Medea (1)Medeia

The daughter of king Aietes (Aeetes) and Idyia and the wife of Iason (Jason).

Medea was the sister of Khalkiope (Chalciope) and the half-brother of Apsyrtos; she inherited the power of enchantment from her aunt, Kirke (Circe), and used her magic to assist Iason during his quest for the Golden Fleece.

The goddess, Hera, was offended at Medea’s father, Aietes, and used Medea and Iason to exact her revenge; she induced Aphrodite (goddess of Love) to persuade Eros (the primal god of Love) to shoot Medea with one of his arrows of irresistible love; Medea had no choice but to love Iason when he came to her father’s palace; she used her powers to assist and protect Iason and the Argonauts and, in doing so, betrayed her father.

When Iason was required to harness the bronze-footed bulls and sow the dragon’s teeth, Medea evoked the goddess, Hekate (Hecate), to protect Iason; when Iason wanted to take the Golden Fleece from the Garden of Ares, Medea enchanted the guardian dragon and, finally, when the Argonauts reached the island of Crete, Medea called down the Death-Spirits to defeat the bronze man, Talos.

When she left Kolkhis with Iason, Aietes sent her half-brother, Apsyrtos, to bring her back; to avoid capture, Iason and Medea ambushed and murdered Apsyrtos; Zeus was furious at such a callous act and even her aunt, Kirke, would not grant forgiveness to Medea.

When Aietes found out that Medea was being protected by the king of the Phaiakians (Phaeacians), Alkinoos (Alcinous), he demanded her return; king Alkinoos declared that if Medea was unmarried she was still bound to her father’s will but if she was married, she was responsible only to her husband; Iason and Medea were married and Aietes was left without recourse for his daughter’s betrayal.

According to Herodotus (book 1, chapter 2), the failure to return Medea was one of a series of events which led to the justification of the kidnapping of Helen and thus, the Trojan War.

After their successful return to Iolkos (Iolcos), Medea and Iason became involved in more intrigue and murder; Iason’s uncle, king Pelias, had arranged the death of Iason’s father, Aison, and Medea sought to help Iason by causing Pelias’ death; Medea told the gullible daughters of Pelias that she could restore his youthful vigor with one of her potions; she demonstrated the process on a sheep and the daughters were convinced that Medea could do as she said; the unwitting daughters cut their father into pieces and the lifeless fragments did not reanimate.

Pelias’ son, Akastos (Acastus), assumed the throne after his father’s death and forced Iason and Medea to leave Iolkos; when the refugees came to the city of Korinth (Corinth), they were given sanctuary by king Kreon (Creon); while they lived in Korinth, Iason and Medea had two sons; Iason fell in love with the king’s daughter, Glauke (Glauce) and abandoned Medea; in her rage, Medea made a poisoned cloak for Glauke and effectively murdered her; after killing her sons, Medea fled to Athens and became the consort of the aged king Aegeus, who happened to be the father of the hero, Theseus.

Aegeus had abandoned Theseus as a child and did not recognize his son when he came to Athens but Medea, with her supernatural powers, knew who Theseus was and feared that he might threaten her hold on Aegeus; she plotted the death of Theseus and persuaded Aegeus to send him to Marathon to capture a bull that was ravaging the countryside; Theseus successfully captured the bull and, when he returned to Athens, Medea tried to poison him but Aegeus finally recognized his son and saved Theseus’ life.

Medea fled Athens and settled in Persia, the inhabitants of Persia were called Aryans but changed their name to Medes to honor of Medea.

• Herodotus, book 7, chapter 62