Medea | The Myth of the "Ruthless" Ancient Sorceress

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WHO AM I?
Hey there, I’m Cinzia DuBois. I’m a part-time, self-funded PhD student and KZbinr, Podcaster and writer. I’ve been creating videos for over thirteen years. On this channel, I talk about dark and ancient history, literature and folklore. I discuss productivity, personal development, PhD, academia, and mental well-being on my second channel.
❗️DISCLAIMER
I am just a random student on the internet who loves reading, especially about ancient history and classics. My videos aim to make classics and ancient history interesting and accessible to everyone. I am not a professional or qualified educator, “expert”, historian or classicist. However, I ensure that all the information I use in my video scripts has been collated from numerous credible sources. Additionally, I am dyslexic, and I will mispronounce words. This does not stem from willful ignorance, and I try to research how to pronounce words before filming, but I often misread my phonetic spelling. In light of this, please do not rely on my video for an authoritative or reliable source of how to pronounce certain words.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction

[@CollecTortoise]

What I find fascinating is that the older sources are actually a lot more... sympathetic towards Medea? The stereotypical Crazy Ex depiction is a lot more recent.

[@MatildeVallespinCasas]

And so is Euripides's depiction, as weird as it sounds and lost to values dissonance. Actually, many suspect that Euripides's version was actually his favoured one because he was under the patronage of the current governor in the city of Corinth and also inspired by a rumour he heard in his demos. Euripides was an innovative even in the plots, let's not forget. Before that, everybody took for granted that Medea's kids were killed by an angry mob

[@brianroyster7510]

Is it sexism or religion responsible for the demonization? I'm betting on the krisschuns.

[@angstymedusa]

"Her power comes entirely from within she doesn't need external forces to intervene" 👑 👑 👑

[@bugsby4663]

Euripides play is one of the greatest ever written. Her monologue was still being used by the suffragettes over 2000 years later.

[@RocketKirchner]

They should have used Antigone as role model . Violence is a dead end . Antigone was the real feminist .

[@alicias.8482]

I got to portray Medea in the play, and my own young sons portrayed her sons. It was bloody good fun.

[@Thawheedi]

Me: 😐

[@MatildeVallespinCasas]

I also played the titular lady in an amateur version of the play. The point is, my mother tongues are Spanish and French, not modern Greek(although I proficiently speak it). I committed small pronunciation and slight grammatical mistakes but the director didn't correct me at all. Why? Because it gave the work much more authenticity. You see, Medea was not Greek and my small mistakes would make the spectator understand the isolation, despair and angst that Euripides wanted to transmit

[@lesliemoiseauthor]

You are one of the most genuine creators on KZbin. You inspire me. I am coauthoring a book about the importance of storytelling for adults, and you are a primary example of an important storyteller. Thank you.

[@markwynne725]

I've always had a fondness for Medea. She is such a great (and tragic) character

[@lilacgirl-z8w]

I choose the version that she didn't kill her kids.

[@williammashtalier479]

The insane villianization over time of Medea reminds me of how Morgaine hears stories about herself flying on a hazel branch and hexing people on Hallow's Eve, in "The Mists of Avalon". In the Book, Morgaine of the fairies, and her female relatives are the proposed inspirations for the legendary Morgana Le Fay.

[@auntrori]

Gracious, it's been too long since I read that! I need to read it again soon!

[@milaces1323]

Even if i already know of the myths you speak of, you're so eloquent and bring such a fresh perspective that it's not boring at all. I can't stress enough how much i love your videos! 💜

[@brandyjean7015]

I agree!

[@spameranne]

just bought 2 secondhand translations of the Euripides, largely based on the strength of the National Theatre production starring the late Helen McCrory. I watched it during lockdown and her performance rocked my world --highly recommend! All this to say I'm super excited to learn more about this fascinating figure!

[@winterburden]

Thanks for this amazing Medea video Cinzia!

[@CinziaDuBois]

My pleasure!

[@rileyoffline]

new cinzia video!!! it’s like christmas 💗💗💗

[@TerryFedora]

Hey! Medea! I remember reading her play in class and it led to some DEEP and complex discussions. Very cool to hear about her from you and have a really good recap of her. As always, this is amazing!

[@holyfreak8]

I found interesting how Robert Graves on "The Golden Fleece" describes how the matriarcal cult of the triple godess was slowly replaces by pathriarcal pantheons from the migrant peoples that came from the east. Medea is another example of how one storie varies from older sources to the more recent.

[@cooperross9495]

Remember, Robert Graves was not a real scholar of history or mythology, and real scholars of history and mythology all agree that his works were much more fiction than reality. It's fine to enjoy it as fiction, just don't treat it like a real source.

