HONEY I(Μήδεια), in Greek mythology, a sorceress, daughter of the king of Colchis Eetus and the Oceanid Idia, granddaughter of Helios, niece of Kirk (Hes. Theog. 956 next; Apollod. I 9, 23) (option: Medea’s mother - patroness of sorceresses Hecate, sister of Medea - Pickaxe, Diod. IV 45-46). The myth of Medea is connected with the myth of Argonauts. When the Argonauts, led by Jason, arrived in Colchis, the gods who patronized them instilled in Medea a passionate love for Jason. For the promise to marry her, Medea helped Jason overcome the trials that Aeetes subjected him to. Having put the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece to sleep with a magic potion, Medea helped Jason take possession of the treasure (Apollod. I 9, 23). More ancient version: Jason killed the dragon (Pind. Pyth. IV 249). Together with Jason, Medea fled from Colchis. To detain Eetus, who was pursuing the fugitives, Medea killed her young brother Apsyrtus, who had fled with her, and then scattered pieces of his body across the sea, realizing that the grief-stricken father would stop the pursuit in order to collect parts of his son’s body for burial (Apollod. I 9, 24); option: Apsyrtus did not flee with Medea, but led the Colchians who were chasing the Argonauts. Medea lured her brother into a trap, and Jason killed him (Apoll. Rhod. IV 452 next). When Medea and the Argonauts reached the island of the Phaeacians, the Colchians sent by Eetus demanded the extradition of Medea. King of the Phaeacians Alkina replied that he would hand over the fugitive if she had not yet become Jason’s wife. Warned by Alcinous's wife Areta, Medea and Jason hastened to get married (IV 1100 next). When the Argonauts returned to Iolcus with the fleece, Medea helped Jason take revenge on the usurper Pelias, who killed his father and brother. Medea destroyed Pelias by convincing his daughters that their decrepit father could be rejuvenated. To do this, Pelias’ body must be cut into pieces, boiled in a cauldron, and then Medea, with the help of magic potions, will restore his youth. To convince her daughters, she chopped up a ram, boiled it in a cauldron, and then turned it into a lamb; when the daughters of Pelias agreed to cut their father, Medea did not resurrect him (Paus. VIII 11, 2; Ovid. Met. VII 297 seq.). After this, Medea and Jason were expelled from Iolcus and settled in Corinth, where Medea gave birth to Jason two sons, Mermer and Feret. When Jason decided to marry the daughter of the Corinthian king Creon Glavka(option: Creuse), Medea, cursing her ungrateful husband, decided to take revenge on him. She sent her rival a peplos (robe) soaked in poison, wearing which Glauca burned alive along with her father, who was trying to save his daughter (Hyg. Fab. 25). Having killed her children, Medea flew away in a chariot drawn by winged horses (optionally, dragons). According to another version of the myth, Medea left the children praying at the altar of Hera, and the Corinthians, avenging Glaucus, killed them (Paus. II 3, 6-7; Diod. IV 55; Apollod. I 9, 28). Having fled from Corinth, Medea settled in Athens and became the wife of Aegeus, giving birth to his son Meda (Apollod. I 9, 28). When Theseus, the heir of Aegeus, unrecognized by his father, returned to Athens, Medea, fearing that he, and not Med, would inherit his father’s power, convinced her husband to try to destroy the stranger. But Aegeus recognized his son, revealed Medea’s treachery and expelled her from Athens (Plut. Thes. XII; Apollod. epit. I 5-6). After this, Medea and her son Med returned to Colchis, where by that time Aeetes had been overthrown from the throne by his brother Persian. Honey killed the Persian and reigned in Colchis, subsequently conquering a significant part of Asia (Strab. XI 13, 10; Diod. IV 56 next) [option: Honey died in a campaign against the Indians, and Medea herself killed the Persian and returned power to her father (Apollod. I 9, ​​28)]. Subsequently, Medea was transferred to the islands of the blessed, where she became the wife of Achilles (Apoll. Rhod. IV 811 next; Apollod. epit. V 5). Such features of the image of Medea, such as the ability to revive the dead, fly across the sky, etc., suggest that Medea was originally revered as a goddess. Perhaps the image of Medea merged the features of the sun goddess revered in Colchis, the powerful sorceress of Thessalian fairy tales (Iolcus was in Thessaly) and the heroine of the Corinthian epic, in which Medea and her father were considered to be from Corinth.

