LP0014 - Medea and Aegeus - Ovid's Metamorphoses -

Legendary Passages #0014 - Medea and Aegeus - Ovid's Metamorphoses -

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.

http://www.theoi.com/Text/OvidMetamorphoses7.html#4

Medea and Aegeus,
a Legendary Passage,
from Ovid's Metamorphoses,
translated 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 act she was revenged; and she, a wife and mother, fled the sword of her own husband, Jason.

On the wings of her enchanted Titan Dragons borne, she made escape, securely, nor delayed until she entered the defended walls of great Minerva's city, at the hour when aged Periphas- transformed by Jove, together with his queen, on eagle wings flew over its encircling walls: with whom the guilty Halcyone, skimming seas safely escaped, upon her balanced wings.

And after these events, Medea went to Aegeus, king of Athens, where she found protection from her enemies for all this evil done. With added wickedness Aegeus, after that, united her to him in marriage.

All unknown to him came Theseus to his kingly court. Before the time his valor had established peace on all the isthmus, raved by dual seas. Medea, seeking his destruction, brewed the juice of aconite, infesting shores of Scythia, where, 'tis fabled, the plant grew on soil infected by Cerberian teeth.

There is a gloomy entrance to a cave, that follows a declivitous descent: there Hercules with chains of adamant dragged from the dreary edge of Tartarus that monster-watch-dog, Cerberus, which, vain opposing, turned his eyes aslant from light- from dazzling day. Delirious, enraged, that monster shook the air with triple howls; and, frothing, sprinkled as it raved, the fields, once green- with spewing of white poison-foam.

And this, converted into plants, sucked up a deadly venom with the nourishment of former soils, -- from which productive grew upon the rock, thus formed, the noxious plant; by rustics, from that cause, named aconite.

Medea worked on Aegeus to present his own son, Theseus, with a deadly cup of aconite; prevailing by her art so that he deemed his son an enemy. Theseus unwittingly received the cup, but just before he touched it to his lips, his father recognized the sword he wore, for, graven on its ivory hilt was wrought a known device- the token of his race. Astonished, Aegeus struck the poison-cup from his devoted son's confiding lips. Medea suddenly escaped from death, in a dark whirlwind her witch-singing raised.

Recoiling from such utter wickedness, rejoicing that his son escaped from death, the grateful father kindled altar-fires, and gave rich treasure to the living Gods. He slaughtered scores of oxen, decked with flowers and gilded horns. The sun has never shone upon a day more famous in that land, for all the elders and the common folk united in festivities, with wine inspiring wit and song;

"O you," they sang, "Immortal Theseus, victory was yours! Did you not slaughter the huge bull of Crete?
Yes, you did slay the boar of Cromyon, where now the peasant unmolested plows;
And Periphetes, wielder of the club, was worsted when he struggled with your strength;
And fierce Procrustes, matched with you beside the rapid river, met his death;
And even Cercyon, in Eleusis lost his wicked life- inferior to your might;
And Sinis, a monstrosity of strength, who bent the trunks of trees, and used his might
Against the world for everything that's wrong. For evil, he would force down to the earth,
Pine tops to shoot men's bodies through the air. Even the road to Megara is safe,
For you did hurl the robber Scyron,sheer over the cliff. Both land and sea denied
His bones a resting place as tossed about they changed into the cliffs that bear his name.
How can we tell the number of your deeds, deeds glorious, that now exceed your years!
For you, brave hero, we give public thanks and prayers; to you we drain our cups of wine!"
And all the palace rings with happy songs, and with the grateful prayers of all the people. And sorrow in that city is not known.

But pleasure always is alloyed with grief, and sorrow mingles in the joyous hour. While the king Aegeus and his son rejoiced, Minos prepared for war.

He was invincible in men and ships- and stronger in his rage to wreak due vengeance on the king who slew his son Androgeus. But first he sought some friends to aid his warfare; and he scoured the sea with a swift fleet -- which was his strength.

Anaphe and Astypalaea, both agreed to join his cause- the first one moved by promises, the second by his threats. Level Myconus and the chalky fields of Cimolus agreed to aid, and Syros covered with wild thyme, level Seriphos, Paros of marble cliffs, and that place which Arne the impious Siphnian had betrayed, who having got the gold which in her greed she had demanded, was changed to a bird which ever since that day imagines gold its chief delight- a black-foot black-winged daw.

But Oliarus, Didymae, and Tenos, Gyaros, Andros, and Peparethos rich in its glossy olives, gave no aid to the strong Cretan fleet.

Sailing from them Minos went to Oenopia, known realm of the Aeacidae. Men of old time had called the place Oenopia; but Aeacus styled it Aegina from his mother's name. At his approach an eager rabble rushed resolved to see and know so great a man.

Telamon met him, and his brother, younger than Telamon, and Phocus who was third in age. Even Aeacus appeared, slow with the weight of years, and asked him what could be a reason for his coming there.

The ruler of a hundred cities, sighed, as he beheld the sons of Aeacus, for they reminded him of his lost son; and heavy with his sorrow, he replied: "I come imploring you to take up arms, and aid me in the war against my foes; for I must give that comfort to the shade of my misfortuned son -- whose blood they shed."

But Aeacus replied to Minos, "Nay, it is a vain request you make, for we are bound in strict alliance to the land and people of Cecropia."

Full of rage, because he was denied, the king of Crete, Minos, as he departed from their shores replied, "Let such a treaty be your bane."

And he departed with his crafty threat, believing it expedient not to waste his power in wars until the proper time.

http://www.theoi.com/Text/OvidMetamorphoses7.html#4