Aeaea
The island home of Circe.
Overview
Aeaea is Circe's island in the Odyssey and a hinge in the voyage's rhythm. The crew first encounters transformation in her woodland hall, then remains for a full year after the danger is resolved. From the island they depart for the ritual encounter with the dead; after completing it they return to bury Elpenor and hear the next sequence of maritime warnings. Aeaea is therefore at once a place of crisis, hospitality, delay and navigation. Its location belongs to the poem's mythic geography and should not be asserted as one certain modern island.
Key facts
From crisis to a year-long stay
Mythic geography of the OdysseyAfter the companions regain human form, the crew feasts and rests on Circe's island until a year has passed and they ask to resume the return.
Return from the dead
After consulting the shades, the crew returns to Aeaea for a burial and Circe's warnings about the route ahead.
Relationships
Story appearances
- The Odyssey HomecomingCirce's island
Aeaea is where a threat of transformation becomes guidance and respite.
Ancient sources
MythWeave distinguishes ancient-source evidence from later adaptations and modern interpretation.