⸻ · ⸻
Medea at home
Aert van der Neer, Moonlit Landscape with Bridge, c. 1648-1650 · National Gallery of Art, Washington · public domain
3.250
The Argonautica 3.250 · Hecate's priestess3.250Hecate's priestess
Book 3, lines 250–252. Why the Argonauts find Medea at home that day.
· · ·
Ἥρη1
Hḗrē
Hera
γάρ2
gár
for
μιν3
min
her
ἔρυκε4
éryke
was keepingheld back
δόμῳ5
dómōi
at homein the house
; πρὶν6
prìn
before thisuntil then
δʼ7
d’
but
οὔτι8
oúti
hardly evernot at all
θάμιζεν9
thámizen
did she comecame often
ἐν10
en
into
μεγάροις11
megárois
the halls
, δὲ12
dè
but
πανήμερος13
panḗmeros
all day long
ἀμφεπονεῖτο14
ampheponeîto
she tendedbusied herself about
Ἑκάτης15
Hekátēs
Hecate'sof Hecate
νηόν16
nēón
temple
, ἐπεί17
epeí
since
ῥα18
rha
you seethen
αὐτὴ19
autḕ
she herself
, πέλεν20
pélen
was
θεᾶς21
theâs
of the goddess
ἀρήτειρα22
arḗteira
priestessshe who prays
. For Hera was keeping her at home; before this she hardly ever came into the halls, but all day long she tended Hecate's temple, since she herself, you see, was the goddess's priestess.
For Hera was keeping her at home; before this she hardly ever came into the halls, but all day long she tended Hecate's temple, since she herself, you see, was the goddess's priestess.
Interpretation
For Hera was keeping her at home; before this she hardly ever came into the halls, but spent all day tending Hecate's temple, since she herself was the goddess's priestess.
Apollonius makes Medea Hecate's priestess, ἀρήτειρα, "the one who prays," and ties her drugs to the goddess: the salve she gives Jason works only after he has won Hecate's favor with offerings at night (3.846–847, below). Hera keeps her at home on purpose, so that she will meet Jason.
3.744
The Argonautica 3.744 · Night over land and sea3.744Night over land and sea
Book 3, lines 744–750. Medea has promised her sister to help Jason, and night falls over land and sea.
· · ·
Then night drew darkness over the earth; and out at sea the sailors looked from their ships toward the Great Bear and the stars of Orion. Every traveler and gatekeeper now longed for sleep, and deep sleep wrapped round a mother whose children had died. No dogs barked any longer through the town, there was no ringing noise, and silence held the deepening dark.