Ad huius Argumenti lucem non parum faciet ex Apollonio Rhodio et Valerio Flacco totam historiam de Iasone et Argonautis cognouisse: refert enim scire hic quibus beneficiis Medea affecerit Iasonem: qua fide, spe, iureiurando, matrimonio coierint, in Graeciam uenerint: ut eo euidentior ingratitudo et impudentia Iasonis fiat, qui post tanta beneficia uxorem cui etiam uitam debebat falso praetextu repudiabat, et iustior ira crudelitasque Medeae putetur. Nam fere mos est tragicis ut horribilibus exemplis graues quoque et atroces causas assignent. ueluti Sophocles ultroneae caedis Aiacis ignominiam et insaniam cum turpitudine magna coniunctam: Orestis parricidii patris iugulationem causam fingit. Aeschylus Prometheum propter insolentiam impietatemque aduersus Iouem et uetita furta Caucaso affixum uulturumque laniatibus expositum inducit. Continet autem praesens fabula detestanda extremae impietatis exempla. quod ut planius fiat, breuiter exponam totam Argumenti rationem. Iason Corinthum profectus una cum Medea, Glaucam Corinthiorum tyranni filiam uxorem ducit, hoc quidem titulo, ut ea cognatione filios suos in regiam domum introduceret: re uera autem ipsum Medeae taedebat, ut pote iam aetate forma flaccescente, quae ei ita fuerat eximia ut omnibus admirationi olim esset. Exciderat Iasoni quod ipsum miserrimo et certissimo exitio eripuerat, quod patre prodito, regno deserto, contemptis regiis connubiis, uni Iasoni adhaeserat, unum per tot pericula et maria in Graeciam secuta fuerat. Tam cito apud homines senescit beneficium: ut uere Sophocles dixerit, ὡς ταχεῖα τοῖς βροτοῖς χάρις διαῤῥέει.*

*[The text of Ajax 1266-67 actually reads φεῦ, τοῦ θανόντος ὡς ταχεῖά τις βροτοῖς / χάρις διαρρεῖ καὶ προδοῦσ’ ἁλίσκεται (Alas, how swiftly is the gratitude owed to the dead man forgotten by mortals and found to have betrayed its duty).]

It shall aid in no small degree in the elucidation of this Argument not only to have read the whole story of Jason and the Argonauts as written by Apollonius Rhodius and Valerius Flaccus, for it benefits one to know what help Medea gave Jason and under what faith, aspirations, and pledges they were joined in marriage when they came to Greece: so that the ingratitude and impudence of Jason be made more apparent, and the anger and cruelty of Medea be thought more just, since even after he received such an abundance of aid he yet scorned under false pretext his wife to whom he owed even his life. For it is the general custom of the tragedians to furnish horrific examples with causes that are also serious and terrible. Just as Sophocles depicts as the cause of Ajax’s suicide the ignominy and madness combined with intense disgrace, as the cause for Orestes’ matricide the murder of his father. Aeschylus for the same reason presents Prometheus who for his insolence and impiety against Jove and his forbidden theft is chained to the Caucasus and exposed to the lacerations of the vultures. The present story, however, contains abhorrent exempla of extreme impiety. So that this be clearer, I shall briefly expound the whole rationale of the present plot. Jason, having arrived at Corinth together with Medea, takes Glauca, the daughter of the king of Corinth, as his wife, indeed under this very pretext, that he may bring his own sons into the royal household by this kinship-tie: in reality, however, he himself was weary of Medea, because her beauty was now wilting with advancing age, a beauty which had been so magnificent at one time that it had been unanimously praised. Jason has let go of the memory that she had snatched him from a most wretched and certain death; that she had clung to Jason alone after betraying her father, deserting her country, and forfeiting a kingly marriage; and that him alone through so many dangers and across so many seas had she followed to Greece. So quickly among men fades the good deed done: thus Sophocles spoke in verity, “How swiftly doth gratitude wane amongst men.”

