Medea (mythology)

Medea and Jason by John William Waterhouse

This is a chalice crater of red figures, attributed to the painter of Policoro and dated to 400 B.C. It is preserved at the Cleveland Art Museum. The scene represented in this glass refers us directly to the end of the Medea tragedy written by Eurípides. Medea, after having killed his sons, appears in a chariot pulled by winged serpents that his grandfather, the Sun and in which he will flee to Athens. In the middle of the glass we see, in the air, the car of winged snakes on which Medea is mounted, dressed in orientalizing clothes and frigid cap, symbolizing its foreign nationality. The cart is framed in a circle with rays, which refers to the Sun, the grandfather of Medea and who gave him the cart. Below, on a kind of altar on the right rest the bodies of their two children. An older woman, by her white hair, is next to the bodies and takes her hands to her head in desolation signal. He's got his arms wet, so he's probably some foreign maid, like Medea. Next to this, another character, masculine, also observes the scene and takes his hands to his head. On the left, looking at Medea, Jason, with a beard and wearing only a fallen heath that exposes his chest. In this passage in the tragedy of Eurípides Jason has just discovered the crime of his wife and recriminates her cruelty, while she, from the car, tells her that she has done it to hurt her and that she will not let her approach the bodies.

In Greek mythology, Medea (from the Greek Μήδεια) was the daughter of Aeetes, king of Colchis, and the nymph Idia. She was a priestess of Hecate, who is considered by some to be her mother and from whom she is supposed to have learned the principles of sorcery along with her aunt, the goddess and magician Circe. Thus, Medea is the archetype of the witch or sorceress, and she shares with Calipso and Circe, among others, her status as an autonomous and unusual woman, contrary to the ideal prototype of the time. She was also a granddaughter of the god Helios.

His character would have a great impact on later generations, especially at the hands of tragic authors such as Euripides (Medea) and Seneca.

The Escape from Colchis

When Jason and the Argonauts arrived in Colchis and claimed the Golden Fleece, King Aeetes promised to give it to them only if they were able to perform certain tasks. First Jason had to harness two oxen that breathed flames of fire from their mouths and plow a field with them. Once plowed, he should sow the dragon's teeth that Aeetes gave him in the furrows. Jason accepted the conditions, despite the fact that getting out of the test seemed impossible to him.

However, Medea, her heart pierced by the accurate darts of love from Eros and advised by her sister (whose children Jason had saved from perishing on the Island of Birds), visited Jason's tent that same night and he provided magical potions and ointments, as well as precise instructions on how to do it. Invulnerable to fire and possessing supernatural strength, the hero was able to subdue the oxen and hitch them to the plow, then plowing the agreed portion of land. Thereupon, the teeth flung into the grooves, she withdrew to watch as a heavily armed skeleton-soldier emerged from each tooth. After patiently waiting for a large number of them to fully develop, she threw a huge stone among the soldiers, who did not know who had thrown it, and they fought fiercely among themselves to get hold of it until her death. Finally, still under the effects of Medea's magic potions, Jason finished off those who were left standing.

After successfully completing this test, Aeetes became extremely angry and refused to honor his part of the bargain. Guided then by Medea, the Argonauts reached the forest where the Golden Fleece was hidden. There, Medea urged those present to avoid being hypnotized by not looking his guardian in the eye, a huge snake that never slept. Aided by some special herbs and her own hypnotic powers, Medea managed to put her to sleep, thus allowing Jason to take the precious trophy and they could all return with him to her homeland.

The expedition of the Argonauts then set out with the company of Medea since, knowing that her betrayal would never be forgiven and madly in love with Jason, she had begged in exchange for her services to be able to flee with the expedition. Jason had not only agreed to her, but had promised to make her his wife, swearing that she would always be faithful to him. Aeetes then sent his eldest son Apsirtos leading a great fleet to pursue them. But when he finally managed to catch up with them, Jason agreed with Apsirto to deliver Medea in exchange for being able to continue his journey with the fleece. Medea then hatched a stratagem again so that her half-brother would appear alone at the negotiation, which Jason took advantage of to treacherously murder him and throw her body, in multiple pieces, into the sea. The heartbroken Aeetes had to entertain himself by collecting the remains of his son one by one, which gave the Argonauts an advantage so they could escape.