The fairy-tale features of Medea underwent significant changes in the works of Greek and Roman writers. The theme of Medea's unrequited love for Jason, outlined by Pindar, was developed in the tragedy of the same name by Euripides, where Medea became the murderer of her children. In Seneca’s tragedy “Medea,” she appears as a stern avenger, acting with cruel consistency.

M.N. Botvinnik

In ancient fine art (in vase paintings, on the reliefs of sarcophagi, frescoes) scenes were reflected: Medea helps Jason get the Golden Fleece, the death of Pelias, the murder of children. European art has been turning to myth since the 14th century. first in book illustrations, then in painting (plots: “Medea kills her children” - by P. Veronese, N. Poussin, K. Vanloo, E. Delacroix; “Medea rejuvenates Pelias” - by Guercino, etc.).

Among the works of European drama on the plot of myth: in the 17th century. - “Medea” by P. Corneille; in the 18th century - “Medea” by F. W. Gotter, “Medea in Corinth” and “Medea in the Caucasus” by F. M. Klinger, “Medea” by L. Tick; in the 19th century - “Medea” by J.B. Niccolini, “Medea” (part of the dramatic trilogy “The Golden Fleece”) by F. Grillparzer; in the 20th century - “Medea” by J. Anouilh and F. T. Chokor. Myth was widely used in musical and dramatic art; among operas: in the 17th century. - “Medea” by M. A. Charpentier and others; in the 18th century - “Medea” by J. Myslivecek, J. Benda, I. G. Nauman, L. Cherubini and others; in the 19th century - “Medea” by S. Mercadante and others; in the 20th century - “Medea” by D. Milhaud, E. Kshenek and others.

Myths of the peoples of the world. Encyclopedia. (In 2 volumes). Ch. ed. S.A. Tokarev.- M.: “Soviet Encyclopedia”, 1982. T. II, p. 130-131.

Greek myths are rich in descriptions of extraordinary heroes. Their characters are gods, fantastic creatures and mere mortals, whose lives and biographies are closely intertwined. Medea is one of the important female images of mythology. Several myths are dedicated to her. Painters, sculptors and filmmakers were inspired by her story.

Origin story

The name Medea translated from Greek means “my goddess.” The meaning of the name corresponds to the origin of the heroine. The daughter of the king of Colchis Eata and the oceanid Idia, the granddaughter of the god Helios, Medea is endowed with magical powers. The goddess gave strength to the girl in the form of a kind of help to her pet and -. The man arrived in Colchis in search of the Golden Fleece and met a girl with whom he connected his life, becoming her husband.

Mythology is distinguished by the presence of chronological inconsistencies, the duality of the plot and literary devices, which are not always correctly interpreted by historians and researchers. Perhaps related to this is the fact that today the public knows two characters with the name Medea. The girl is mentioned twice in the story of the Argonauts, but her appearances do not coincide chronologically, from which we can conclude that the authors were describing two different heroines. The key lies in her relationship with.

Myths about Jason are inextricably linked with the biography of Medea. , Theseus, Jason and are images bordering on semi-divine principles, therefore two worlds are available to them: the pagan one, in which shamans, old deities and matriarchy have power, and the new one, in which the gods. Initially, Medea was compared to the Greek goddess, as she could fly and had magical powers. In addition, she was loved by the people of Colchis and was similar to the witches from Thessalian fairy tales and the heroines of the Corinthian epic.

The plot telling about Medea and the campaign of the Argonauts led by Jason is described in the work of Apollonius of Rhodes in the 3rd century BC. e. In 431 BC. dedicated a play of the same name to the heroine in 424 BC. e. wrote the tragedy "Medea". He also worked on the image of the famous woman in his work. used her image in the tragedy "Colchis Women". Many lesser-known authors of Ancient Greece devoted their works to the biography of Medea, drawing facts about her from myths.

Myths and legends

The myth about the adventures of the Argonauts has reached modern readers in different variations, so the characterization of Medea in them is presented in a different light. The girl is always one of the main characters in the story, because Jason’s feat would not have happened without her help. From the myth of Jason, the image of the queen passed into the legend of Theseus. The heroine appeared before the public in different images: she was seen as a murderer of her own children, a passionate woman dying from disappointment.

The myth of Jason says that Medea helped the leader of the Argonauts take possession of the Golden Fleece thanks to a magic potion. Jason overcame all the trials set up by the king with the help of the girl’s advice. He plowed the field with fire-breathing oxen, sowed it with dragon teeth, from which warriors grew, and was able to defeat them by pitting them against each other. Medea put the dragon to sleep, and Jason stole the fleece. The origin of feelings between the characters is questionable. One version says that the love between Jason and Medea was the work of his patrons - Hera and Athena.

