King Ulysses loved his wife and son more than anything in the world. He and his men had been fighting in Troy for ten long years. Now the war was over, and the soldiers were on their way home. They had sailed through hurricanes. They had escaped from the cave of the Cyclops, a terrible one-eyed giant. They had run away from the dreamy land of the Lotus-eaters where they had longed to sleep forever. The soldiers were tired from all their adventures, and hungry—as hungry as hogs. Looking for a meal and a place to rest, they landed in a quiet cove on a small, green island.
     “Aha, I smell a good dinner, pigeon, I think,” said one, sniffing the air.
     “Squid, it’s squid,” said another.
     “Sure as I’m a soldier, it’s pig, roast pig!”
     Suddenly a pack of lions, tigers and wolves came tearing out of the bushes. The warriors froze in their tracks, then turned around and ran. All except Ulysses. 

What attracted me to this particular tale about Ulysses is that the hero’s ability to resist Circe’s enchantment is rooted in his love of his wife and child and his longing for home. Click here to see the CBS adaptation of the MYTH MEN series, MYTHIC WARRIORS on YouTube.  —LGB