Argonautica IV 1-56

Medea flees the palace.

Book 3 ends with Jason’s triumph over the fire breathing bulls and the earth born giants, an heroic exploit of Iliadic dimensions, undercut by the fact that he is dependent on Medea’s drugs and magic. The mission, however, is not complete in spite of the closural nature of 3.1407. Aietes is already plotting revenge. Will Medea escape retribution for the help that she has given the foreign intruders? How will the Fleece be finally gained? What future developments will there be in the relationship between Jason the Greek and Medea the barbarian Colchian princess?

At the beginning of Book 4, the poet seeks help from his Muse in answering these and other questions in the opening invocation (1–5). The theme of the book is to be the combination of δήνεα with κάματον, which alludes to Medea’s two-sided character: knowing witch and magician and also a tragic figure who suffers for her love. The poet asks the Muse whether it is shame or panic which will drive her motivation:

Invocation of the Muse (1–5)

Medea's farewell to her home (6–33)

Flight from the palace and the city (34–53)

This passage from Book 4 of Apollonius Rhodius' Argonautica is a beautiful and emotionally charged opening that focuses on Medea's inner turmoil and flight from Colchis. The poet begins with an invocation to the Muse to tell of the "toil and schemes of the Colchian maiden," immediately centering Medea as the protagonist of this book.

The passage powerfully depicts Medea's psychological state after helping Jason obtain the Golden Fleece. We see her torn by fear, guilt, and desperation as she realizes the full implications of her betrayal of her father Aeetes. The simile comparing her to a frightened deer pursued by hounds (lines 12-13) effectively conveys her terror and vulnerability.

Apollonius excels at psychological portraiture here, showing Medea's suicidal thoughts (lines 20-21) and her intense emotional farewell to her home. The scene where she kisses her bed, touches the walls, and leaves a lock of hair as a memento for her mother (lines 26-29) is particularly poignant, highlighting the personal cost of her decision to flee with Jason.

The poet also employs another effective simile comparing Medea to a newly captured slave woman (lines 35-40), emphasizing her displacement and uncertain future. This reinforces the theme of exile that runs through the epic.

The supernatural elements are subtly woven in, with Hera's influence on Medea's heart (line 11) and the doors opening automatically to her spells (lines 41-42), reminding us of Medea's connection to divine and magical forces.

This opening establishes key themes that will continue throughout Book 4: exile, betrayal, divine influence, and the consequences of passion. Apollonius' Hellenistic sensibility is evident in his focus on the psychological complexity of his characters and his interest in the personal, emotional dimensions of heroic myth.

1–2  αὐτὴ . . . τέκος: the book opens with a strong and solemn imperative (ἔννεπε), which takes a double object (κάματόν . . . καὶ δήνεα), γε emphasising the importance of the former. κούρης / Κολχίδος: refers to Medea. The three separate allusions to the Muse (θεά, Μοῦσα, Διὸς τέκος) stress the importance of the moment. The opening words (αὐτὴ νῦν) underline its immediacy.

 2–3  ἦ . . . ὁρμαίνοντι: these lines describe the poet’s doubts and thoughts. The subject of the verb ἑλίσσεται is νόος ἔνδον, the owner of which is denoted by ἔμοιγε . . . ὁρμαίνοντι (datives of feeling / agent. Smyth 1486, 1488), linked with ἀμφασίῃ as a further descriptive dative (Smyth 1516). The particle ἦ intensifies the excitement of the moment (Smyth 2864).

 4–5  ἠὲ . . . Κόλχων: A.’s supposed hesitation takes the form of a deliberative, indirect question (ἠὲ . . . ἦ), whose main verb is the aorist subjunctive ἐνίσπω (Smyth 2675). Both μιν and τόγ(ε) function as pronouns referring to the vital question at issue (‘was it X or was it Y’), X being described as ἄτης πῆμα δυσίμερου, the two genitives elegantly depending on the noun that they enfold, and Y as φύζαν ἀεικελίην.

 6–9  ἤτοι . . . κεχολωμένος: A. now connects the action about unfold with the end of Book 3 by introductory particles ἤτοι ὁ μὲν. An important feature of this long sentence is the wide separation of ὁ μὲν and Αἰήτης. The elaborate phrase δήμοιο μετ᾽ ἀνδράσιν, ὅσσοι ἄριστοι refers to Aietes’ councillors. ἐπὶ σφίσι is the object of Aietes’ nocturnal (παννύχιος) plotting (δόλον αἰπὺν . . . μητιάασκεν), Jason and the Argonauts, who have recently thwarted him in the στυγερῷ . . . ἀέθλῳ and because of this have occasioned his raging anger (ἐπὶ θυμὸν . . . ἄμοτον κεχολωμένος).