[@auggiet8380]

It isn’t that it’s okay that she was driven mad by the gods and murdered her sons, it’s that when Heracles did it, he went down in mythology as one of the greatest heroes of all time while she became a villainous witch. It’s about the hypocrisy of patriarchy. Wonderful video, thank you so much for making it. Medea is one of my favorite mythological figures, and I hope she did end up in Elysium to rub it in the faces of all of those dude bros! 😂

[@RocketKirchner]

john kerrigan clears up your misconception . it is NOT about gender . it is about the difference between tragedy and revenge tragedy . revenge tragedy of Medea is the same as Hamlet , Dantes Inferno , the book of revelation etc.

[@idk-jy6cc]

@@RocketKirchner it is indeed about gender.

[@abbasalchemist]

I must say it is both and neither. Due to the patriarchal nature of ancient Greek society there are clear delineations and boundaries between the worlds of men and women, but also mortals and immortals. Both Herakles and Medea are heroic in the sense that they seek to traverse their positions in the cosmic hierarchy. Herakles' hamartia is to push the envelope of mortal and immortal (easier for him being a demi-god) but clearly Medea's is to simultaneously express very "masculine" qualities while de-emphasizing her power's dependence on the gods. This is a deeply irreligious attitude and one that exemplifies hubris---remember, the fate of a hero archetypically is death---apotheosis or otherwise. Fundamentally, no god or goddess or human being exits sui generis or in a vacuum. All is dependent on all. Gods as well as ideas---any "ism" or lens of critique is by definition limited and hubristic because it seeks to command universality of interpretation.

[@PungiFungi]

Well… the “villainous witch” was never punished for her deeds, did she? She got away scot free. Where is this supposed patriarchy everybody is talking about when in Greek myths and stories that characters like Medea existed.

[@OrphicPolytheist]

Heracles did it without willing to do it, he had his free will violated. Yet he still did the 12 labors to cleanse himself from the miasma / sin.

[@mintdrawsthings47]

omg i've never been so early! honestly i love medea

[@carriemoscoe3159]

Holy cow the opening….you hit the nail right on the head with Medea vrs the way the men in Greek Mythology are viewed!

[@gniccolai]

Odyssey and Achilles were never considered great heroes to look up to. They were more a cautionary tale of what an excess of ruthlessness and cunning can do to the human soul. Dante places Osysseus in hell for a reason.

[@CosmicPsychonauts]

Can you please make videos about the more obscure witches from Thessaly such as Aglaonice (the astronomer) & Erichtho (the necromancer)?

[@Kenobi_Cowboy]

Finally! I feel like I've been waiting for this a bit. If you have Medea, keep her happy.

[@NatalieAuroraS]

I am absolutely enchanted by your videos. Your channel is one of the best on KZbin. Thank you Cinzia. ❤❤❤

[@jeffbrownstain]

I'm pretty sure we (humans) could turn any monster into a tragic anti-hero, with enough effort.

[@dylanehooverlibrarian7026]

I would love to see an adaptation of Euripides that casts Medea as with a transmasculine nonbinary person. Medea's source of conflict is the gender roles of the intended Greek audience, and casting someone who is outside of that gendered binary would be an intriguing way to communicate that to a modern audience.

[@adonisatreus76]

You always do such amazing videos. Thanks for all your hard work!

[@ThelnvisibleMinority]

I love your videos so much!!! Watching them while I paint in the early morning always makes my day ❤️

[@soulfoodsmama2980]

“Said fearsome beast” is indeed quite fearsome 🖤

[@Yggdrasilincarnate]

A very fierce beast!

[@mascheratoh]

honored to be performing as her in a few weeks :-)

[@johnnymurray6275]

Thank you for the video. I know quite a bit of Greek mythology, but not all, this was a welcomed treat.

[@briggs5534]

met a few Jasons in my life and never trusted any of them! is this some ancient, genetic memory encoded in my soul? (and thanks for the warning about women named Medea. i'll do my best to avoid them, too!)

[@tiredoldfraggle12]

Delightful as always. Medea definitely got the short end of the stick.

[@RocketKirchner]

No , her children did

[@XandruReguera]

I love Medea ❤ And I love your view of her story. Thank you my lady.

[@g.v.6450]

Medea: “But where shall I go? What shall I do? Jason: “Frankly Medea, I don’t give a damn!” 😬 (‘Sorry, it was right there!)

[@tanjamilenkovic1917]

I love how you talk about Medea. Cannot wait to hear about the next strong mythical woman!

[@RocketKirchner]

It does not take violence to be strong . Antigone was the real strong woman .

[@natalienicholesilvestri]

Thank you so much! Loved this.

[@ThePurityControl]

There was a 1991 stage play by Tony Harrison / Volcano Theatre Company called Medea:Sexwar which crosspolinated the story of Medea with the SCUM Manifesto. Sadly mostly forgotten by history as an interpretation that's sympathetic towards Medea.

