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When Odysseus goes to confront the witch Circe, who has transformed many of his
sailors into pigs, he meets the god Hermes who warns him of the perils he faces.
(Od. 10.281)
To safeguard Odysseus against Circe’s spells, Hermes gives him
a magical herb named ‘Moly’.
‘Moly' is described variously as having:
‘ … a black root with a flower as white as milk’,
...and being...
‘… black rooted with milk-white petals,
still in the process of growing’
… and that it ...
‘… cannot be uprooted by human hand’*
This mysterious plant has never been found on earth.
Considering the importance of astronomy in the Odyssey perhaps
we should be looking elsewhere.
See the next page for the answer: Moly revealed
*Sources: Heubeck, A: West,S; and Hainsworth, J B, A Commentary on Homer’s Odyssey,
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989), Vol. II, line 302, p 60.
Jones, H, Glotta, li (1973)
Page Links
Home Adventures in the Heavens Goat island and the lunar year
Cycles of the sun, moon and Venus Homer’s Secret Iliad
See also Homer the Astronomer-1 and Homer the Astronomer-2 on YouTube
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