Aea (mythology)

Aea is, in Greek mythology, the island home of the sorceress Circe, daughter of Helios and Perse. It is most famously known as the place where Odysseus and his crew were stranded during their long journey home in Homer's Odyssey.

Circe transformed many of Odysseus's men into swine, but Odysseus, protected by the herb moly given to him by Hermes, resisted her magic and forced her to restore his men to their human forms. Odysseus and his crew remained on Aea for a year, enjoying Circe's hospitality (and, in Odysseus's case, her love), before continuing their voyage. Circe provided Odysseus with crucial advice on how to navigate the dangers of the journey ahead, including warnings about the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis.

The precise location of Aea is debated. Some accounts place it in the western Mediterranean Sea, specifically near Italy, while others suggest a more easterly location, possibly near Colchis on the Black Sea (consistent with Circe's associations with other figures and locations prominent in the myth of Jason and the Argonauts). The ambiguity of its location contributes to the mythical and enchanting quality of the island.