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Circe

Circe sûrˈsē [key], in Greek mythology, enchantress; daughter of Helios. She lived on an island, where she decoyed sailors and treacherously changed them into beasts. According to the Odyssey, she changed the companions of Odysseus into swine, but with the aid of Hermes, Odysseus forced her to break the spell. In post-Homeric legend she bore Odysseus a son, Telegonus, who unwillingly killed his father.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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