Nec sat erat repudium ei misisse nisi etiam in exilium Corintho eiici pateretur. Hac rei indignitate mota est Medea ut de uindicta non uulgari cogitaret. Quid enim acerbius quam pro benefactis iniuriam accipere? Quid etiam impatientius uxores ferunt quam maritorum suorum adulteria et perfidiam? Saeuit igitur ceu truculenta bestia: luctatur secum, furit inops animi, gliscit sanguinem et caedem: implacabilis ardet in paelicis et propriorum filiorum necem ut luctum pareret Iasoni. Cum uero in hoc execrabili scelere suis uiribus minime fideret, quippe deserta et exul, ad magicarum artium opem confugit: peplumque et coronam cantatis pharmacis illitam ficta beneuolentia Glaucae mittit, quasi eo munere et sibi et filiis reginae fauorem conciliare ac impetrare cuperet. Accipit donum Glauca, applicat capiti nihilque periculi metuit: et dum ita compta obambulat, subito corripitur ac tandem dira flamma una cum patre miserrime deflagrat et consumitur. Medea hoc successu laeta non cessandum duxit, sed ad necem liberorum festinandum: ibi diu secum luctata (nam maternus in liberos amor ab inuisitata crudelitate abhorrebat) tandem ausa facinus inauditum ferrum strinxit et propriorum filiorum cruore imbuit. Deinde exhibito oculis Iasonis miserabili spectaculo, quo magis acueret dolorem, post amara conuicia uolucri curru per aerem Athenas deuehitur ad Aegeum, cum quo reliquum aetatis ex pacto consumptura erat. Vide Diodorum Siculum lib. 5.*

*[The story of Jason and Medea in Corinth and Medea's life after killing her children is found, in a rationalized form, in Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica, Book 4, chapters 54-56.]

Yet, neither was it enough to have renounced her, unless he suffer her to be expelled into exile from Corinth as well. By the indignity of the affair Medea was impelled to contemplate an extraordinary vengeance. Indeed, what is more bitter than receiving an ill in return for a benefaction? Indeed, what is more insufferable that wives endure than the adultery and perfidy of their husbands? Therefore she rages as if a savage beast: she struggles with herself, she raves uncontrollably, she longs for blood and slaughter: implacable, she burns with desire for the destruction of her rival and of her very own sons in order to effect the misery of Jason. Yet since she could scarcely rely on her own strength for such an accursed crime, for she was forsaken and an exile, she took refuge in the workings of magical arts. She sent both a mantle and a crown doused in enchanted salves to Glauca, in feigned benevolence, as if she desired by this gift to procure and garner the favor of the queen for herself and her sons. Glauca received the gift and placed it on her head, fearing no danger: and so adorned she was walking about, and then is suddenly seized, and at last is most wretchedly burned and devoured by a terrible fire together with her father. Medea, elated by this success, judged that she should not delay, but indeed had to hasten to the slaughter of her children: it was then that she struggled for a long while with herself (for her maternal love of her children was shrinking from extraordinary cruelty) but at length, having dared to undertake the unheard of villainy, she drew her blade and wetted it in the blood of her very own children. Then, after she had displayed this pitiable sight to Jason’s eyes, to sharpen his grief the more, and after an unpleasant altercation, she betook herself in a winged chariot to Athens to Aegeus, with whom she was to spend, by their agreement, the remainder of her life. See Diodorus Siculus, Book 5.

