereon they discovered the people to be
giants and ogres like Polyphemus. One of my men was
gripped up and eaten, but the other two escaped and
reached the ships. The Læstrygonians raised a hue and cry
after them, and rushing to the harbour, within which all
my ships were moored except my own, they dashed my whole
fleet in pieces with the rocks that they threw. I and my
own ship alone escaped them, for we were outside, and I
bade the men row for their lives.

"On and on did we sail, till we reached the island of 133
Circe, where heaven guided us into a harbour. Here I
again climbed a rock and could see the smoke from Circe's
house rising out of a thick wood; I then went back to the
ship, and while on my way had the good fortune to kill a
noble stag, which gave us a supply of meat on which we
feasted all the rest of the day. Next morning I held a
council and told my men of the smoke that I had seen.

"Eurylochus and twenty-two men then went inland to 210
reconnoitre, and found Circe's house made of squared
stones and standing on high ground in the middle of the
forest. This forest was full of wild beasts, poor dazed
creatures whom Circe had bewitched, but they fawned upon
my men and did not harm them. When the men got to the
door of her house they could hear her singing inside most
beautifully, so they called her down, and when she came
she asked them in, gave them a drugged drink, and then
turned them into pigs--all except Eurylochus who had
remained outside.

"Eurylochus made all haste back to tell me, and I started 244
for Circe's house. When I was in the wood where the wild
beasts were, Mercury met me and gave me an herb called 277
Moly, which would protect me from Circe's spells; he also 305
told me how I should treat her. Then I went to her house,
and called her to come down.

"She asked me in, and tried to bewitch me as she had the 312
others, but the herb which Mercury had given me protected
me; so I rushed at her with my drawn sword. When she
saw this, she said she knew I must be Ulysses, and that
I must marry her at once. But I said, 'Circe, you have
just turned my men into pigs, and have done your best to
bewitch me into the bargain; how can you expect me to be
friendly with you? Still, if you will swear to take no
unfair advantage of me, I will consent.' So she swore,
and I consented at once.

"Then she set the four maid servants of her house to wash 348
me and feast me, but I was still moody and would not
eat till Circe removed her spells from off my men, and
brought them back safe and sound in human form. When she
had done this she bade me go back to my ship and bring
the rest of my men--which I presently did, and we staid
with her for a whole twelve months, feasting continually
and drinking an untold quantity of wine. At last,
however, my men said that if I meant going home at all it
was time I began to think of starting.

"That night, therefore, when I was in bed with Circe, 480
I told her how my men were murmuring, and asked her to
let me go. This she said she would do; but I must first
go down into the house of Hades, and consult the blind
Theban prophet Tiresias. And she directed me what I
should do.

"On the following morning I told my men, and we began 551
to get ready; but we had an accident before we started,
for there was a foolish and not very valiant young man
in my ship named Elpenor, who had got drunk and had gone
on to the roof of Circe's house to sleep off his liquor
in the cool. The bustle my men made woke him, and in his
flurry he forgot all about coming down by the staircase,
and fell right off the roof; whereby he broke his neck
and was killed. We started, however, all the same, and
Circe brought us a lamb and a black sheep to offer to
the Shades below. She passed in and out among us, but we
could not see her; who, indeed, can see the gods, when
they are in no mind to be seen?