#odycirce

Odysseus at Circe woodcut

Odycirce ⚓️☀️

Not shipping their Homeric ver btw

"Peace-bearing Mercury gave him a whitish flower growing out from a dark black root (gods call it moly). Protected by that plant and heaven's warnings, he entered Circe's home, where she asked him to take the poisoned cup. But when she tried to stroke his hair, he knocked away her wand, drew his sword, and terrified the goddess. She backed away. But then the two of them pledged their good faith by shaking their right hands, and Circe took Ulysses as her husband, welcoming him in bed. There he asked her, as a wedding gift, to give his comrades their old bodies back. So she sprinkled us with more wholesome juices of unknown herbs, reversed her wand, and tapped us on the head, while muttering some charms to neutralize the ones she used before. The more she spoke, the more we stood erect, moving upward from the ground."

- Metamorphoses, Book XIV 450-470

The need of Odycirce is growing I fear

Great question. I already shared a favorite of mine — and lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about Ovid portraying them as a married couple:

“Peace-bearing Mercury gave him a whitish flower growing out from a dark black root (gods call it moly). Protected by that plant and heaven's warnings, he entered Circe's home, where she asked him to take the poisoned cup. But when she tried to stroke his hair, he knocked away her wand, drew his sword, and terrified the goddess. She backed away. But then the two of them pledged their good faith by shaking their right hands, and Circe took Ulysses as her husband, welcoming him in bed. There he asked her, as a wedding gift, to give his comrades their old bodies back. So she sprinkled us with more wholesome juices of unknown herbs, reversed her wand, and tapped us on the head, while muttering some charms to neutralize the ones she used before. The more she spoke, the more we stood erect, moving upward from the ground.”

- Metamorphoses, Book XIV 450-470

It’s just so cute. A very poetic way to interpret an otherwise horrific situation. As an expert put it:

“But in the lines that follow, he [Ovid] also does something rather interesting, identifying Circe and Odysseus' relationship as coniugium, the term for legal marriage: inde fides dextraeque datae thalamoque receptus / coniugii dotem sociorum corpora poscit (Met. 14.297–298: "thence good faith and right hands joined, and having been welcomed to her bed he demands the bodies of his companions as the bride-price"). Ovid's Circe, it turns out, claims the very status that Aeneas had denied Dido in Aen. 4: nec coniugis / praetendi taedas aut in haec foedera veni (Aen. 4.338–339: "I neither feigned the marriage-torches nor entered into these alliances").” (Source. Highly recommend)

“ODYSSEUS. These facts,⁠ Circe, I believe I have learned and shall not forget them; yet I should be happy to learn from you further whether there are any Greeks among those whom you have changed from the shape of men into wolves and lions.

CIRCE. Quite a few, beloved Odysseus. But what is your reason for asking this question?

ODYSSEUS. It is, I swear, because it would bring me noble glory among the Greeks if by your favour I should restore comrades of mine to their original humanity and not allow them to grow old in the unnatural guise of beasts, leading an existence that is so piteous and shameful

CIRCE. Here's a lad who finds it appropriate that not only himself and his companions, but even total strangers should, through his stupidity, find his ambition their ruin.

ODYSSEUS. This is a new potion⁠ of words that you are stirring and drugging for me, Circe. It will certainly transform me literally into a beast if I am to take your word for it that changing from beast to man spells ruin.

CIRCE. Haven't you already worked a stranger magic than this on yourself? You who refused an ageless, immortal life at my side and would struggle through a thousand new dangers to a woman who is mortal and, I can assure you, no longer so very young — and this for no other object than to make yourself more gaped at and renowned than you already are, pursuing an empty phantom instead of what is truly good.

ODYSSEUS. All right, let it be as you say, Circe. Why must we quarrel again and again about the same matters? Now please just grant me the favour of letting the men go free.

CIRCE. By the Black Goddess,⁠ it's not so simple as that. These creatures are no run of the mill. You must ask them first if they are willing. If they say no, my hero, you'll have to argue with them and convince them. And if you don't, and they win the argument, then you must be content with having exercised poor judgement about yourself and your friends.

ODYSSEUS. Dear lady, why are you making fun of me? How can they argue with me or I with them so long as they are asses and hogs and lions?

CIRCE. Courage, courage, my ambitious friend. I'll see to it that you shall find them both receptive and responsive. Or rather, one of the number will be enough to thrust and parry for them all. Presto! You may talk with this one.

ODYSSEUS. And how am I to address him, Circe? Who in the world was he?

CIRCE. What's that to do with the issue? Call him Gryllus,⁠ if you like. I'll retire now to avoid any suggestion that he is arguing against his own convictions to curry favour with me.”

Bonus:

Some dialogue with them is actually interesting

Isn’t their ship name OdyCirce? 🤔

I do ship them, but it isn’t my main ship for either of them. Odysseus has his perfect match with Penelope, and Circe ends up having a happy and egalitarian marriage with Telemachus. OdyCirce was cute when it happened, but both of them knew that it wouldn’t be forever—notice how Circe didn’t try to keep Odysseus with her like Calypso did, she was ready to let him go as soon as he expressed the desire to leave.