Circe, Calypso & Ino
Scheming Enchantress,
Concealer of Men &
Flashing Gull
Circe - #7
Calypso - #12
Circe
 Goddess &
Sorceress
 Island of Aeaea
 Daughter of Helios
& Perse
 Possesses power
for spiritual
purification
 Circe offering Odysseus a cup of
wine.
Circe
Best known for her ability to turn men
into swine [as she did with Odysseus’ men]
Painting of Circe turning Odysseus’ men into swine.
Circe
Devoted to Hecate : Goddess of
enchantment and Queen of witches
Hecate
Renowned for knowledge of
magic & poisonous herbs
Circe
Circe
 Circe’s
Turned Scylla
into a monster
because she was
jealous.
house
Audio
This is a black figure vase from C. 4th century BCE. This Greek vase shows Circe offering
Odysseus the distorted wine. Notice the dagger in Odysseus’ right hand, which he will use
to threaten Circe as Hermes advised. To the right of Circe is a weaving loom, which in Greek
culture was a skill that women were expected to master. It suggests that this is something
that Circe excels at. The way Odysseus is portrayed as an old, weak-looking man is
interesting, as his appearance is usually very appealing with distinct, young features. It is
possible the artist decided to portray him this way to represent his miserable state from his
years of endless traveling. In Ancient Greece, the type of hat Odysseus is wearing is known
as a traveling hat, which for the purposes of this vase, marks him as a wanderer. Also, it is
interesting that the shape of the cup Circe has in her hands, is the same exact shape as the
vase that the art it self was created on.
Audio
Odysseus & Circe
In this illustration Odysseus is
threatening Circe with his
sword. On the floor is the wine
vase that contained the
distorted wine she offered him.
Notice Circe’s facial expression
and body language. She looks
sweet as if she is asking for
mercy and using her charm to
make Odysseus drop his
sword. Clearly Odysseus is
portrayed very differently in this
drawing, compared to the
previous black figure vase. In
this illustration he is in his
armor looking young and
Audio
Black figure cup depicting Circe turning Odysseus’ men into swine. (550-525 BC): Many of the men
begin turning into animals as Circe stirs her potion and continues serving it. We can see several men
already changing, as one man has a boars head, and another man has the head and neck of a lion. It is
interesting to see the man on the far right (still a man) looking as if he is escaping as he looks over his
shoulder. Perhaps this is Eurylochus. A dog sits below Circe, possibly a man that has already been
transformed, or maybe just a loyal pet of Circe’s.
Ino ~ Flashing Gull
Daughter of Cadmus
& Harmonia
Athamas’ wife
Became Sea Deity
Ino & all her sisters
suffered some tragic fate
in their lives.
Queen of Orchomenus
Ino
Ino was Athamas’ second husband. His first wife was
Nephele, and they had two children, Phrixus and Helle.
 Ino plotted against her stepchildren and persuaded all
the women in the city to parch their wheat and not tell their
husbands.
Naturally there was a poor harvest and so the people
went to an oracle for help. She falsified the oracle and
bribed him to tell the people that if they sacrificed Phrixus [
her stepson] that the Gods would be happy and their
wheat would grow again.
Ino ~ Flashing Gull
The people prepared to sacrifice
Phrixus but Nephele saved her
children by sending a golden ram to
save them.
This sculpture
depicts Helle and
Phrixus on the
golden ram.
Helle fell off the ram over seas
and drowned in Hellepsont [named
after her] but Phrixus made it to
safety.
This drawing displays
Phrixus on the ram
flying to safety. Notice
he is alone because
Helle has already fallen
off.
Dionysis was given
to Athamas & Ino.
Ino & Dionysis II
Zeus bore Dionysis II
from his theigh, and
Hera was furious. She
decided to destroy Ino
& Athamas for
protecting the child of
her husband’s mistress.
Hera had Tisiphone
[Erinye] injure their
minds and they both
went insane.
Ino nursing Dionysis II.
Ino ended her life in
her insanity, by jumping
off a cliff with her son,
Melicertes.
Ino
Ino was the
granddaughter of
Aprhodite, and
Aprhodite had always
liked her, so she asked
Poseidon if he would
make Ino and her son a
sea deities.
Ino became known as
the White Goddess and
lived in the sea giving
aid to sailors in need.
Tisiphone injuring the minds of
Athamas & Ino.
Ino & Phrixus: Red Figure Vase Painting
 This vase painting
depicts Ino attempting to
kill her stepson Phrixus.
Ino is displayed holding
an axe in her right hand as
she tries to kill him.
Phrixus is getting away
and is next to the golden
ram which was sent by his
mother to save him.