[in marg. Scopus huius fabulae.] Primum ergo considerandum in hac fabula quanta miseriarum incendia excitauerit amor Medeae: unde tam insigni exemplo ab insanis amoribus homines deterreri debent, qui sua mancipia ut plurimum in manifestum exitium trahunt et saepe totas ciuitates clade inuoluunt: ex omnibus enim perturbationibus nulla uehementior quam amoris furor, omnis flagitii et leuitatis et caedis auctor: in qua praeter alia innumerabilia incommoda foeda quaedam mentis est perturbatio: cui si ira accesserit, tum demum fit immedicabilis nullumque exhorret nefas. Amor igitur et ira, δεινότατα πάθη, si semel in homine locum inueniant, ita omnem rationem et consilium peruertunt ut feratur is quocumque rapiat impetus. Quare Medea talia designauit facinora prae irae et amoris uiolentia quae terreant uel audita solum hominum animos. Cum autem tot exempla extent, tot remedia Philosophorum libris in promptu (ut Xenophon in 2. Memorabilium* dicit) sint, quae istas prauas libidines et perturbationes arceant, nonne fanatici et malo daemone perciti est nihilominus in pericula et exitium ferri? Adolescentes igitur in hanc imaginem intuentes abstineant a taeterrima ista inhonestarum cupiditatum lue, quae et corpori et animo exitium afferre solent: et uehementibus istis libidinibus mature frena iniiciant antequam mora insuperabiles fiant. Deinde contemplemur typum inauspicati coniugii Iasonis et Medeae, quale plerumque diuortium et calamitas consectatur. Raro enim matrimonia sanguine et scelere contracta diuturnae felicitatis sunt, sed saepenumero cum publica pernicie coniuncta: ueluti Paridis Helena et Asiae et Graeciae luctuosissima extitit. Est autem longe tutissima in coniugio concordia, ut uere noster Poeta in Prologo loquitur: ὑπερμεγίστη** γίγνεται σωτηρία, ὅταν γυνὴ πρὸς ἄνδρα μὴ διχοστατῇ.

*[This is apparently a reference to Xenophon, Memorabilia 1.6.14, where Socrates claims to peruse the storehouses of the wise men of old, which they have recorded in books and left behind.]

**[sic; but on p. 157 the text of the play (Medea 14-15) and on p. 166 the lemma for a note have the correct text: ἥπερ μεγίστη, the very thing which is the greatest source of salvation; Stephanus 1602 prints the correct text here, but Stiblinus' paraphrase longe tutissima may indicate that he intended ὑπερμεγίστη when he wrote this passage.]

[In margin: The point of the present story.] Therefore in this play it ought be considered first what great conflagrations of misery Medea’s love provoked: from such a conspicuous example men should be deterred from unbridled passions, which so very often drag their slaves into the most obvious calamity and often involve entire city-states in ruin: certainly out of all the passions none is more violent than the madness of love, the author of all disgrace, frivolity, and slaughter: and in this passion in addition to many other innumerable disadvantages there is a certain polluted disturbance of mind: to which if anger has been added, then indeed does it become incurable and fears to do no unholy deed. Therefore, if love and anger, the most terrible passions, find a foothold but once in a man, straightway they distort his entire faculty of reason and sense of prudence so that he be borne whithersoever his whim might take him. Wherefore Medea on account of the violence of her anger and love devised the sort of crimes which affright the minds of men even if they have been but heard. Since, however, so many exempla are available, and so many remedies evidenced in the books of the philosophers (as Xenophon says in Book 2 of his Memorabilia), which could keep those deformed lusts and passions at bay, is it not then characteristic of one mad and driven by an evil spirit nevertheless to be borne to danger and death? Youths, therefore, considering this depiction, should abstain from that most disgraceful pestilence of the unseemly desires, those which are accustomed to bring ruin both to body and to mind: and speedily ought they to bridle those passionate lusts before they become insurmountable in time. Next let us consider the character of Jason and Medea’s inauspicious marriage, the sort that divorce and calamity so oft attend. Scarcely ever are marriages consummated in blood and sin characterized by a lasting satisfaction, but they are quite often joined with the ruin of the state: just as Paris’ Helen turned out to be the most bitter cause of grief for both Asia and Greece. Harmony in marriage, however, is by far the most secure, as truly speaks our Poet in the Prologue: extremely great is the source of salvation, when a wife does not disagree with her husband.