 9–10 οὐδ᾽ ὅγε . . . ἐώλπει: Aietes’ daughters are implicated in the treachery by the intricate syntax. The word that denotes their deeds (τάδε), menacing because of its indefinite nature, is embedded in the phrase (θυγατέρων . . . νόσφιν ἑῶν) that implicates them in Medea’s escape. The Alexandrian poets thought of ἐώλπει as an imperfect; although LSJ ἔλπω explains it as 3rd person singular pluperfect. Here it balances μητιάασκεν.

 11  ἤτοι ὁ μὲν . . . τῇ δ᾽: contrasts the moods of Aietes and his daughter. The use of the superlative (ἀλεγεινότατον) marks the extreme nature of Hera’s intervention. ἔμβαλεν is frequently used of inserting a thought or emotion into the mind.

12–13  τρέσσεν . . . ὁμοκλή: ἠύτε introduces the simile. The enfolding word order of βαθείης / τάρφεσιν ἐν ξυλόχοιο (reorder: ἐν τάρφεσιν βαθείης ξυλόχοιο) perhaps gives a sense that the fawn may be trapped by the dogs in the deep wood. Likewise the unit formed by κυνῶν ἐφόβησεν ὁμοκλή (κυνῶν depending on ὁμοκλή) balances the previous phrase and underlines the fear caused by the dogs’ attack.

 14–15  αὐτίκα . . . κακότητα: Medea’s thoughts and fears are reported in a tersely expressed indirect statement, dependent on νημερτὲς ὀΐσσατο, the equivalent of a verb of fearing (Smyth 2238). There is contrast and balance between the two phrases, μιν ἀρωγὴν / ληθέμεν and πᾶσαν ἀναπλήσειν κακότητα. Aietes is not named (μιν) but the reference to what he may do to Medea gains emphasis from the use of the four-syllable abstract noun (κακότητα rather than perhaps κακά).

16–17  τάρβει . . . ἀκουαί: A. shortens his phrases, pointed by the repetition of π and marking the frantic nature of Medea’s mood. The use of the dual (ὄσσε) together with the reflexive personal pronoun (οἱ. Smyth 1195) and the singular verb (πλῆτο) alludes to Homeric phraseology (Smyth 959) used by A. to enhance his description of Medea’s emotions. The same is true of the following phrase (περιβρομέεσκον ἀκουαί), based on a famous poem of Sappho.

 18–19  πυκνὰ . . . ἀνίῃ: Medea doesn’t know which course of action to take. The anaphora of πυκνά must mark the rapidity with which she flits from one possibility to another. Pulling out the hair is a demonstration of grief from Homer onwards. A. describes this action with the help of an Homeric hapax legomenon, κουρίξ. 

26–7  κύσσε . . . ἐπαφήσατο: two main verbs (κύσσε and ἐπαφήσατο) enclose the significant objects (possibly four; see below) which receive attention from Medea as she moves about her room. The placing of the words creates a chiasmus which emphasises the ritualistic feel about these lines, as Medea goes from one part of the room to another, bidding a formal farewell to her life as a young girl. 

27–9  χερσί . . . φωνῇ: an agonised cry (ἀδινῇ δ᾽ ὀλοφύρατο φωνῇ) to accompany a violent action (μακρὸν / ῥηξαμένη πλόκαμον)! Although the background to this scene is traditional, that of a young girl leaving the family home and making a ritual dedication, Medea’s gesture is more violent because she is a bride embarking on a formal ceremony against her will, as the words of her farewell show. Her dedication of the lock to her mother, rather than to a deity, provides a dramatic subject for her first reported words. The word θάλαμος often denotes the bedroom of the lady of the house and, as such, is an important place in a woman’s life. It is dramatically appropriate that Medea’s last farewells should take place there and that she should leave behind a memorial of her maidenhood (μνημήια μητρὶ . . . παρθενίης).

30–2  τόνδε . . . δόμος: the demonstrative τόνδε, in an emphatic position at the beginning of the sentence combined with the interlaced phrasing of the opening clause (τόνδε agrees with πλόκον and encloses ἀντ᾿ ἐμέθεν) enhances the impact of Medea’s first directly reported words. This impact is further strengthened by the enjambment of μῆτερ ἐμή and the repetition of χαίροις (optative instead of the more usual χαῖρε), perhaps introducing an added note uncertainty about her personal future and that of her family. The mention of Chalciope - there has been complex interplay between the two sisters in Book 3 - and the use of the phrase πᾶς δόμος (‘all my house’) mark Medea’s intention to split from her entire family.

