Medea

First appears: Apollodorus, Library 1.9

🌐 Also appears in: The Metamorphoses of Ovid (as Medea) · Greek Tragedy — The Same Myth, Three Voices (as Medea)

Medea was a witch, the daughter of Aeetes and Idyia, and was attended by her brother Apsyrtus. At Colchis, she “conceived a passion for” Jason and promised to help him yoke the bulls and take the Golden Fleece if he swore to marry her. She drugged the dragon guarding the fleece, escaped with Jason, and, when Aeetes pursued them, murdered Apsyrtus and scattered his dismembered body. Alcinous agreed to give her to Jason if she already knew him, while Arete married them; Medea and Jason then had two sons, Mermerus and Pheres.

At Iolcus, Jason urged Medea to devise punishment for Pelias. She deceived his daughters into making mince meat of their father and boiling him, after which Acastus buried Pelias and expelled Medea and Jason. After ten years in Corinth, she sent Glauce a poison-steeped robe; Glauce and her father, Creon, were consumed by fire. Medea killed Mermerus and Pheres, then fled to Athens in a chariot drawn by winged dragons.

In Athens, Medea married Aegeus and bore him Medus. After plotting against Theseus, she was driven from Athens with her son. She later killed Perses and restored the kingdom to Aeetes. After death, she is said to have consorted with Achilles in the Isles of the Blest.

Relationship record

Life events

• Medea drugs the dragon, takes the Golden Fleece, and escapes with Jason.(Apollodorus, Library 1.9 · 📍 Colchis)
  • With: Jason Aeetes Argus
  • “But before he could do so, Medea brought Jason by night to the fleece, and having lulled to sleep by her drugs the dragon that guarded it, she possessed herself of the fleece and in Jason's company came to the Argo.”
• Medea murders Apsyrtus and scatters his dismembered body to delay Aeetes's pursuit.(Apollodorus, Library 1.9)
  • With: Apsyrtus Aeetes
  • “But when she saw him near, Medea murdered her brother and cutting him limb from limb threw the pieces into the deep.”
• Medea deceives Pelias's daughters into killing and boiling their father; Acastus expels Jason and Medea.(Apollodorus, Library 1.9 · 📍 Iolcus)
  • With: Pelias Acastus
  • “So they believed her, made mince meat of their father and boiled him. But Acastus buried his father with the help of the inhabitants of Iolcus, and he expelled Jason and Medea from Iolcus.”
• Medea poisons Glauce, kills Mermerus and Pheres, and flees Corinth by dragon-drawn chariot.(Apollodorus, Library 1.9 · 📍 Corinth)
  • With: Jason Glauce Creon (king of Corinth) Mermerus Pheres
  • “But she invoked the gods by whom Jason had sworn, and after often upbraiding him with his ingratitude she sent the bride a robe steeped in poison, which when Glauce had put on, she was consumed with fierce fire along with her father, who went to her rescue. But Mermerus and Pheres, the children whom Medea had by Jason, she killed, and having got from the Sun a car drawn by winged dragons she fled on it to Athens.”

Apollodorus, Library 1.9

• courtship with Jason “Medea conceived a passion for him”
• engaged with Jason “she ... promised to help him to yoke the bulls and to deliver to him the fleece, if he would swear to have her to wife”
• married with Jason “Arete, wife of Alcinous, anticipated matters by marrying Medea to Jason”
• child: Mermerus “Mermerus and Pheres, the children whom Medea had by Jason”
• child: Pheres “Mermerus and Pheres, the children whom Medea had by Jason”
• child: Medus “Medea came to Athens, and being there married to Aegeus bore him a son Medus.”
• married with Aegeus “being there married to Aegeus”
• parent: Aeetes “she was a witch, daughter of Aeetes and Idyia, daughter of Ocean.”
• siblings with Apsyrtus “She was attended, too, by her brother Apsyrtus.”
• enemies with Pelias “afterwards he exhorted Medea to devise how he could punish Pelias.”
• enemies with Acastus “he expelled Jason and Medea from Iolcus.”
• enemies with Theseus “Afterwards, however, plotting against Theseus, she was driven a fugitive from Athens with her son.”
• enemies with Perses “she killed Perses and restored the kingdom to her father.”
• guardian: Alcinous “He answered, that if she already knew Jason, he would give her to him, but that if she were still a maid he would send her away to her father.”
• with Arete (interaction) “Arete, wife of Alcinous, anticipated matters by marrying Medea to Jason”
• enemies with Apsyrtus “Medea murdered her brother”
• child: Aeetes “she killed Perses and restored the kingdom to her father.”

Hesiod, Theogony 869-975

• parent: Idyia “and bare him neat-ankled Medea”

Apollodorus, Epitome 5

• with Achilles (interaction) “It is said that after death Achilles consorts with Medea in the Isles of the Blest.”
• courtship with Achilles “It is said that after death Achilles consorts with Medea in the Isles of the Blest.”

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Extracted from the original text of Greek Mythology. Made with Rho MD.