Medea ran away from home with Jason and the Argonauts, taking with her her brother, Apsyrtus. He became the girl's victim when their father's ship began pursuing the Argonauts. Medea dismembered her brother, and the king of Colchis had to stop the chase to pick up his remains. According to an alternative version, the brother led the pursuit of Medea and was killed by Jason. The young people got married on the island of Scheria. Medea found salvation from grave sins from her aunt, Circe.

The Argonauts' ship headed to the Mediterranean Sea and near Crete collided with the bronze giant Talos. The warrior, created, walked around the island three times a day and threw stones at those who threatened to attack. Uninvited guests became victims of the fiery streams that Talos directed at them. Medea helped deal with the warrior by pulling out the nail that plugged the hole in his body, and the ichor, which was a life-giving liquid for Talos, flowed out. There are different interpretations of this myth, but their ending is the same: Medea contributed to the death of the warrior.

Having reached his homeland, Jason gave Uncle Pelius the Golden Fleece, which was a condition for receiving the throne. The king refused to give up power. Medea assured his daughters that they could give their father youth. The result of her persuasion was the death of Pelias, who was impossible to resurrect. The heroes fled to Corinth. Famous for her magical abilities, Medea invented a paint that can rejuvenate. In addition, she stopped the famine in Corinth. Medea and Jason became rulers of the city.

In alternative variations, he fell in love with a woman, but she rejected his claims, for which Medea’s children gained immortality. Jason found out about this and left for Iolk. Medea killed her offspring - this is how Euripides and Seneca describe it.

According to another version, the king of Corinth, Creon, offered Jason his daughter as his wife. Medea poisoned the king and fled. Since she could not take the children with her, the woman killed them so that innocent souls would not be trampled upon by the Corinthians.

The third variation tells about the feelings that flared up between Jason and Creon’s young daughter. In a fit of revenge, Medea made a magical dress, which she presented to her rival as a gift. The outfit caught fire, and the girl burned down along with her father.

The woman, in anger, killed her children born from Jason and fled to Thebes. She was expelled from there by the townspeople who knew about the crime committed.

Film adaptations

Myths about Medea are classic dramatic material for theatrical productions. With the development of television, the genre of teleplay became popular. In the Soviet Union, productions of classics were often broadcast on screens. In 1967, a film adaptation of the play “Medea” was presented to the public, directed by Nikolai Okhlopkov, Alexey Kashkin and Alexander Shorin. Spectators saw the performance of the theater. Mayakovsky accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Evgenia Kozyreva performed the role of Medea.

In 1969, Pier Paolo Pasolini, inspired by the play of Euripides, released the film “Medea”, where she appeared in the image of the main character. For the opera singer, this role became the only one in cinema.

The Dane presented an interpretation of the mythological plot about the crime of Medea in 1988. Kirsten Olesen appears as the main character.

If you need DETAILED for a presentation of this myth, go to the page “Campaign of the Argonauts”. There you can familiarize yourself with the history of the legend of the voyage for the Golden Fleece and go to links with a detailed account of its various episodes. Our list of pages dedicated to myths and epics will be constantly updated

The myth of the Golden Fleece (summary)

According to Greek myth, in the city of Orkhomenes (region of Boeotia), King Athamas once ruled over the ancient Minyan tribe. From the cloud goddess Nephele he had a son, Phrixus, and a daughter, Hella. These children were hated by Athamas's second wife, Ino. During a lean year, Ino tricked her husband into sacrificing them to the gods to end the famine. However, at the last moment, Frixus and Gella were saved from under the priest’s knife by a ram with golden fleece (wool), sent by their mother Nephele. The children sat on the ram, and it carried them through the air far to the north. During her flight, Hella fell into the sea and drowned in the strait, which has since been called by her name the Hellespont (Dardanelles). The ram carried Phrixus to Colchis (now Georgia), where he was raised as a son by the local king Eet, the son of the god Helios. Eet sacrificed the flying ram to Zeus, and hung its golden fleece in the grove of the god of war Ares, placing a mighty dragon as a guard over it.

Argonauts (Golden Fleece). Soyuzmultfilm

Meanwhile, other descendants of Athamas built the port of Iolcus in Thessaly. The grandson of Athamas, Aeson, who reigned in Iolka, was overthrown from the throne by his half-brother, Pelias. Fearing the machinations of Pelias, Eson hid his son, Jason, in the mountains with the wise centaur Chiron. Jason, who soon became a strong and brave young man, lived with Chiron until he was 20 years old. The centaur taught him the arts of war and the science of healing.

