Medea

= Μήδεια =



// A bitch of a witch who could get away with any murder. **Family Relations** //
Medea was the daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis, neice of Circe and granddaughter of the sun god, Helios. She had two children, Mermeros and Pheres to her husband, the hero Jason (from the myth of Jason and the Argonauts). She also had a second husband, Aegeus, the king of Athens of whom with she bore a son, Medus.

Medea was famous (or infamous) for her sorcery and witchcraft. She uses her power to try to get what she wants, may it be love, or revenge. Different paintings depict her to be a beautiful woman with a deep inte ntion inside her.
 * Description**

Medea takes a part in the famous myth of Jason and the Argonauts. Her role is very vital in the success of the hero Jason in his quest to find the Golden Fleece from the king of Colchis, Aeetes. Medea, who happened to be King Aeetes's daughter, offered to help Jason perform the three tasks, namely to yoke fire-breathing bulls to a plow, sow a field with dragons' teeth and then fight the warriors who grew from those teeth. If successful, the king promised to give Jason the Golden Fleece. Medea, in exchange of her expertise, would ask Jason in marriage. And marry, they did.
 * Stories**

But they did not live happily ever after. After several years of marriage, Creon, the king of Corinth, offered his daughter Glauce to marry Jason. Wanting to please the king, Jason abandoned Medea and went for Glauce. Furious, Medea took her revenge by sending Glauce a poisoned wedding dress that burned her alive. She also killed the children she bore to Jason.

Medea then fled to Athens where the king, Aegeus, agreed to protect Medea if she married him and bore him children. She bore him a son, Medus, who stood to inherit the throne. However, the king had no awareness of his other son in another marriage, Thesus. Medea, recognizing Thesus when he had come to claim the throne, tried to convince Aegeus that he had come to kill him. Just as Thesus was about to drink the poisoned wine prepared by Medea, the king realized that he was his son through the sword he was carrying.

Medea then fled to another region somewhere in Asia that came to be known as Media, where she became queen of her people.

Sources: http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Le-Me/Medea.html http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/372086/Medea http://www.mythweb.com/encyc/entries/medea.html http://www.in2greece.com/english/historymyth/mythology/names/medea.htm http://www.online-mythology.com/medea_aeson/ http://www.medeaslair.net/medea.html

Pictures from the [|Wikimedia Commons]