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Medea

Other names: Medeia

Biographical

Regarded as the most prominent of the mythical sorceresses, the principal story of Medea concerns her relationship with Jason. She is said to have helped him obtain the Golden Fleece from her father, Aeetes, whom she betrayed. After this, Medea and Jason fled and were pursued by her father. To stall him, they killed Medea's brother, Apsyrtus, chopped up his body, and tossed the pieces into the sea. Euripides, in his play Medea, recounts that after fleeing Colchis, Medea and Jason were expelled from Iolcos by King Pelias. They settled in Corinth, but Jason betrayed her for King Creon's daughter, Glauce. Out of revenge, Medea killed Glauce, now engaged to Jason, by sending her a wedding garment, the magic power of which burnt the wearer to death. She then killed Creon and then her two sons by Jason. She fled to King Aegeus of Athens, whom she married, but he expelled her after she tried to poison his son Theseus. Herodotus tells us that Medea went to Asia and that the people there changed their name to the Medes. Various traditions attribute other events to Medea's life. Some state that she first went to Thebes, where she cured Heracles of the madness that afflicted him after he had failed to fulfil a promise to help Jason. Others relate that she gave birth to Medus in Asia after leaving Athens, while in other accounts Medus accompanied her to Colchis, killed Perses, and restored the kingdom to Aeëtes. Another tradition says that Medea later returned to Colchis and joined Medus in a campaign against Perses. Thessalian legend claimed that she competed in a beauty contest against Thetis and was defeated when Idomeneus judged in Thetis' favour. Another story relates that she travelled to Italy and taught the Marsians the art of charming and controlling serpents, for which she was known as Anguitia or Angitia. A further legend makes her a priestess of Artemis/Hecate. In the end, she was said to have become immortal, received divine honours, and married Achilles in Elysium. Medea was variously said to have married King Aegeus of Athens, to have been loved by Sisyphus, or to have been desired by Zeus, whose advances she rejected out of fear of Hera. As a reward for her loyalty, Hera was said to have promised immortality to her children. Ancient accounts differ greatly concerning her children, with some traditions attributing only one or two to her, while others claim that she had seven sons and seven daughters.

Daughter of Aeetes and Idyia, or Perseus and Hecate, she was married firstly to Aegeus, with issue, and secondly to Jason, with issue..