Leader of the Argonauts, Jason

When Jason was 20 years old, he went to Iolcus to demand that Pelias return power over the city to him, the heir of the rightful king. With his beauty and strength, Jason immediately attracted the attention of the citizens of Iolcus. He visited his father's house, and then went to Pelias and presented his demand to him. Pelias pretended that he agreed to give up the throne, but set the condition that Jason go to Colchis and get the Golden Fleece there: there were rumors that the prosperity of the descendants of Athamas depended on the possession of this shrine. Pelias hoped that his young rival would die on this expedition.

After leaving Corinth, Medea settled in Athens, becoming the wife of King Aegeus, the father of the great hero Theseus. According to one version of the myth, the former leader of the Argonauts, Jason, committed suicide after the death of his children. According to another mythical story, he joylessly dragged out the rest of his life in disastrous wanderings, not finding permanent shelter anywhere. Once passing through the Isthmus, Jason saw the dilapidated Argo, which was once dragged here by the Argonauts to the seashore. The tired wanderer lay down to rest in the shadow of Argo. While he was sleeping, the stern of the ship collapsed and buried Jason under its rubble.

There is a myth about the hero Jason, the leader of the Argonauts. He was the hereditary king of the city of Iolcus in Northern Greece, but power in the city was seized by his eldest relative, the powerful Pelias, and in order to return it, Jason had to perform a feat: with his heroic friends, on the ship "Argo", sail to the eastern edge of the earth and there , in the country of Colchis, obtain the sacred golden fleece, guarded by a dragon. Apollonius of Rhodes later wrote the poem “Argonautica” about this voyage. A mighty king, the son of the Sun, ruled in Colchis; His daughter, the sorceress princess Medea, fell in love with Jason, they swore allegiance to each other, and she saved him. Firstly, she gave him witchcraft drugs, which helped him first withstand the test feat - plowing arable land on fire-breathing bulls, and then putting the guardian - the dragon - to sleep. Secondly, when they sailed from Colchis, Medea, out of love for her husband, killed her brother and scattered pieces of his body along the shore; The Colchians pursuing them delayed burying him and were unable to overtake the fugitives. Thirdly, when they returned to Iolcus, Medea, in order to save Jason from the treachery of Pelias, invited the daughters of Pelias to slaughter their old father, promising to then resurrect him as a young man. And they killed their father, but Medea refused her promise, and the parricide daughters fled into exile.

However, Jason failed to obtain the Iolk kingdom: the people rebelled against the foreign witch, and Jason, Medea and two young sons fled to Corinth. The old Corinthian king, having taken a closer look, offered him his daughter as a wife and the kingdom with her, but, of course, so that he would divorce the witch. Jason accepted the offer: perhaps he himself was already beginning to fear Medea. He celebrated a new wedding, and the Medeetsar sent an order to leave Corinth.

On a solar chariot drawn by dragons, she fled to Athens, and told her children: “Give your stepmother my wedding gift: an embroidered cloak and a gold-woven headband.” The cloak and bandage were saturated with fiery poison: the flames engulfed the young princess, the old king, and the royal palace. The children rushed to seek salvation in the temple, but the Corinthians, in a rage, stoned them. No one knew exactly what happened to Jason.

It was hard for the Corinthians to live with the bad reputation of child murderers and wicked people. Therefore, legend says, they begged the Athenian poet Euripides to show in the tragedy that it was not they who killed Jason’s children, but Medea herself, their own mother. It was difficult to believe in such horror, but Euripides made us believe it. “Oh, if only those pine trees from which the ship on which Jason sailed had never been destroyed…” begins the tragedy. This is what Medea's old nurse says.

Her mistress has just learned that Jason is marrying the princess, but does not yet know that the king is ordering her to leave Corinth. Medea's moans can be heard behind the stage: she curses Jason, herself, and the children. “Take care of the children,” says the nurse to the old teacher. The chorus of Corinthian women is in alarm: would Medea not have brought upon worse trouble! “The royal pride and passion are terrible!

Peace and moderation are better." The groans have ceased, Medea comes out to the choir, she says firmly and courageously: “My husband was everything to me - I have nothing more. O wretched lot of a woman! They give her to someone else's house, pay a dowry for her, buy her a master; It hurts her to give birth, like in a battle, and leaving is a shame. You are here, you are not alone, but I am alone.” The old Corinthian king comes to meet her: immediately, in front of everyone, let the witch go into exile! "Alas!

