Homer, Odyssey Book 10 (Circe's Transformation)

This artifact consists of multiple fragments of tan papyrus featuring handwritten Greek text in black ink. The jagged edges and missing sections show the passage of time, preserving only portions of the original verses. The text depicts the moment Hermes, the messenger god, intervenes to provide Odysseus with the magical herb 'moly' to protect him from Circe's enchantments.

This passage is foundational to the Western esoteric tradition, as the figure of Hermes and the magical herb 'moly' were later interpreted by Neoplatonists like Porphyry as allegories for divine reason protecting the soul from material corruption. It represents one of the earliest literary instances of a 'pharmakon' used as a spiritual and physical defense in a magical context.