Circe is a powerful enchantress and a minor goddess in Greek mythology, most famously known for her role in Homer's "Odyssey." She was the daughter of the sun god Helios and the Oceanid Perse, and she resided on the island of Aeaea, where she used her knowledge of potions and magic to transform those who offended her into animals. Notably, she turned Odysseus's men into swine (pigs), but she also aided Odysseus on his journey, demonstrating her complex and multifaceted nature.