It’s hard to know more than others: this leads to fear, this leads to hatred. Give me at least a day to decide where to go.” The king gives her a day to live. “Blind man! - she says after him.

“I don’t know where I’ll go, but I know I’ll leave you dead.” Who - you? The choir sings a song about universal untruth: oaths are trampled, rivers flow backward, men are more treacherous than women! Jason enters; starts an argument.

“I saved you from the bulls, from the dragon, from Pelias - where are your vows? Where should I go? In Colchis - the ashes of a brother; in Iolka - the ashes of Pelias; your friends are my enemies. O Zeus, why can we recognize fake gold, but not a fake person!” Jason replies: “It was not you who saved me, but the love that moved you. I am counting on this for salvation: you are not in wild Colchis, but in Greece, where they know how to sing the glory of both me and you.

My new marriage is for the sake of the children: those born from you are not full-fledged, but in my new home they will be happy.” - “You don’t need happiness at the cost of such resentment.” - “Oh, why can’t people be born without women! There would be less evil in the world."

The choir sings a song about evil love. Medea will do her job, but then where to go? This is where the young Athenian king Aegeus appears: he went to the oracle to ask why he had no children, and the oracle answered incomprehensibly. “You will have children,” says Medea, “if you give shelter in Athens.” She knows that Aegeus will have a son on a foreign side - the hero Theseus; knows that this Theseus will drive her out of Athens; knows that later Aegeus will die from this son - he will throw himself into the sea with false news of his death; but is silent.

“Let me perish if I allow you to be driven out of Athens!” - says Egey. Medea doesn’t need anything else now. Aegeus will have a son, but Jason will have no children - neither from his new wife, nor from her, Medea. “I will uproot the Jason family” - and let the descendants be horrified. The choir sings a song in praise of Athens.

Medea recalled the past, secured the future, and now her concern is about the present. The first is about my husband. She calls Jason, asks for forgiveness - “that’s just how we are, women!” - flatters, tells the children to hug their father: “I have a cloak and a bandage, the heritage of the Sun, my ancestor; let them present them to your wife!” - “Of course, and may God grant them a long life!” Medea's heart contracts, but she forbids herself pity.

The choir sings: “Something will happen.” The second concern is about the children. They took the gifts and returned; Medea cries over them for the last time. “I gave birth to you, I nursed you, I see your smile - is this really the last time? Dear hands, sweet lips, royal faces - will I really not spare you?

Your father has stolen your happiness, your father is depriving you of your mother; If I feel sorry for you, my enemies will laugh; this should not happen! Pride is strong in me, and anger is stronger than me; it’s decided!” The choir sings: “Oh, it’s better not to give birth to children, not to run a home, to live in thought with the Muses - are women weaker in mind than men?” The third concern is about the homewrecker.

A messenger runs in: “Save yourself, Medea: both the princess and the king perished from your poison!” - “Tell me, tell me, the more detailed, the sweeter!” The children entered the palace, everyone admires them, the princess rejoices at her attire, Jason asks her to be a good stepmother for the little ones. She promises, she puts on an outfit, she shows off in front of the mirror; suddenly the color drains from her face, foam appears on her lips, flames engulf her curls, burnt meat shrinks on her bones, poisoned blood oozes like tar from bark. The old father falls screaming to her body, the dead body wraps around him like ivy; he is trying to shake off the thoughts that the singer Orpheus told people about: a person must be pure, and then he will find bliss beyond the grave.

And for this, the goddess of love Aphrodite also hated him. Theseus's third wife was Phaedra, also from Crete, the younger sister of Ariadne. Theseus took her as his wife in order to have legitimate children-heirs. And here Aphrodite's revenge begins. Phaedra saw her stepson Hippolytus and fell in mortal love with him. At first she overcame her passion: Hippolytus was not around, he was in Troezen.

But it so happened that Theseus killed his relatives who rebelled against him and had to go into exile for a year; together with Phaedra he moved to the same Troezen. Here the stepmother's love for her stepson flared up again; Phaedra was distraught over her, fell ill, and no one could understand what was wrong with the queen. Theseus went to the oracle; It was in his absence that the tragedy occurred. In fact, Euripides wrote two tragedies about this.

The first one has not survived. In it, Phaedra herself revealed her love to Hippolytus, Hippolytus rejected her in horror, and then Phaedra slandered Hippolytus to the returning Theseus: as if her stepson had fallen in love with her and wanted to dishonor her. Hippolytus died, but the truth was revealed, and only then did Phaedra decide to commit suicide. It was this story that posterity remembered best. But the Athenians did not like him: Phaedra turned out to be too shameless and evil here. Then Euripides composed a second tragedy about Hippolytus - and it is before us. The tragedy begins with a monologue from Aphrodite: the gods punish the proud, and she will punish the proud Hippolytus, who abhors love.

