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Philtres and poisons

by Eugenia Salza Prina Ricotti

Jason and Medea tale is all a mixture of magic, love, spells, supernatural beings, and any kind of philtre. Captured by the love enchantment Medea, was forced to save from a sure death Jason, who by then had become her only reason of life. Her heart was trembling for him and she ardently wished to see him succeed. Jason wished to bring back in his country the golden fleece which he considered a such great feat? For Medea now everything was solved. Jason would have it; her father had to resign himself: fathers are made for it. Thus Medea distilled two powerful philtres and gave them to her beloved young man. The first one had to protect him from the dragon’s fire. Obviously having so taken away the monsters principal defense, Jason easily kiled it and not even one of his beautiful hair got charred in the fight. Then he had to defeat the serpent that would never let him reach the golden fleece and take it from the tree to which it was hanged.
To dispatch it Medea created a soporiphic philtre and, inhaling its vapor, the serpent fell in a deep sleep. The hero had only to grab the desired trophy and bringing it in his fist, he offered his harm to the young witch. He didn’t know that, also if she was extremely desirable and enchanting, she also was much more dangerous that the serpent and the dragon thrown together. At that moment Jason could not realize how much he was heading for trouble. Medea was very beautiful and for the moment the couple was happy and very much in love. Thus together they embarked on the boat and together went back to Greece where Medea began her new life concerning herself in what had happened to her new husband’s kingdom when he was away

Bibliography
J. de la GENIERE, Une roue à oiseaux du cabinet des médalilles in Révue d'études anciens 60, 1958, pp. 27-35
PINDARO, Odi IV
TEOCRITO, Farmakeutriai