[@GnosticInformant]

Medea and Circe are the best

[@RandyFricke]

Very well done. Medea is where we get our modern day "media."

[@juanprada4410]

I LOVE YOUR video! The truth is that the figure of Medea is one of my favorites. Other interesting details about this character: - Medea sought help from Heracles and ended up curing him from one of the attacks of madness that Hera sent him. -It is interesting that Medea plays the role of a young princess who falls in love with a hero and then is promoted to Theseus's evil stepmother. -When she traveled through Italy, here she was associated with a deity called Angitia, I understand that in another version she is the sister of Medea (whom I suppose she would visit on her pilgrimage.) -She in total managed to overthrow up to 3 dynasties. - I understand that in one version Medea's children are immortalized by Hera, either because she asks Her to or as a reward for rejecting a love proposal from Zeus himself. -Medea was originally supposed to have been born in Greece and her family moved to Kolkida, but later versions of her made her a foreigner by birth. (This is why she is more directly associated with gods such as Helios, Hekate or the demons, instead of the 12 Olympians.

[@iainmulholland2025]

Interesting point about the poisoned robe as a gift, the same was used in the film prince of Persia to kill the king, and in Elizabeth to try to kill her. An unusual method of assassination?

[@mezmarionybarra]

So Exciting ❣️ Thank You Cinzia ❣️

[@woodsmand]

Didn't Hera cause Hercules to kill his family?

[@josephwatkins1190]

Yes, I think that's the important distinction. Heracles murdered his family under mind control, Medea killed her kids out of vengeance

[@CinziaDuBois]

Medea was also under the control of the gods who were angry at Jason for breaking by his oath

[@woodsmand]

So really its the gods who are cunts. But then we know that from Hercules the legendary journeys.

[@iankirk2543]

Brilliant and fascinating

[@forestwench1699]

Hi Cinzia. I recently discovered you and watched many videos while painting a study of Beatrice Offors Circe. Now that Im back at uni your body double study with me vids have been very helpful for my ADHD and Im wondering when the next one may come along.

[@mikemahaffey9121]

Excellent video , Cinzia. Can't keep a good woman down .

[@prestonmack320]

Your the most well spoken person I've ever heard

[@jennieferris]

My eldest daughter is named Medea or Dee as we call them,i just loved the name to spite what she did.. honestly Jason,he really did fuck up first

[@NatalieAuroraS]

Watching your videos is like spending a lovely time with a dear friend.

[@FirstmaninRome]

Finally, my name sake Jason and Medea, story of my life, love love ❤ the play 50s version of Euripedees Medea this is gonna be so good thanks for all you do, Bestest

[@jenniferroxy5956]

Ooo a new video and I'm so pleased its about a character I'm not too familiar with! Yay! Happy day!

[@owen69884]

I always have thought Medea got a raw deal from the later authors, ever since I was told the story as a little kid. I recall that Herodotus said she left and founded the "kingdom" of the Medes? I don't recall anything about a son in Herodotus, though. Am I remembering that wrong? One quibble: I'm about to read the Iliad again, but I don't recall any child sacrifice in it. That happens in the other [lost] works of the Epic Cycle, which have basically little if anything to do with the Iliad and are telling a different story for different reasons (to a different audience in a different age) than the one[s] Homer used to create the Iliad. Nonetheless, thank you for the video.

[@kmcg959]

Didn't Agamemnon try to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia in order to raise the winds? And then Artemis swapped her for a deer at the last moment?

[@garvinanders2355]

@@kmcg959 Yes but it's not part of the Iliad, it is part of plays like Iphigenia in Aulis and Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides and shows up in Metamorphoses by Ovid. That said the Greeks seemed to accept that as part of the story.

[@rahabintemotiul7418]

Where has this video been??

[@megjames7623]

Absolutely brilliant as always!

[@CinziaDuBois]

Wow, thank you!

[@Elvertaw]

Thank you again for a fabulous video. History is in the hands of the men who write it 😢

[@sparklestarspompomunicorn]

8:24 adskip

[@jungtothehuimang]

I think it harkons back to the old timey misogynistic idea that men are /supposed/ to kill and be violent. But women are meant to me /motherly/ and so any violence done by women is considered monstrous where ass equally or worse atrocities by men is seen as guys being dudes. Anyway thank you for the video and for pointing out this double standard.

[@charleshartley9597]

New here and devouring older videos Cinzia, and this one really struck me. I think because of the ongoing mess of Hollywood where gender swapping heroes and all that has folks up in arms. But here, we have a powerful female hero whose story is there ready to be told. No definitely not a Disnified version, but one that gets the facts right (well "facts" as we have them), and puts her decisions in context. Context is key, especially for these stories where society is different from our own. In Western civ we have maintained the "easy to follow" masculine hero cycle, but forgotten or neglected the feminine hero cycle. And we are poorer for it.