Here he is, Hippolytus, with a song in honor of the virgin Artemis on his lips: he is joyful and does not know that today punishment will fall on him. Aphrodite disappears, Hippolytus comes out with a wreath in his hands and dedicates it to Artemis - “pure of pure.” "Why don't you honor Aphrodite?" - the old slave asks him. “I read it, but from a distance: the night gods are not to my heart,” answers Hippolytus. He leaves, and the slave prays to Aphrodite for him: “Forgive his youthful arrogance: that is why you gods are wise, to forgive.”

But Aphrodite will not forgive. A chorus of Troezen women enters: they have heard a rumor that Queen Phaedra is sick and delirious. From what? Anger of the gods, evil jealousy, bad news? Phaedra is brought out to meet them, tossing about on her bed, with her old nurse with her. Phaedra raves: “I wish I could go hunting in the mountains!”

To the Artemidin flower meadow! To the coastal horse lists” - all these are Hippolytus’s places. The nurse persuades: “Wake up, open up, have pity, if not for yourself, then for the children: if you die, it will not be they who will reign, but Hippolytus.” Phaedra shudders: “Don’t say that name!” Word by word: “the cause of illness is love”; “the reason for love is Hippolytus”; “There is only one salvation - death*. The nurse opposes: “Love is the universal law; to resist love is sterile pride; and for every disease there is a cure.” Phaedra takes this word literally: maybe the nurse knows some healing potion?

The nurse leaves; the choir sings: “Oh, let Eros blow me!” There is noise from behind the stage: Phaedra hears the voices of the nurse and Hippolytus. No, it wasn’t about the potion, it was about Hippolytus’s love: the nurse revealed everything to him - and in vain. So they go on stage, he is indignant, she begs for one thing: “Just don’t say a word to anyone, you swore an oath!” “My tongue swore, my soul had nothing to do with it,” answers Hippolyte. He utters a cruel denunciation of women: “Oh, if only it were possible to continue our race without women! A husband spends money on a wedding, a husband receives in-laws, a stupid wife is difficult, a smart wife is dangerous - I will keep my oath of silence, but I curse you!

" He's leaving; Phaedra, in despair, brands the nurse: “Curse you! By death I wanted to save myself from dishonor; Now I see that death cannot escape him. There is only one thing left, the last resort,” and she leaves without naming him. This means is to blame Hippolytus before his father. The choir sings: “This world is terrible!

I should run away from it, I should run away!” From behind the scene there is a cry: Phaedra is in a noose, Phaedra has died! There is alarm on the stage: Theseus appears, he is horrified by the unexpected disaster, the palace swings open, and general crying begins over Phaedra’s body. But why did she commit suicide?

She has writing tablets in her hand; Theseus reads them, and his horror is even greater. It turns out that it was Hippolytus, the criminal stepson, who encroached on her bed, and she, unable to bear the dishonor, committed suicide. "Father Poseidon!" - Theseus exclaims. “You once promised me to fulfill three of my wishes, - here is the last of them: punish Hippolytus, let him not survive this day!” Hippolytus appears; he is also struck by the sight of the dead Phaedra, but even more so by the reproaches that his father brings down on him. “Oh, why are we not able to recognize lies by sound!

- Theseus shouts. - Sons are more deceitful than fathers, and grandchildren are more deceitful than sons; Soon there won't be enough room on earth for criminals. A lie is your holiness, a lie is your purity, and here is your accuser. Get out of my sight - go into exile! - “Gods and people know that I have always been pure; “Here’s my oath to you, but I’m silent about other excuses,” answers Ippolit. “Neither lust pushed me to Phaedra the stepmother, nor vanity to Phaedra the Queen.” I see: the wrong one came out of the case clean, but the truth did not save the clean one.

Execute me if you want." - “No, death would be a mercy for you - go into exile!” - “Sorry, Artemis, sorry, Troezen, sorry, Athens! You didn’t have a person with a purer heart than me.” Hippolytus leaves; the choir sings: “Fate is changeable, life is scary; God forbid I know the cruel laws of the world! The curse comes true: a messenger arrives. Hippolytus rode out of Troezen in a chariot along a path between the rocks and the seashore.

