LP0014 Medea and Aegeus

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• published: 22 Jun 2015
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Legendary Passages: episode 0014 - Medea and Aegeus - This passage from Ovid's Metamorphoses begins just after Medea causes the death of Pelias. With her dragons she flies all across Greece, before landing at Corinth. Jason leaves her for the princess there, so she burns down the palace, kills Jason's sons, and flies away again. She goes to Athens and marries King Aegeus, but when his son Theseus comes, she prepares poisonous aconite to kill him. His father recognizes his son and saves him, and Medea escapes again. There is a massive welcome home party, and singers recount the adventures of Theseus on his way to Athens But King Minos is preparing for war with Athens by recruiting allies from island nations. He sails to Aegina, ruled by King Aeacus, father of Phocus, Peleias and Telamon. Minos asks him for aid and alliance to avenge his dead son, but Aeacus declines, saying that he and Athens are old allies. This passage continues on for four more episodes. Next time a ship of Athens makes landing, and we shall learn why the men of Aegina are called Myrmidons. Medea and Aegeus a Legendary Passage from OVID's METAMORPHOSES TRANS. BY BROOKES MORE Book 7 [350]-[469] Only because her winged dragons sailed swiftly with her up to the lofty sky, escaped Medea punishment for this unheard of crime. Her chariot sailed above embowered Pelion, long the lofty home of Chiron, over Othrys, and the vale made famous where Cerambus met his fate. Cerambus, by the aid of nymphs, from there was wafted through the air on wings, when earth was covered by the overwhelming sea and so escaped Deucalion's flood, uncrowned. She passed by Pittane upon the left, with its huge serpent-image of hard stone, and also passed the grove called Ida's, where the stolen bull was changed by Bacchus' power into a hunted stag in that same vale Paris lies buried in the sand; and over fields where Mera warning harked, Medea flew; over the city of Eurypylus upon the Isle of Cos, whose women wore the horns of cattle when from there had gone the herd of Hercules; and over Rhodes beloved of Phoebus, where Telchinian tribes dwelt, whose bad eyes corrupting power shot forth; Jove, utterly despising, thrust them deep beneath his brother's waves; over the walls of old Carthaea, where Alcidamas had seen with wonder a tame dove arise from his own daughter's body. And she saw the lakes of Hyrie in Teumesia's Vale, by swans frequented. There to satisfy his love for Cycnus, Phyllius gave two living vultures: shell for him subdued a lion, and delivered it to him; and mastered a great bull, at his command; but when the wearied Phyllius refused to render to his friend the valued bull. Indignant, the youth said, 'You shall regret your hasty words;' which having said, he leaped from a high precipice, as if to death; but gliding through the air, on snow-white wings, was changed into a swan. Dissolved in tears, his mother Hyrie knew not he was saved; and weeping, formed the lake that bears her name. And over Pleuron, where on trembling wings escaped the mother Combe from her sons, Medea flew; and over the far isle Calauria, sacred to Latona. She beheld the conscious fields whose lawful king, together with his queen were changed to birds. Upon her right Cyllene could be seen; there Menephon, degraded as a beast, outraged his mother. In the distance, she beheld Cephisius, who lamented long his hapless grandson, by Apollo changed into a bloated sea-calf. And she saw the house where king Eumelus mourned the death of his aspiring son. Borne on the wings of her enchanted dragons, she arrived at Corinth, whose inhabitants, 'tis said, from many mushrooms, watered by the rain sprang into being. There she spent some years. But after the new wife had been burnt by the Colchian witchcraft and two seas had seen the king's own palace all aflame, then, savagely she drew her sword, and bathed it in the blood of her own infant sons; by which atrocious...