The Odyssey: Part 5 - Circe

In this episode of 'Get Sleepy,' host Thomas continues the soothing retelling of Homer's Odyssey, focusing on Odysseus's encounter with the enchantress Circe on the island of Aeaea. After surviving the Lestrigonian giants and losing most of his crew, Odysseus and his men arrive at a mysterious island where Circe, a powerful sorceress, transforms his men into pigs with a magical potion. Guided by the god Hermes, who gives Odysseus a protective herb called moly, Odysseus bravely confronts Circe, resists her magic, and ultimately wins her trust. After swearing an oath not to harm him, Odysseus is welcomed into her palace, where he and his men are restored to human form and enjoy a year of feasting and rest. However, Circe reveals that Odysseus must first journey to the underworld, Hades, to consult the blind prophet Tiresias before returning home. The episode culminates in Odysseus’s descent into the realm of the dead, where he reunites with the spirit of his fallen comrade Elpinor and briefly sees his mother Anticlea. Tiresias delivers crucial prophecies about the dangers ahead, including Poseidon’s wrath and the peril of the sun god’s cattle, while Anticlea reassures Odysseus of Penelope’s loyalty and the enduring hope of homecoming. The tale ends with Odysseus still in the underworld, surrounded by spirits, as he pauses to yawn—hinting at the listener’s own growing drowsiness.