Medea was a source of fascination for ancient scholars as early as Hesiod’s Theogony, and yet the early classical sources make no mention of the intentional infanticide that Euripides made an infamous and essential part of the myth. Conversely, authors writing after Euripides bore his iconic tragedy and its infanticide in mind even as they focused on other aspects of the story and characterised Medea differently. In this episode, Shivaike Shah and Professor Jesse Weiner from Hamilton College explore the myths surrounding Medea, from the earliest Greek literature through Roman antiquity and beyond. They consider the many receptions of Medea in modernity: in particular, Joel Barlow’s Columbiad, an early American epic poem that drew upon Medea, Jason and the Argonauts to frame two key moments in the history of American colonisation and independence.

To find out more about this topic, check out the reading list on our website: https://www.khameleonproductions.org/khameleon-classics/the-medea-myth