Previous
Glaucos
Hermes is the Olympian messenger of the gods. He is the first person to visit Circe on Aiaia, and since he is an excellent storyteller and an amusing companion, he and Circe become lovers. They do not, however, fall in love; in fact, Circe says that he is “scarcely even a friend.” Hermes embodies the carelessness of the gods. He only does what amuses him and gets annoyed at Circe when she takes anything seriously—he especially taunts her for crying over mortals. When Circe asks him to advocate for her to Helios so that the gods stop sending their nymph daughters to Aiaia, he gets annoyed and calls her “dull.” Hermes is also an ancestor to Odysseus and, therefore, to Telegonus. Hermes gives Odysseus moly so that he can resist Circe’s magic, and Hermes helps Telegonus to build the ship that he sails to meet Odysseus.
Hermes Quotes in Circe
The Circe quotes below are all either spoken by Hermes or refer to Hermes. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 8 Quotes
“Tell me,” he said, “who gives better offerings, a miserable man or a happy one?”
“A happy one, of course.”
“Wrong,” he said. “A happy man is too occupied with his life. He thinks he is beholden to no one. But make him shiver, kill his wife, cripple his child, then you will hear from him. He will starve his family for a month to buy you a pure-white yearling calf. If he can afford it, he will buy you a hundred.” […]
“So this is how Olympians spend their days. Thinking of ways to make men miserable.”
“There’s no cause for righteousness,” he said. “Your father is better at it than anyone.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes
“You fools,” I said. “I am the one who made that creature. I did it for pride and vain delusion. And you thank me? Twelve of your men are dead for it, and how many thousands more to come? That drug I gave her is the strongest I have. Do you understand, mortals?” […]
The light from my eyes beat down upon them.
“I will never be free of her. She cannot be changed back, not now, not ever. What she is, she will remain. She will feast on your kind for all eternity. So get up. Get up and get to your oars, and let me not hear you speak again of your imbecile gratitude or I will make you sorry for it.”
The cringed and shook like the weak vessels they were, stuttering to their feet and creeping away […] I yanked off the cloak. I wanted the sun to burn me.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Circe LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Hermes Character Timeline in Circe
The timeline below shows where the character Hermes appears in Circe. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 8
One sunset, Circe’s work is interrupted by Hermes, who greets her by teasing her plain appearance and gardening. Although nervous to see him,...
(full context)
Hermes is a wonderful storyteller. That evening, he tells Circe tales of the gods’ fights and...
(full context)
Hermes starts playing the lyre upon Circe’s request and asks if she can sing. She tells...
(full context)
Circe asks Hermes the name of her island, which he gives her: Aiaia. She recognizes that name as...
(full context)
Hermes continues to visit Circe, and the two become close. They have enjoyable conversation and sex,...
(full context)
One day, Circe asks why Zeus had been so furious at Prometheus for helping mortals. Hermes says that it is because miserable people make better offerings to the gods. Happy people...
(full context)
During another visit, Circe asks Hermes about Scylla. He says that she is near Aiaia; she lives in a cliff on...
(full context)
Circe’s favorite moments are when she walks the forests with her lion at midnight, after Hermes leaves. After waiting several months since their first talk (she doesn’t want Hermes spying on...
(full context)
Chapter 9
One morning, Hermes pays Circe a visit to tell her that a ship is coming to her island,...
(full context)
Circe begins to panic about what to do with Scylla. She considers calling for Hermes and asking for help, but she knows that he would mock her later behind her...
(full context)
Chapter 11
...together, and he fell to the earth and died. When Circe hears the tale from Hermes, she imagines Daedalus flying relentlessly forward, though crippled with grief. He dies soon after, but...
(full context)
Chapter 12
Hermes visits her again, but Circe finds that he is beginning to repulse her: some of...
(full context)
On one visit, Hermes tells Circe of the fall of the Minotaur. With Crete threatening rebellion after years of...
(full context)
...navigate his way. When Theseus killed the Minotaur, however, Ariadne still cried for its death; Hermes explains that she had loved the creature, even though it nearly killed her once.
(full context)
Hermes proceeds with Ariadne’s tale, which ends with her dying at the hands of Artemis, although...
(full context)
Hermes continues to visit—Circe can’t deny the company. One day, she asks for stories of Pasiphaë....
(full context)
Chapter 14
More divinities begin sending their daughters to Aiaia, much to Circe’s dismay. She summons Hermes and demands that he tell Helios to order the nymphs from her island. Hermes returns...
(full context)
Alarmed at this turn of events, Circe begs Hermes to argue with Helios on her behalf. But Hermes is disgruntled at her seriousness. Instead,...
(full context)
...earlier—and then realizes that he must have meant it only as a general term. Remembering Hermes’s words that her mortal voice will not inspire fear among men, she realizes that the...
(full context)
Chapter 15
...asks the man whether he carries moly, and he says yes. Thinking of how familiar Hermes is with Circe’s island, she realizes that Hermes must have given some of the flowers...
(full context)
Chapter 17
...up until this last month, she has consumed monthly since she first had sex with Hermes.
(full context)
Chapter 19
...a boat of his own creation. Circe is impressed, until Telegonus accidentally lets slip that Hermes has been helping him build it. Furious, she demands to know everything the god has...
(full context)
Telegonus reveals his intention to sail to Ithaca to meet Odysseus. He informs Circe that Hermes has promised to help him. She scoffs at that and warns him that Hermes is...
(full context)
Chapter 23
...prevent most gods from stepping foot on the island. Circe opens the door to find Hermes. He tells Telemachus that Athena has requested to speak with him, and he orders Circe...
(full context)