Denique meminerimus felicitatem haud sibi firmum locum figere ubi diuortia, periuria, adul[166]teria et scelera radices agunt: sed tandem uenire Adrasteam Nemesim et Iouem fulmine obarmatam dextram uibrare ac ultima eiusmodi felicitatis occupare funera, exitia et calamitates. Id quod in hac Fabula in Glaucae et Iasonis coniugio, quo nihil uideri poterat beatius, cerni potest. Recte ergo dictum a Phocylide:* Vitam rotam, et felicitatem instabilem esse: ὁ βίος τρόχος, ἄστατος ὄλβος. Haec de Argumento et scopo huius Fabulae dixisse sufficiat.

*[Pseudo-Phocylides, Sententiae 27.]

Finally, let us be mindful that happiness does not find firm footing for itself where divorce, perjury, adultery, and crime take root: but at length comes Adrastean Nemesis and Jove brandishing his right hand armed in thunder, and the final result of this sort of happiness is composed of ruin, destruction, and misfortune. Something which can be found in this selfsame play in the marriage of Glauca and Jason, than which nothing could have seemed more blessed. Therefore was it spoken rightly by Phocylides: Life is cyclical, and happiness fickle: ὁ βίος τρόχος, ἄστατος ὄλβος. May it suffice to have said this much concerning the plot and aim of this drama.

Argumentum Actus primi.

Prologus continet occasionem totius fabulae, nimirum querelam nutricis, quae miserae dominae uices deplorat. 2. Colloquium nutricis et paedagogi, quo periculum exaggerant quod a Medea irata non solum Creonti et Glaucae (eos enim hostes uocant) sed etiam liberis impendeat: quae tamen asperior sit futura, ubi ab hoc exilio se mulctatam cognouerit: ipsa interim deploratis uerbis se cum liberis et patre diris deuouet ac gemiscit intus. 3. Medea foras euocata a Choro communem calamitatem sexus muliebris et infelicem conditionem querela prosequitur. Deinde priuatim suam deplorat miseriam: et Chori ad ulciscendum Iasonem tum operam tum silentium postulat. Habet ergo hic Actus expectationem consiliorum et maiorum rerum, qua animi lectorum uel spectatorum attentiores ad reliqua percipienda redduntur.

Argument of the First Act.

The prologue contains the circumstances of the entire play, namely the complaint of the nurse, who deplores the misfortune of her wretched mistress. 2. The dialogue between the nurse and the pedagogue, in which they highlight the danger that threatens not only Creon and Glauca (for they call them enemies) but even her own children on account of Medea’s anger: who is going to be yet more bitter when she shall learn that she has been punished with exile by this man (Creon): meanwhile Medea herself, with despairing words, curses herself together with her children and their father and groans indoors. 3. After Medea has been summoned out-of-doors by the chorus, she complains of the common calamity of the feminine sex and their unlucky condition. Thereafter she bewails in personal terms her own plight: she requests both the assistance and the silence of the chorus in order to avenge herself upon Jason. Therefore this Act contains the expectations of greater plans and more important affairs, whereby the minds of the readers or spectators are made more attentive to comprehending the remaining actions.

[168] Argumentum Actus secundi.

Secundus Actus primam partem argumenti absoluit, qua Creon Medeae exilium imperat. Primo autem exponit causas quare exilio mulctet ipsam, nimirum odium ipsius et minas et magicarum artium insidias, a quibus et sibi et suis metuat. 2. Medea cupiens tyrannum extra metum ponere ac sinistras ei adimere suspiciones ait nihil mali metuendum regi a peregrina et destituta muliercula: quin potius hominum inuidia et stultitia fieri ut prudentes et artium multarum gnari in probro sint et calumniae obnoxii. Ac tandem uix unum diem prouidendis rebus ad necessaria exilii subsidia (ut ipsa quidem simulabat) impetrat. 3. Abeunte iam Creonte ac rem omnem in tuto esse existimante, Medea de uindicta secum consultat seque ipsam ad atrox quoddam facinus exstimulat. 4. Chorus exagitat Iasonis perfidiam Medeaeque uicem et calamitatem miseratur.