There are several versions about the route that the Argonauts followed from then on, since the version that has come down to us is questioned as it requires a journey by land through half of Europe (either fording navigable rivers, or dragging on land sign your ship Argos).

When they arrived in Thessaly, Medea prophesied that the Argos' helmsman, Euphemus, would rule over Libya. This prophecy would later materialize in Bato, a descendant of Euphemus.

The wedding with Jason

Once purified before the gods by Circe of the crime of Apsirtos, in his home on the island of Aeaea, the Argonauts were intercepted by the Colcos who were pursuing them in Corcyra (Corfu), where the heroes were under the protection of the king alcinous After devising a solution, he decides to hand over Medea to the persecutors only if she retains her maidenhood, which he communicates to his wife, Queen Arete, in the privacy of the bedroom the night before the ruling. Arete, captivated by Medea's charm, gives notice of this to the Argonauts, who that same night, in Macris's cave and on the fleece itself, consummated their marriage. In this way the next day, when Alcínoo issued his sentence, the Colcos could not carry out the orders of Aeetes and, frustrated, they settled in the area, fearful of his revenge if they returned to Colchis to communicate the news to him.

Triton and Talos

This is a cradle of red figures attributed to the painter of Talos and dated between 400 and 390 BC. It is preserved at the Nazionale Jatta Museum. Numerous characters appear in the body of the glass. In central position and highlighting for its white color is the giant Talos. Talos was an automaton giant made of bronze that protected Crete Island from pirates or invaders. Its bronchial nature would explain the different color it has regarding the rest of the represented figures. It also stands out in front of the other characters for their marked anatomy. She's naked and looks up as she faints, presumably already affected by Medea's potion. It is retained by two other characters, Cástor and Pólux, which we recognize by the inscriptions with their names. Both wear a crown of foliage, a very decorated chin and a clamide. Pólux (left) is coming down from the horse and wearing boots. Cástor (right) stays on top of the horse. On the left, with very ornamented oriental dress and hat is Medea, whose name is also registered. He holds a bowl, standing and staring at Talos. On the other side, on the right of Cástor, Poseidon and Anfitrite are seated, contemplating the scene (also their names are registered). Poseidon is crowned with laurel, beard, dresses an heathion that leaves his chest uncovered and holds in the right hand the trident. Anfitrite wears in collected hair, a crown, wears a pawn and an hyathion, supports an arm over Poseidon and with the other hand holds a sceptre. Both portan sceptres in majesty symbol. Under a woman flees turning around, wears ivy crown and chin embroidered.

When the Argonauts arrived in Crete after waiting for Circe to purify Medea for the murder of Apsyrtus and crossing the Strait of Scylla and Charybdis and passing the domain of the Sirens, they were unable to land, for the island was guarded by Talos, the bronze giant. Talos had a single vein in his ankle, which was topped with a nail to prevent blood from leaking out. Medea cast an evil eye on the giant, who grazed his ankle with the edge of a rock and bled to death, thus they were able to reach Crete.

Finally, being close to her destination, the city of Yolcos, some winds dragged the Argo to Libya, where after suffering new hardships they found the source that Heracles kicked out when he passed through there on his way to complete one of his homeworks. Only thanks to Triton, who dragged the ship into the open sea, were they finally able to continue on their way.

The death of Pelias

When Jason and Medea arrived at Yolcos, Pelias refused to hand over the throne to him, even though they had brought the Fleece. Medea then conspired so that Pelias' own daughters would kill him: characterized as an old Hyperborean priestess of the goddess Artemis, she showed them that an old man could be rejuvenated by cutting the throat of an old ram and immersing it in a cauldron. But when Pelias's daughters, with the best of intentions, did the same to his father, he did not survive.

