ows not what direction to take for
his return.

But something has to be done. Accordingly Ulysses divides his crew into
two portions, one commanded by Eurylochus, the other by himself. The
lot decided that Eurylochus and his company should go to the house of
Circe, and the lot always decides aright in the hand of Ulysses. Forth
they "go wailing, two and twenty companions, and leave us behind,
weeping." A tearful time for those forty-four people plus the two
leaders; which numbers give a basis for calculating the size of the
crew, of which six had been already destroyed by the Ciconians and six
by the Cyclops.

2. Soon they reach the abode of Circe, whose picture is now drawn with
characteristic touches. She is beautiful, sings with a beautiful voice,
and makes beautiful things, weaving webs such as the Goddesses weave.
Surely an artistic being; her palace is built of hewn stone, not of
natural rock, yet it lies in the depths of the forest. Here again she
shows her power: wild animals, wolves and lions, lie around--fawning
upon, not attacking men, tamed by her powerful drugs. That is, she
shows herself the mistress of nature, or rather the transformer
thereof; her mighty spell can change character and shape.

There has been a difference of opinion from antiquity down to the
present about these animals. Are they transformed men, or merely wild
animals tamed? The matter is left in doubt by the poet and either view
will answer for the passage. The connection, however, with the
transformation of the companions of Ulysses, would suggest the first
meaning. These partake of her food, with which she mingles her drug,
"in order that they might wholly forget their native country." But here
is something more than the indifference of the Lotus-eaters; these
eaters and drinkers at once become swine as to "their heads, voices and
hair," and eat the acorn and the fruit of cornel-tree, "like wallowing
pigs." Yet their mind remained "firm as before."

There can be no doubt that Time has interpreted this scene in but one
way, and Time is probably correct. Still it is not here expressly said
that the companions indulged to excess in food and drink, though they
apparently had just had a sufficiency of feasting along the sea-shore,
on venison and wine, "unspeakable meat and sweet drink." We must,
however, consider the whole to be a phase of that same lack of inner
subordination which led these people to untie the fatal bag of winds
upon