[@GlaphyrasRevenge]

I had to do an argument in Medea’s favor for a class. My main point was that Hera had bewitched her. I really felt bad her while reading this story.

[@christophercrews1380]

Thank you for that video Cinzia. Why is it women heroines are so often vilified? Makes no sense. You mentioned the heroines journey. I have read Joseph Campbells Hero with a Thousand Faces. He talks about Jason and the Argonauts as an archetypal hero’s journey. I would say Medea fulfills the role of the hero’s guide that assists the hero in the completion of his quest much like Gandalf in LOTR or Dumbldore in Harry Potter, both modern hero’s quests.

[@TheApostelicPrincess]

She was done dirty in Heaven's feel trilogy

[@dlmiller7873]

Thank you for this.

[@wk801]

Great video. Love the sweater.

[@redouroboros8923]

Brilliant as always

[@SERCE7]

I am in love with your channel 🦚🐈‍⬛💕

[@stregamorte]

Okay, hear me out... modern Medea adaptation with Sophie Turner cast as the main role 🙊

[@juliac3933]

Sophie turner is a bad actress

[@stregamorte]

@@juliac3933 it was a joke because at the time Joe Jonas and her were in active divorce settlements. Viewing Joe as Jason was funny to me, especially as they have two children together. I’d like to think in this hypothetical she could pull from experience and shine in the role 😅

[@AyaGumede]

Great video

[@RM-we7px]

The fearsome beast is awesome. 🥰

[@juliac3933]

0:20 Hercules was not in his right mind when he murdered his family, and performed the 12 labors to redeem himself. His story never implies that killing your wife and children is acceptable, quite the opposite

[@CinziaDuBois]

I never said it did. What I’m saying was he is STILL a hero. His hero status never even wavered. Men kill and it’s still heroic - women kill and they are never heroic. Especially women like Medea who kill in a heroic journey - she is never heroic and if never give them grace to redeem herself unlike heroes.

[@UltraInstinct-yn1ft]

Medea, tha Greek godis of illuzion. Also spelld media & Madea 🤷🏾‍♂️ think it thru. Bad guyz... & girlz... are necessary 4 growth

[@quinnoshaughnessy]

so the ram who saved the life of the boy was killed by that same boy as a sacrifice? that's not very nice. and i guess it shouldn't be surprising that it was the girl who fell off the ram when he was flying over the ocean.

[@TheDeathlyPrince]

This one is a true tragedy

[@prestonmack320]

Darlin as long as your talking about her that's all that matters.shes famous

[@ChixieMary]

❤this. Great work 🥰

[@BeverageGremlin]

There is a Slovenian book series called Bobri (Beavers) about stilt house people in prehistoric era here. There is a few chapters in it where Medea and Argonauts are there only to be bad guys. Medea is called a witch (or a derogatory term in Slovenian but it would translate as a witch). I read Bobri as a child and it always bothered me. It makes 0 sense for argonauts to be in these books and it’s like an excuse to have a strong female character to offset the “good” characters that are presented as pre-Slovenian people.

[@Z3roX-56k]

Ohhh, Hypatia.

[@IceCarRider]

Here to boost the algorithm. ;)

[@yensid4294]

Aha, Thesseus had a story very similar to Jason's. He didn't exactly do right by Ariadne either. Apparently to the ancient greeks, a powerful foreign woman was equated with sorcery & duplicity & not to be trusted? It's such a prevalent trope.

[@ZyllasAthenaeum]

One of my favorite figures of myth 💜 Jason is The Worst

[@noizeemama3697]

Thank you for covering this. Her part of the story has always bugged me. But yeah, the patriarchy.

[@mjkluck]

Good stuff, Kiddo.

[@garvinanders2355]

I read Medea in college and always viewed Jason as feckless and ungrateful. Although I always felt bad for the kids, they were innocents caught up in the crossfire no matter who actually killed them. As for Medea and Theseus, well, Theseus is frankly a dick and I'm certainly not gonna defend him.

[@zainmudassir2964]

Tough strong woman

[@Jay.B.2046]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@miguelangelsoto5309]

Ur fab n also a grate story teller..🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️🧚‍♀️🎐🎐

[@Heothbremel]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@TwistedAlphonso1]

She can do Bad all by herself

[@RovexHD]

Are you learning Greek anytime soon ?

[@CinziaDuBois]

no

[@RovexHD]

@@CinziaDuBois So you don’t believe that studying Latin and Ancient Greek is integral to gaining a complete understanding of the classical world ?