Medea (Seneca)

Medea is a fabula crepidata (Roman tragedy with Greek subject) of about 1027 lines of verse written by Seneca the Younger.

[2] Medea addresses many themes, one being that the title character represents "payment" for humans' transgression of natural laws.

[3] Medea falls in love with Jason when he arrives at her homeland of Colchis on his quest for the Golden Fleece and uses her supernatural powers to aid him in completing the tasks that King Aeëtes, her father, had set.

[4] The three tasks were: yoke the fiery bulls, compete with the giants, and slay the dragon that was guarding the fleece.

[5] After their return to Iolcus, they were again forced to flee when Medea uses her powers to have Jason's uncle Pelias killed by his own daughters.

In order to climb the political ladder, Jason (the leader of the Argonauts) leaves Medea for Creusa, the daughter of King Creon.

Seneca's Medea was written after Euripides', and arguably his heroine shows a dramatic awareness of having to grow into her (traditional) role.

[citation needed] Jason is made a more appealing figure by Seneca - thus strengthening the justification for, and power of, Medea’s passion.