Argument of the Second Act.

The second act resolves the first part of the plot, in which Creon exiles Medea. Firstly, however, he expounds the reasons wherefore he inflicts exile upon her: namely, her hatred of him, her threats, and the treachery of her magical arts, on the grounds of which he fears for both himself and his own. 2. Medea, since she is desirous of dispelling the fears of the tyrant and relieving him of suspicion, says that a king ought to fear no ill on account of a mere foreign and forsaken woman: indeed, it more often occurs that prudent men and those knowledgeable of many arts are reproached and subject to calumny due to the jealousy and foolishness of men. In the end she gains barely one day for taking care of her affairs with a view to the necessities of exile (as she herself was feigning to do). 3. After Creon departs judging the entire affair free of danger, Medea contemplates means of vengeance and goads herself to commit some dread crime. 4. The chorus censures the perfidy of Jason and bemoans the misfortune and calamity of Medea.

In hoc Actu considerandum quam periculosa et formidabilis sit ira occulta ac tacitis ignescens medullis, frontis tamen amico uelamine tecta. In Creonte autem specta barbaram quandam principis inclementiam, qui tanto cum fastu et minis in exilium ire iubet Medeam: cum longe praestitisset si id quam minima offensa fecisset. Hac enim acerbitate non paulo infestiorem sibi fecit antea satis infestam feminam.

In this Act one must ponder how dangerous and formidable is a hidden anger burning in the inner marrow, yet covered externally in the guise of friendship. Moreover, observe a certain barbarous cruelty in Creon characteristic of tyranny, who orders Medea to depart for exile with such disdain and threats: though it would have been far preferable if he had done it with the least offense possible. For by this harshness he made more inimical to himself by no small degree a women who was already hostile enough.

[169] Argumentum Actus tertii.

Actus tertius duo complectitur: Primum Medeae cum Iasone congressum, in quo mire ob oculos ponitur illius asperitas et saeuitia, huius autem pudor, qui tamen factum omnibus modis excusare et fauorabile facere cupit. Deinde insperatum Aegei Athenarum tyranni aduentum et cum Medea colloquium. cui cognita causa et calamitate ipsius hospitium pollicetur: pro qua benignitate ipsum honorifice una cum Choro uerbis prosequitur. Habet praeterea duos Choros: quorum primus detestatur insanos amores, qui multorum malorum, cladium ac miseriarum causa sint, mediocres autem et honestos commendat. Secundus laudat Athenas a sapientiae et philosophiae studio: deinde Medeam a caede liberorum obnixe dehortatur.

Argument of the Third Act.

The third Act is includes two events: firstly, the meeting between Medea and Jason, in which we find placed before our eyes in an astonishing way the former’s harshness and savagery and the shame of the latter, who yet desires to excuse his deed in every way and make it out to be agreeable. Secondly, the unexpected arrival of Aegeus the tyrant of Athens, and his discussion with Medea. He promises his hospitality to her after her situation and her calamity become known to him: for which benevolence she honors him in words respectfully along with the chorus. Moreover, the Act has two choruses: the first of which execrates mad love-passions, which are the cause of many ills, slaughter and sorrows, but approves moderate and honorable love. The second praises the Athenians for their zeal of learning and philosophy: thereafter, it dissuades Medea strenuously from the slaughter of her children.

[171] Argumentum Actus quarti.

