4.46.1
The Library of History, Book IV 4.46.1 · Medea takes the other road4.46.1Medea takes the other road
Book 4, chapter 46, section 1, to the words "the safety of the unfortunate."
· · ·
τὴν1
tḕn
the
δὲ2
dè
and
Μήδειαν3
Mḗdeian
Medea
ἱστοροῦσι4
historoûsi
they saythey relate
μαθεῖν5
matheîn
learnedto learn
παρά6
pará
from
τε7
te
and
τῆς8
tês
her
μητρὸς9
mētròs
mother
καὶ10
kaì
and
τῆς11
tês
her
ἀδελφῆς12
adelphês
sister
ἁπάσας13
hapásas
all
τὰς14
tàs
the
τῶν15
tôn
of
φαρμάκων16
pharmákōn
drugs
δυνάμεις17
dynámeis
powers
, προαιρέσει18
proairései
purposechoice
δʼ19
d’
but
ἐναντιωτάτῃ20
enantiōtátēi
the very oppositemost opposed
χρῆσθαι21
chrêsthai
put them toto use
·; διατελεῖν22
diateleîn
she kept oncontinued
γὰρ23
gàr
for
τοὺς25
toùs
the
καταπλέοντας26
katapléontas
who landedsailing in
τῶν27
tôn
of the
ξένων28
xénōn
strangers
ἐξαιρουμένην24
exairouménēn
rescuingtaking out
ἐκ29
ek
from
τῶν30
tôn
their
κινδύνων31
kindýnōn
dangers
, καὶ32
kaì
and
ποτὲ33
potè
sometimes
μὲν34
mèn
indeed
παρὰ36
parà
from
τοῦ37
toû
her
πατρὸς38
patròs
father
αἰτεῖσθαι35
aiteîsthai
beggingto ask for
δεήσει39
deḗsei
with pleadingentreaty
καὶ40
kaì
and
χάριτι41
cháriti
charmfavor
τὴν42
tḕn
the
τῶν44
tôn
of those
μελλόντων45
mellóntōn
aboutabout to
ἀπόλλυσθαι46
apóllysthai
to dieto perish
σωτηρίαν43
sōtērían
the livessafety
, ποτὲ47
potè
sometimes
δʼ48
d’
and
αὐτὴν49
autḕn
herself
ἐκ51
ek
from
τῆς52
tês
the
φυλακῆς53
phylakês
prisonguard
ἀφιεῖσαν50
aphieîsan
setting them freereleasing
προνοεῖσθαι54
pronoeîsthai
seeing toto provide for
τῆς55
tês
the
τῶν57
tôn
of the
ἀτυχούντων58
atychoúntōn
unfortunatethose in misfortune
ἀσφαλείας56
asphaleías
safety
·; Medea, they say, learned from her mother and her sister all the powers of drugs, but put them to the very opposite purpose; for she kept rescuing the strangers who landed there from their dangers, sometimes begging her father with pleading and charm for the lives of those about to die, and sometimes setting them free from prison herself and seeing to the safety of the unfortunate.
Medea, they say, learned from her mother and her sister all the powers of drugs, but put them to the very opposite purpose; for she kept rescuing the strangers who landed there from their dangers, sometimes begging her father with pleading and charm for the lives of those about to die, and sometimes setting them free from prison herself and seeing to the safety of the unfortunate.
Interpretation
Medea, they say, learned all the powers of drugs from her mother and her sister, but put them to the very opposite purpose. She kept rescuing the strangers who landed there from their dangers, sometimes begging her father with pleading and charm for the lives of those about to die, and sometimes setting them free from prison herself and seeing to the safety of the unfortunate.
In this version Medea is a rescuer. Her father, Diodorus goes on, had made killing strangers the custom, partly from his own cruelty and partly at Hecate's urging. In the next chapter he explains the golden fleece the same way: the guards of its walled precinct were Taurians from the Crimea, whose name the poets turned into bulls, and their commander, Dracon, became the dragon.