“I don’t want to live as a criminal,” he appealed to the gods, “but I only want my father to know that he is wrong, and I am right, alive or dead.” Then the sea roared, a shaft rose above the horizon, a monster rose from the shaft, like a sea bull; the horses gave way and ran away, the chariot hit the rocks, and the young man was dragged along the stones. The dying man is carried back to the palace. “I am his father, and I am dishonored by him,” says Theseus, “let him not expect either sympathy or joy from me.” And then Artemis, the goddess Hippolyta, appears above the stage.

“He’s right, you’re wrong,” she says. “Phaedra was also wrong, but she was motivated by the evil Aphrodite. Weep, king; I share your sorrow with you." Hippolytus is carried in on a stretcher, he groans and begs to be finished off; whose sins is he paying for? Artemis leans over him from a height: “This is the wrath of Aphrodite, it was she who destroyed Phaedra, and Phaedra Hippolytus, and Hippolytus leaves Theseus inconsolable: three victims, one more unfortunate than the other. Oh, what a pity that the gods do not pay for the fate of people!

There will be grief for Aphrodite too - she also has a favorite - the hunter Adonis, and he will fall.

Medea (Medeia) - Tragedy (431 BC)

There is a myth about the hero Jason, the leader of the Argonauts. He was the hereditary king of the city of Iolcus in Northern Greece, but power in the city was seized by his eldest relative, the powerful Pelias, and in order to return it, Jason had to perform a feat: with his hero friends, on the ship "Argo", sail to the eastern edge of the earth and there , in the country of Colchis, obtain the sacred golden fleece, guarded by a dragon. Apollonius of Rhodes later wrote the poem “Argonautica” about this voyage.

A mighty king, the son of the Sun, ruled in Colchis; His daughter, the sorceress princess Medea, fell in love with Jason, they swore allegiance to each other, and she saved him. Firstly, she gave him witchcraft drugs, which helped him first withstand the test feat - plowing arable land on fire-breathing bulls - and then put the guardian dragon to sleep. Secondly, when they sailed from Colchis, Medea, out of love for her husband, killed her brother and scattered pieces of his body along the shore; The Colchians pursuing them delayed burying him and were unable to overtake the fugitives. Thirdly, when they returned to Iolcus, Medea, in order to save Jason from the treachery of Pelias, invited the daughters of Pelias to slaughter their old father, promising to then resurrect him as a young man. And they killed their father, but Medea refused her promise, and the parricide daughters fled into exile. However, Jason failed to obtain the Iolk kingdom: the people rebelled against the foreign witch, and Jason, Medea and two young sons fled to Corinth. The old Corinthian king, having taken a closer look, offered him his daughter as a wife and the kingdom with her, but, of course, so that he would divorce the witch. Jason accepted the offer: perhaps he himself was already beginning to be afraid of Medea. He celebrated a new wedding, and the king sent Medea an order to leave Corinth. She fled to Athens on a solar chariot drawn by dragons, and told her children: “Give your stepmother my wedding gift: an embroidered cloak and a gold-woven headband.” The cloak and bandage were saturated with fiery poison: the flames engulfed the young princess, the old king, and the royal palace. The children rushed to seek salvation in the temple, but the Corinthians, in a rage, stoned them. No one knew exactly what happened to Jason.

It was hard for the Corinthians to live with the bad reputation of child murderers and wicked people. Therefore, legend says, they begged the Athenian poet Euripides to show in the tragedy that it was not they who killed Jason’s children, but Medea herself, their own mother. It was difficult to believe in such horror, but Euripides made us believe it.

“Oh, if those pine trees from which the ship on which Jason sailed had never been destroyed had never collapsed...” - the tragedy begins. This is what Medea's old nurse says. Her mistress has just learned that Jason is marrying the princess, but does not yet know that the king is ordering her to leave Corinth. Medea's moans can be heard behind the stage: she curses Jason, herself, and the children. “Take care of the children,” says the nurse to the old teacher. The chorus of Corinthian women is in alarm: would Medea not have brought upon worse trouble! “The royal pride and passion are terrible! Peace and moderation are better.”

The groans have ceased, Medea comes out to the choir, she speaks firmly and courageously. “My husband was everything to me - I have nothing more. Oh, the pitiful lot of a woman! They give her away to someone else’s house, pay a dowry for her, buy her a master; giving birth is painful for her, like in a battle, and leaving is a shame. You are from here, You are not alone, but I am alone." The old Corinthian king comes out to meet her: immediately, in front of everyone, let the sorceress go into exile! "You! It’s hard to know more than others:

This is why there is fear, this is why there is hatred. Give me at least a day to decide where to go." The king gives her a day to decide. "Blind man! - she says after him. “I don’t know where I’ll go, but I know that I’ll leave you dead.” Who - you? The choir sings a song about universal untruth: oaths are trampled, rivers flow backward, men are more treacherous than women!