32–4  αἴθε . . . χεῦεν: αἴθε (often εἴθε), with a past tense of the indicative, is used to introduce a wish, referring to the past that cannot be realised (Smyth 1780-1). The use of διέρραισεν shows the degree of Medea’s intensity. It is often has the sense of ‘total destruction.’ The infinitive with πρὶν in reference to an unfulfilled action is normal (see the example from the Odyssey quoted above and Smyth 2455).The whole sentiment is an echo of the ‘might-have-been’ thought from the opening of Euripides' Medea (Eur. Med. 1–15), 

34  κατ᾿ . . . χεῦεν: perhaps the verb is in tmesis, but on the basis of parallels such as Il. 17.437–8 δάκρυα δέ σφι / θερμὰ κατὰ βλεφάρων, κατά also governs βλεφάρων in anastrophe.

35–6  οἵη . . . ληιάς: “just like a female prisoner-of-war”, introducing a simile that vividly portrays Medea’s state-of-mind but which contains some difficult points of interpretation.  In this simile, descriptive of Medea’s mental state, rather than her physical actions—A.’s switches back to those in line 40—she is likened to a slave girl unwillingly going to face an immediate harsh fate, as Medea unwillingly (cf. 32–3) goes to find Jason and throw in her lot with him. 

35  ἀφνειοῖο . . . δόμοιο: “from a rich house.” The two words agree and, in some way, depend on διειλυσθεῖσα, which looks like an aorist passive participle and may be connected with εἰλύω.  

36  νέον: “recently.” The slave girl has just been separated (ἀπενόσφισεν) from her homeland and Medea is just about to leave hers. She returns to this theme later in tirade against Jason at 4.362 νοσφισάμην (n. 360). “fate”and μοῖρα are equivalent in A. and other authors.

 37  μογεροῖο . . . καμάτοιο: two separated genitives (with the epic ending) in agreement as in 35. The slave girl will be afflicted with κάματος, as will Medea (1n.). πεπείρηται: < πειράομαι: 3^rd per. sing. perf. indic. “She has not experienced (lit. made trial of) wretched labour.”

38-9  ἀηθέσσουσα δύης καὶ δούλια ἔργα / εἶσιν ἀτυζομένη: “unused to wretchedness and fearing the work of slaves, she goes . . .” closely parallels Medea’s fate. As a princess, she had a band of ἀμφίπολοι to do her bidding (3.838). ἀηθέσσουσα is hapax in Homer (Il. 10.493) and takes the genitive.The enjambment, taking δούλια ἔργα with ἀτυζόμενη, (cf. 4.512 ἀτυζόμενοι χόλον ἄγριον Αἰήταο) is in A.’s style. εἶσιν: < εἶμι: press. act. indic. 3rd singular.

39  χαλεπὰς ὑπὸ χεῖρας ἀνάσσης: ὑ. governs the entire phrase. It also has significance for Medea’s plight. The ἄνασσα is possibly Hera (cf. 4.21) or more probably Aphrodite forcing her into the arms of Jason, although she does not want to go. Aphrodite is often spoken of as a cruel goddess.

40 ἱμερόεσσα: A. is reminding us that in spite of her distress, Medea retains her beauty and that at 92 Jason has a tangible reason for rejoicing. The description of the simile concentrates on her inner state of mind; the main text on her outward appearance.

40  δόμων: gen. of separation after ἐξέσσυτο: < ἐκσεύομαι: imperf. ind mid. 3^rd sg.

41–2 τῇ . . . ἀοιδαῖς: emphasis now turns to Medea’s magical powers. The bolts of the door (θυρέων . . . ὀχῆες) yield (ὑπόειξαν) to her speedy spells (ὠκείαις . . . ἀοιδαῖς), leaping apart (ἀναθρώσκοντες), almost personified. Medea is a witch, after all.

42  ὠκείαις . . . ἀοιδαῖς: the adjective and noun agree: A. is fond of structuring the line with adjective and noun at opposite ends (3.1285, 3.1325, 4.97, 4.452, 4.623); The adjective functions as a transferred epithet-adverb.

43  γυμνοῖσιν . . . οἴμους: one way to describe haste is to say that the individual concerned did not have time to put on their shoes. ἀνὰ στεινὰς . . . οἴμους: “along the narrow streets” stresses the clandestine nature of Medea’s escape. θέεν: is unaugmented imperfect < θέω.

44–5  λαιῇ . . . χιτῶνος: Medea is in disguise and, therefore hides beneath her drapped cloak. She raises the hem of her garment so she may flee all the faster. There are perhaps some similarities with this small bronze statue (see under Media tab). While the figure is usually believed to be that of a dancer, the pose that she adopts fits A.’s description of Medea. Movement and concealment are combined with a hint of seduction.

46  ἄκρην ὑψόθι πέζαν ἀερτάζουσα χιτῶνος: a beautifully balanced line typical of Hellenistic Greek poetry.