This is a drawing of a Hindu representation of black figures dated between 510 and 500 BC, attributed to the Leagro group, preserved at the British Museum of London. We see in the body of the glass, in a central position a tripod on the fire and from this comes the head and the front legs of a ram. Every side of the lebes we see two characters. On the left are Medea and Pelias. Medea has long hair, dresses a chin and an embroidered heathon and shakes the left arm above the lebes. It is the moment of the myth that Medea shows Pelias' daughters how he can rejuvenate the ram. Pelias is seated, bears beard and long white hair, sign that he is an older man, and carries a sceptre on the left hand, symbol of power. You saw an embroidered hymn. On the other side of the lebes is Jason, kneeling, with beard and naked, placing a trunk on the fire. At his side, looking at him with the extended left hand is one of the daughters of Pelias, like Medea, with long hair, chin and embroidered hymn. The glass is decorated with ivy edges on the sides and lotus buds on the bottom.

Abandonment of Jason

Despite having already got rid of Pelias, the inhabitants of Yolco abhorred the assassination and Jason and Medea were forced to leave Yolco, leaving for Corinth, called by the inhabitants of this city over which Medea claimed to have rights to the throne. They lived there for ten years until Jason agreed with King Creon to abandon Medea, whom the king intended to expel from Corinth, to join his daughter Princess Creusa. Medea then, dragged by Jason's betrayal, sent Creusa as a wedding gift a cloak of irresistible beauty. When Creusa received it from the hands of Medea's servant, she put it on immediately, releasing the magic contained in it that turned her into a flaming cloth. Her flames totally consumed her and hers her father, her Creon, who rushed at her to save her.

This is an apulia bell crater with red figures dated around 390 B.C. and preserved at the Louvre Museum in Paris. It is attributed to the painter of Dolon. In the body of the glass we find four characters. Two women in the center and one man on each side. The woman on the left wears a pawn and an opulent heathion and wears a tiara in the head of which a veil falls. Her clothing denotes her high social position: she would be Princess Creusa. The woman next to her, however, wears much easier clothes, only wears a chin and nothing in her head. Porta a box on the left hand and on the right hand a blanket extending to Creusa. This woman would presumably be a maid and is giving her the poisoned wedding gift sent by Medea. The man on the right bears a beard, dresses an embroidered hymn and carries a sceptre, distinctive of his position of power: he would be King Creon, the father of Creusa. The man who stands on the other side carries a sober chitonis and his facial expression is grieved. The painting therefore represents the moments before the death of Creusa and his father, I believe.

Medea then killed the two children she had had with Jason, knowing that the Corinthians would seek retaliation against her and her lineage after the regicide. Jason later grieves over the children's death.

This is an amphora of red figures dated around 330 B.C. attributed to the painter of Ixion, preserved at the Louvre Museum in Paris. In the body of the amphora there are two characters: Medea and one of her children. Medea dresses a chin with long sleeves mottled, a sign of alienation, because Medea comes from the Coloquide. Take the hair collected and held with the right hand a sword and with the left your child's head. The child, of considerable smaller size, looks to the opposite side of his mother and tries to flee from the sword, shaking hands. You only saw an hymn that with the movement exposes his naked body. The scene takes place inside, probably a temple, as we can see behind the characters two columns and a base on which a statuette is supported. In the Corinthian version of the myth, Medea carries out the murder of his sons within the temple of Hera, considering it an offering. However, in the tragedy of Eurípides the murder takes place inside the palace.

After the infanticide Medea leaves Corinth in her chariot of winged serpents, which her grandfather Helios had given her. The inhabitants of Corinth, either in revenge for Creon's death or disappointed by Medea's behavior, tried to stone her.

One version of the story tells that the Corinthians were the ones who killed Medea's children, as punishment for the spell she had cast on Creusa. But in turn, as punishment, an epidemic was killing all the children in the city. The Corinthians did not free themselves from this curse until, on the advice of the Delphic oracle, they made solemn sacrifices to the children of Medea and forced their own to mourn. This would justify that the leaders of Corinth, in the V a. C., they paid the playwright Euripides to narrate the tragedy of Medea, attributing the entire list of homicides to the protagonist and thus washing the image of the city. This manipulation would put an end to other versions that considered Medea as a virtuous woman who did not she had committed more sin than professing a deep love for her husband, who unjustly abandoned her.