Jason enters; an argument begins. “I saved you from the bulls, from the dragon, from Pelias - where are your oaths? Where should I go? In Colchis - the ashes of my brother; in Iolka - the ashes of Pelias; your friends are my enemies. O Zeus, why do we know how to recognize false gold, but not a fake person!" Jason replies: “It was not you who saved me, but the love that moved you. I am counting on this for salvation: you are not in wild Colchis, but in Greece, where they know how to sing the glory of both me and you. My new marriage is for the sake of the children: born from you, they are inferior, but in my new home they will be happy.” - “You don’t need happiness at the cost of such an insult!” - “Oh, why can’t people be born without women! There would be less evil in the world.” The choir sings a song about evil love.

Medea will do her job, but then where to go? This is where the young Athenian king Aegeus appears: he went to the oracle to ask why he had no children, and the oracle answered incomprehensibly. “You will have children,” says Medea, “if you give me shelter in Athens.” She knows that Aegeus will have a son on a foreign side - the hero Theseus; knows that this Theseus will drive her out of Athens; knows that later Aegeus will die from this son - he will throw himself into the sea with false news of his death; but is silent. “Let me perish if I allow you to be driven out of Athens!” - says Aegeus, “Medea doesn’t need anything more now.” Aegeus will have a son, but Jason will have no children - neither from his new wife, nor from her, Medea. “I will uproot the Jason family!” - and let the descendants be horrified. The choir sings a song in praise of Athens.

Medea recalled the past, secured the future, and now her concern is about the present. The first is about my husband. She calls Jason, asks for forgiveness - “that’s just how we are, women!” - flatters, tells the children to hug their father: “I have a cloak and a bandage, the heritage of the Sun, my ancestor; let them offer them to your wife!” - “Of course, and may God grant them a long life!” Medea's heart contracts, but she forbids herself pity. The choir sings: “Something will happen!”

The second concern is about the children. They took the gifts and returned; Medea cries over them for the last time. “I gave birth to you, I nursed you, I see your smile - is this really the last time? Dear hands, sweet lips, royal faces - will I really not spare you? Your father stole your happiness, your father is depriving you of your mother; I will pity you - my friends will laugh enemies; this will not happen! Pride in me is strong, and anger is stronger than me; it is decided! " The choir sings: “Oh, it’s better not to give birth to children, not to run a home, to live in thought with the Muses - are women weaker in mind than men?”

The third concern is about the homewrecker. A messenger runs in: “Save yourself, Medea: both the princess and the king perished from your poison!” - “Tell me, tell me, the more detailed, the sweeter!” The children entered the palace, everyone admires them, the princess rejoices at her attire, Jason asks her to be a good stepmother for the little ones. She promises, she puts on an outfit, she shows off in front of the mirror; suddenly the color drains from her face, foam appears on her lips, flames engulf her curls, burnt meat shrinks on her bones, poisoned blood oozes like tar from bark. The old father falls screaming to her body, the dead body wraps around him like ivy; he sits down to shake it off, but he himself dies, and both of them lie charred, dead. “Yes, our life is only a shadow,” the messenger concludes, “and there is no happiness for people, but there are successes and failures.”

There is no turning back now; if Medea does not kill the children herself, others will kill them. “Do not hesitate, heart: only a coward hesitates. Be silent, memories: now I am not their mother, I will cry tomorrow.” Medea goes off stage, the choir sings in horror: “The Sun-ancestor and the highest Zeus! hold back her hand, do not let murder multiply with murder!” Two children's moans are heard, and it's all over.

Jason bursts in: “Where is she? On earth, in the underworld, in heaven? Let them tear her to pieces, I just want to save the children!” “It’s too late, Jason,” the chorus tells him. The palace swings open, above the palace is Medea on the Sun Chariot with dead children in her arms. “You are a lioness, not a wife!” Jason shouts. “You are the demon with whom the gods struck me!” - “Call me what you want, but I hurt your heart.” - “And my own!” - “My pain is easy for me when I see yours.” - “Your hand killed them!” - “And first of all, your sin.” - “So let the gods execute you!” - "The gods do not hear oathbreakers." Medea disappears, Jason calls in vain on Zeus. The chorus ends the tragedy with the words:

“What you thought was true does not come true, / And the gods find ways for the unexpected - / This is what we have experienced.”