46 ἄκρην . . . πέζαν . . . χιτῶνος is the object of ἀερτάζουσα, a rare word also found in Callimachus. This intricately worded description (λαιῇ μὲν ~ δεξιτερῇ; στειλαμένη ~ ἀερτάζουσα), as well as aptly describing Medea’s movement, may indeed reflect the pose of a statue that A. knew.

47  καρπαλίμως δ᾿ἀΐδηλον ἀνὰ στίβον: the pace of Medea’s escape picks up (καρπαλίμως). She is soon “outside the walls” (ἔκτοθι πύργων). 

48  ἄστεος εὐρυχόροιο: depends on πύργων. The use of the epithet with ἄστεος stresses the richness of the life that Medea is leaving behind her for the sake of the Greek foreigner. φόβῳ κίεν: “she went in fear.” κίεν is my emendation for transmitted ἵκετ᾽. “She arrived in fear” is a curious statement. What is required is a verb not of arrival, but of progression as at 4.1182–3 ἥρωας δὲ γυναῖκες ἀολλέες ἔκτοθι πύργων / βαῖνον ἐποψόμεναι. 

49  λάθε: < λανθάνω: aor. act. ind. 3^rd. sg. For the construction with participle, see Smyth 2096. For the way in which she slips past the guards see the illustration under the Media tab on this page. 

49  ὁρμηθεῖσα: “as she went on her way" (lit., "having been set in motion”) < ὁρμάω: aor. pass. participle nominative singular. The participle is a further indication that she is still in motion and has not yet arrived. Σφεας is the accus. plur. of the epic pronoun σφεῖς.

51  ἦεν ὁδῶν:  A. often uses enjambment to mark this important change of tack. She was (ἦεν < εἰμί: imperf. act. ind. 3^rd. sg.) not only knowledgeable (ἄιδρις) about the best route (ὁδῶν, depending on ἄιδρις) but experienced in other bizarre magical practices.

51  ἀλωμένη ἀμφί τε νεκροὺς: Part of the rites of ancient witches involved corpses. (Ogden 1999,19). At 3.531–3 Argos talks of Medea’s extraordinary skills as a witch. This is one of the first things that we hear of her in the poem. Medea is at once witch and love-sick maiden. θαμὰ: marks recurrent actions and feelings as it does at line 59.  

52  δυσπαλέας ῥίζας χθονός: In Sophocles’ fragmentary drama Root-cutters, Medea is described cropping evil plants while turning away, so that the power of their noxious smell will not kill her (F534.1–6 TrGF = Tragicorum Graecorum Fragmenta): αἱ δὲ καλυπταὶ / κίσται ῥιζῶν κρύπτουσι τομάς, / ἃς ἥδε βοῶσ᾿ ἀλαλαζομένη / γυμνὴ χαλκέοις ἤμα δρεπάνοις, “And the hidden boxes conceal the cuttings of the roots, which she, uttering loud ritual cries, naked, was severing with bronze sickles.” “Grubbing up roots” is the sort of thing that witches do, especially in Thessaly (Dio Chrys. 58.4.1 ῥίζας ὀρύττειν, ὥσπερ αἱ φαρμακίδες.)

52–53  οἷα γυναῖκες: “like women do.” Women do not usually hunt for dead bodies or exotic roots but they do if they are φαρμακίδες: enjambment is used to produce an amusing paraprosdokian noun-adjective combination.

53  τρομερῷ δ᾿: δέ marks a strong contrast: Medea is used to wandering around in this area, searching for raw materials; but fear now makes her heart beat.

54–6  τὴν δὲ νέον Τιτηνὶς: The introduction of the goddess of the Moon alters the mood entirely. She is “Titanian” because she is the offspring of the Titan Hyperion and Theia. The past misfortunes of the goddess and her present unexalted emotion adds a delightful twist to the narrative whose chief note has previously been pathos, fear and excitement. The intricacy of the word order of heightens the bizarreness and the surprise: τήν refers to Medea, who is then ‘trapped’ (φοιταλέην) between the two references to the Moon (Τιτηνὶς . . . Μήνη). Lovers address the Moon, stars and night as a way of relieving their feelings. On this critical occasion the Moon addresses the lover. We can only guess at the actual extent of Α.’s originality. He may have had a precedent in New Comedy. The prologue in Plautus’ Rudens, spoken by the star Arcturus, goes back to Diphilos.

56  ἁρπαλέως: usually used of a ‘strong appetite’ emphasises the relish with which the Moon speaks.

56  τοῖα μετὰ φρεσὶν ᾗσιν ἔειπεν: “such were her unspoken thoughts" (lit. "she spoke such things in her mind"). ᾗσιν: = ἑῇσιν, fem. dat. pl. < ἑός. (Smyth 330). This half line marks the beginning of an interior monologue on the part of the Moon.