Medea de composito beneuolentiam simulat, ceu faueat facto Iasonis et priorum conuiciorum paeniteat, ut magis ipsum una cum sua sponsa iniuriae opportunum faceret seque uindicaret. Laudat ipsam Iason et ut eo animo esse porro perseueret hortatur. Pollicetur praeterea omnem operam et studium suum expromptum fore ei apud Glaucen et Creontem. Medea autem adornat *donaria ueneno imbuta et quae perniciem tam nouae nuptae quam Creonti erant allatura. 2. Chorus non ignarus quid moliretur Medea futuram cladem miseratur. 3. Paedagogus †Medeae refert omnia laeta esse, Reginam serena fronte accepisse munera, liberis etiam Corinthi manendi potestatem fecisse. id quod Medeam non parum discruciat, ut quae maluerat funera et perniciem paelicis audire, quod tamen mox auditura erat, quam segnia imbuti pepli pharmaca esse. 4. Medea secum uehementissime luctans an uelit occidere liberos odio Iasonis typum exhibet philostorgiae cum ira et uindictae cupiditate depugnantis. 5. Chorus tractat locum communem de incerto liberorum euentu, in quo collatio quaedam est coniugii et caelibatus.

*[A defect in printing of the imaged Basel copy has left a blank area; but consultation of another copy in Oxford shows donaria without defect.]

†is duxerat liberos una cum muneribus ad Glaucen. [in margin]

Argument of the Fourth Act.

Medea feigns benevolence as per her plan, as if she is agreeable to Jason’s deed and regretful of her former reproaches, so as better to make him along with his betrothed exposed to injury and to avenge herself. Jason praises her and exhorts her to continue to be in this mindset thenceforth. Moreover, he promises that all his effort and zeal will be made manifest for her sake with Glauca and Creon. Medea, for her part, fabricates gifts imbued with poison which are going to bring disaster as much to the new bride as to Creon. 2. The chorus, not being ignorant of what Medea is attempting, pities the imminent disaster. 3. The Pedagogue† reports to Medea that everything is well: the queen had received the gifts with serene countenance and had granted the right of remaining at Corinth to the children. A thing which torments Medea to no small degree, since what she had preferred to hear was the ruin and disaster of her rival, something which nevertheless she was soon to hear, rather than the fact that the drugs of the imbued garment were deferred in action. 4. Medea, struggling most vehemently with herself as to whether she wants to slay her children due her hatred of Jason, exhibits the type of familial affection fighting it out with anger and the desire of avenging oneself. 5. The chorus plies the familiar topic of the uncertain fate of children, in which there is a kind of comparison of marital and celibate life.

†He had led the children together with the gifts to Glauca. [in margin]

[172] Argumentum Actus quinti.

Ultimus hic Actus summam habet epitasin. Primum enim nuntius narrat Medeae funestum exitium nouae sponsae et Creontis: qua re nihil iucundi ueneficae adferri potuit. 2. Medea, licet uel sola cogitatione immanis facinoris resiliat, tamen rupta naturae lege, ipsa parens quos pepererat ferro conficit. 3. Iason qui cognita [173] pernicie Glaucae* et Creontis ueniebat ad persequendum Medeam et defendendum liberos, ne quid propter matris impietatem a ciuibus paterentur, cognoscit ex Choro eosdem ferro extinctos esse a crudeli leaena: unde acerbissimo obrutus dolore amaris conuiciis et querelis, quae sola ulciscendi uia restabat, Medeam insectatur.

*[corrected from Phaedrae, printed in error.]

Argument of the Fifth Act.

This final Act contains the ultimate climax. To start with, a messenger announces to Medea the fatal destruction of the new bride and Creon: nothing more pleasing to the sorceress might have been reported than this event. 2. Notwithstanding the fact that she shrinks from even the thought alone of the horrid crime, Medea, herself their parent, slays with sword those whom she had borne, breaking natural law. 3. Jason was coming to accost Medea after he had learned of the destruction of Glauca and Creon, and also to save his children, lest they suffer something at the hands of the citizenry on account of the impiety of their mother; he learns from the Chorus that these children have been slaughtered by the sword by the unmerciful lioness: after which, overcome by the most bitter grief, he rails at Medea with bitter reproaches and accusations, which was the only mode of revenge remaining.

Translation by Michelangelo Macchiarella