In which the wily Ulysses and his company encounter the gifts and curses of gods and sorcery, from Aeolus's winds to the cannibal Laestrygonians, and the enchantress Circe who beguiles his men with her witchcraft. Guided by divine counsel and staving off enchantment by a sacred herb, Ulysses prepares to journey to the realm of shades in search of prophetic wisdom for his homeward voyage.