A-Z: General definitions: Medea

Definition

Daughter of Aeetes, king of Colchis; she used her magical powers to help Theseus capture the Golden Fleece, and married him with tragic results. Jason was sent by Pelias, the King of Iolcos, to bring back the Golden Fleece from Colchis, with the promise that he would be made his heir if successful. He gathered a band of heroes, including Heracles, who were known as the Argonauts, after their ship, the Argo. Having reached Colchis after an eventful voyage, Jason managed with great difficulty to retrieve the fleece, largely through the magical powers of Medea, the daughter of the king of Colchis, who fell in love with him. Jason returned with Medea to reclaim his throne, but eventually settled with her in Corinth where they had two children. Jason subsequently took the daughter of the king of Corinth as his new wife, and Medea, outraged at his betrayal, took her revenge by killing not only her husband's new bride and her father, but also her own two sons.

Related Topics

Golden Fleece; Jason; Jason and the Argonauts, and Medea

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