Medea and Heracles

When Medea fled from Corinth, she set out to look for Heracles, as he had promised her help in case Jason failed to keep his word. She found him in Thebes, but Hera's fury had driven him mad. Medea cured him with his remedies. However, Eurystheus urged Heracles to do his work and Medea resigned herself to the fact that she would not be helped by him.

Medea in Athens

After wandering through different places in search of protection, Medea arrived in the city of Athens, whose king, Aegeus, not only offered her hospitality but also married her with the hope that her sorceries would allow her to conceive a child despite late in his age. The sorceress fulfilled her expectations, having a son named Medo by him.

When Theseus, the secret son of Aegeus, arrived in Athens willing his father to recognize him as heir, Medea took him as a threat to her son's future, and tried to poison him. But Theseus discovered her and, accused of committing horrible crimes and witchcraft, Medea had to flee again, this time with her son.

Medea in exile

A tradition indicated that, after fleeing precipitously from Athens, Medea took refuge in Italy, where she taught the natives how to charm snakes, and they would venerate her as a goddess, with the name of Angitia.

Passing through Thessaly (a region named after her son Thessalus), Medea competed with Thetis in a beauty contest presided over by Idomeneo, king of Crete. From there she went to Phoenicia, where she settled for a time. She ultimately went on to Upper Asia, where she married one of the most powerful kings of the place, whom she succeeded to the throne. Some authors affirm that it was this, and not Aegeus, the father of Medo.

Having learned that their father Aeetes had been dethroned by his own brother Perses, Medea and her son came to his aid. Medo killed Perses and the country would receive the name of Media in his honor.

When Medea died, she dwelt on the Champs Elysees, where she lived happily ever after. According to some sources, it is possible that she married Achilles.

Bibliography of the iconography of Medea on ceramic vessels from Antiquity

• Anonymous. «Red-Figure Calyx-Krater (Mixing Vessel): Medea in Chariot (A); Telephos with Baby Orestes (B)». Text. Cleveland Museum of Art, 30 October 2018. https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1991.1.
• Musée du Louvre. "cratère". Accessed 2 June 2021. https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010260147.
• "Digital LIMC". Accessed 2 June 2021. https://weblimc.org/page/monument/2085064.
• "Digital LIMC". Accessed 2 June 2021. https://weblimc.org/page/monument/2078885.
• The British Museum. "Hydria Δ British Museum". Accessed 2 June 2021. https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/G_1843-1103-59.
• «LIMC-France subject [5381]». Accessed 2 June 2021. http://www.limc-france.fr/objet/5381.
• «LIMC-France subject [15019]». Accessed 2 June 2021. http://www.limc-france.fr/objet/15019.
• Shapiro, H.A. Myth Into Art: Poet and Painter in Classical Greece., 2002. http://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=179268.
• Accessed June 6th, 2021. https://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/XDB/ASP/recordDetails.asp?id=4A8E2FED-DC0D-4268-9142-0A6F55D1850F budnoResults= unknownrecordCount= strangerdatabaseID=bonesearch=.
• Miranda Alcolea, Yaiza. "Iconography of Medea. History of Art and Classical Literature.» Universitat de Ies Illes Balears, 2019. https://dspace.uib.es/xmlui/bitstream/handle/11201/152434/Miranda_Alcolea_Yaiza.pdf?sequence=1 fakeisAllowed=y

In popular culture

• He is a Servant of the Caster class in the 2004 Type-Moon visual novel Fate/stay nightand in the video game for Fate/Grand Order mobile devices.
• Medea is a spin-off character Saint Seiya Omega.
• Medea is a character of "The Heroes of the Olympic" and "The Apollo Tests" by Rick Riordan.
• Medea (1996) novel Christa Wolf in which the author rewrites the classic myth from new perspectives.
• Medea is the Person Chidori in the video game Person 3
• Medea is the name of the protagonist of the manhwa Your throne that holds certain similarities with the original.
• Medea is the protagonist of Medea to drift, graphic novel Fermín Solís(2021)
• In the game Dislyte there is a character who has the same powers as her, being a sperm (2022).