This terra-cotta
sculpture depicts
Phrixus on the
golden ram.
Notice the fish
below the front
hooves of the
ram. They
probably
represent that
the ram is flying
over the sea.
Phrixus - Ino’s Stepson
Calypso ~
Concealer of Men
 A sea nymph
 What is a Nymph?
Any of the minor divinities of
nature represented as beautiful
maidens dwelling in the
mountains, forests, trees and
waters.
 Island of Ogygia
 Daughter of Titan Atlas
 Statue of Calypso
 Very little else is known about
Calypso other than her dealings
with Odysseus in The Odyssey.
Calypso
3 handled water jar
(C. 390 - 380 BC)
Circe
Black figure vase
depicting Odysseus
& Circe
Ino
Post-classical
panting by an
Italian artist,
Tibaldo
Calyspo, Circe & Ino all had different roles in The
Odyssey and had different relationships with
Odysseus. They all impacted his journey in some
way.
“You poor man. You can stop grieving now
And pining away. I’m sending you home.
Audio
Look, here’s a bronze axe. Cut some long timbers
And make yourself a raft fitted with topdecks,
Something that will get you across the sea’s misty spaces.
I’ll stock it with fresh water, food and red wineHearty provisions that will stave off hunger - and
I’ll clothe you well and send you a following wind
To bring you home safely to your own native land,
If such is the will of the gods of high heaven,
Whose minds and powers are stronger than mine.”
-Calypso (Book 5, lines 160 - 170, pg.74-75, Lombardo translation)
The End
Bibliography
Terracotta Phrixus Sculpture / Phrixus & Ino vase:
Precourt, B. Mythology. 2004. 14 Feb. 2005
<www.uwn.edu/course/mythology/1000/oedipus.htm>.
Calypso Statue / Ino & Dionysis II pic:
Parada, Carlos. Greek Mythology Link. 14 Feb.
2005
<www.uwn.edu/course/mythology/1000/oedipus.htm>
Calypso & Odysseus vase:
Good, Walter. 14 Feb. 2005
<www.paeonia.ch/hist/daph/uk/kunst/CALYPSOE.htm>.
Circe & Odysseus Vase:
The Odyssey Online. 15 Feb. 2005
<rhapsodes.homestaead.com/odyssey.html>.
Ino & Odysseus Painting & Circe/Odysseus Vase:
Other Adventures of Odysseus. 15 Feb. 2005
<ccwf.cc.utexas.edu/.../Odyssey/adventures.html>.
Circe & Odysseus Drawing:
Hamilton, Edith. Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. New York: Little Brown &
Company, 1999
Odysseus Main Map Graphic:
Locke, . 2002. The Odyssey. 15 Feb. 2005
<www.mrlocke.net/English one/Epic/>.
Circe Painting:
Circe In Greek Mythology. 15 Feb. 2005
<waltm.net/Circe.htm>.
Circe & Odysseus vase:
Due Hackney, Casey. January 2004. Greek Art and
Archaeology. 15 Feb. 2005
<www.uh.edu/~cldue/3397/odyssey_lecture.html>.
Circe & Odysseus Vase:
22 August 2001. Index of Classics & Art Museum
Mythology. 15 Feb. 2005 <www.beloit.edu/. ../Odyssey>.
Circe & Odysseus’ men painting:
The Isle of Circe. 15 Feb. 2005
<www.auburn.edu/.../gainey/homer/circe.html>.
Circe’s House:
Circe Enchants Odysseus' Crew. 15 Feb. 2005
<http://www.philipresheph.com/demodokos/odyssey/pi
c80.htm>.
Scylla Statue:
Joe, Jimmy. Classical Mythology. 1999. Timeless
Myths. 15 Feb. 2005
<http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/beasts.html>.
Hecate Picture:
Hecate Goddess of Magic. 15 Feb. 2005
<http://www.linsdomain.com/gods&goddesses/hecate.htm>.
Ino Picture:
Design Ino. Independent Marine Design. 15 Feb. 2005
<http://www.designino.com/>.
Ino/Athamas Picture:
The University of Vermont. 2003. 15 Feb. 2005
<http://www.uvm.edu/~classics/?Page=mainpagelinks/ambrose.html>.
Phrixus & Ram Drawing:
Wilkes, Diane. 1998. 15 Feb. 2005
<http://www.tarotpassages.com/bursten12.htm>.
Helle & Phrixus sculpture:
Fairbanks, Avard. Fairbanks Art & Books. 2003.
15 Feb. 2005
<http://www.fairbanksartbooks.com/FantasySculptu
re.html>.