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stranger from the brazen bulls in the contest on the morrow 

     So Chalciope   came to   the very  thing that   was in Medea's mind。   Her 

heart   bounded   with   joy  and   she   embraced   her。   ;Chalciope察─  she   said察   I 

declare that I am your sister察indeedaye察and your daughter察too察for did 

you not care for me when I was an infant拭I will strive to save your sons。 I 

will strive to save the strangers who came with your sons。 Send one to the 

strangerssend him to the leader of the strangers察and tell him that I would 

see him at daybreak in the temple of Hecate。; 

     When Medea said this Chalciope embraced her again。 She was amazed 

to see how Medea's tears were flowing。 ;Chalciope察─she said察 no one will 

know the dangers that I shall go through to save them。; 

     Swiftly   then   Chalciope   went   from   the   chamber。   But   Medea   stayed 

there   with   her   head   bowed   and   the   blush   of   shame   on   her   face。   She 

thought that already she had deceived her sister察making her think that it 

was Phrontis and Melas and not Jason that was in her mind to save。 And 

she thought on how she would have to plot against her father and against 

her own   people察and   all   for the sake   of a stranger   who would   sail   away 

without thought of her察without the image of her in his mind。 

     Jason察with Peleus and Telamon察went back to the Argo。 His comrades 

asked how he had fared察and when he spoke to them of the fire´breathing 



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bulls with feet of brass察of the dragon's teeth that had to be sown察and of 

the Earth´born Men that had to be overcome察the Argonauts were greatly 

cast    down察    for   this  task察  they    thought察   was    one    that   could    not   be 

accomplished。 He who stood before the fire´breathing bulls would perish 

on   the   moment。   But   they   knew   that   one   amongst   them   must   strive   to 

accomplish   the   task。 And   if   Jason   held   back察  Peleus察Telamon察  Theseus察

Castor察Polydeuces察or any one of the others would undertake it。 

     But   Jason   would   not   hold   back。   On   the   morrow察  he   said察  he   would 

strive    to  yoke    the   fire´breathing察    brazen´footed       bulls   to  the   plow    of 

adamant。 If he perished the Argonauts should then do what they thought 

was bestmake other trials   to gain the Golden   Fleece察or turn their ship 

and sail back to Greece。 

     While they were speaking察Phrontis察Chalciope's son察came to the ship。 

The Argonauts   welcomed   him察  and   in   a   while   he   began   to   speak   of   his 

mother's   sister   and   of   the   help   she   could   give。   They   grew   eager   as   be 

spoke of her察all except rough Arcas察who stood wrapped in his bear's skin。 

;Shame on us察─rough Arcas cried察 shame on us if we have come here to 

crave the help of girls Speak no more of this Let us察the Argonauts察go 

with   swords   into   the   city   of   Aea察  and   slay   this   king察  and   carry   off   the 

Fleece of Gold。; 

     Some   of   the Argonauts   murmured   approval   of   what Arcas   said。   But 

Orpheus   silenced him  and   them察 for   in his   prophetic   mind   Orpheus   saw 

something   of   the   help   that   Medea   would   give   them。   It   would   be   well察

Orpheus said察to take help from this wise maiden察Jason should go to her 

in   the   temple   of   Hecate。   The Argonauts   agreed   to   this察  they   listened   to 

what Phrontis told them about the brazen bulls察and the night wore on。 

     When   darkness   came   upon the earth察  when察  at sea察  sailors looked   to 

the Bear arid the stars of Orion察when察in the city察there was no longer the 

sound of barking dogs nor of men's voices察Medea went from the palace。 

She came to a path察she followed it until it brought her into the part of the 

grove that was all black with the shadow that oak trees made。 

     She raised up her hands and she called upon Hecate察the Moon。 As she 

did察  there   was   a   blaze   as   from   torches   all   around察  and   she   saw   horrible 



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serpents stretching themselves toward her from the branches of the trees。 

Medea shrank back in fear。 But again she called upon Hecate。 And now 

there was a howling as from the hounds of Hades all around her。 Fearful察

indeed察Medea grew as the howling came near her察almost she turned to 

flee。   But   she   raised   her   hands   again   and   called   upon   Hecate。   Then   the 

nymphs       who    haunted    the   marsh    and   the   river  shrieked察   and   at  those 

shrieks Medea crouched down in fear。 

     She   called   upon   Hecate察  the   Moon察  again。   She   saw   the   moon   rise 

above the   treetops察and then the hissing   and shrieking and howling died 

away。   Holding   up   a   goblet   in   her   hand   Medea   poured   out   a   libation   of 

honey to Hecate察the Moon。 

     And   then   she   went   to   where   the   moon   made   a   brightness   upon   the 

ground。 There she saw a flower that rose above the other flowersa flower 

that grew  from  two   joined stalks察 and   that   was of the  color of   a  crocus。 

Medea cut the stalks with a brazen knife察and as she did there came a deep 

groan out of the earth。 

     This   was   the   Promethean   flower。   It   had   come   out   of   the   earth   first 

when the vulture that tore at Prometheus's liver had let fall to earth a drop 

of his blood。 With a Caspian shell that she had brought with her Medea 

gathered the dark juice of this flowerthe juice that went to make her most 

potent charm。 All night she went through the grove gathering the juice of 

secret   herbs察  then   she   mingled   them  in   a   phial   that   she   put   away  in   her 

girdle。 

     She went from that grove and along the river。 When the sun shed its 

first rays   upon   snowy Caucasus   she   stood   outside the   temple of   Hecate。 

She   waited察  but   she   had   not   long   to   wait察  for察  like   the   bright   star   Sirius 

rising out of Ocean察soon she saw Jason coming toward her。 She made a 

sign to him察and he came and stood beside her in the portals of the temple。 

     They would have stood face to face if Medea did not have her head 

bent。 A blush had come upon her face察and Jason seeing it察and seeing how 

her head was bent察knew how grievous it was to her to meet and speak to a 

stranger in this way。 He took her hand and he spoke to her reverently察as 

one would speak to a priestess。 



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     ;Lady察─he said察 I implore you by Hecate and by Zeus who helps all 

strangers and suppliants to be kind to me and to the men who have come 

to your country with me。 Without your help I cannot hope to prevail in the 

grievous trial that has been laid upon me。 If you will help us察Medea察your 

name will be renowned throughout all Greece。 And I have hopes that you 

will help us察for your face and form show you to be one who can be kind 

and gracious。; 

     The   blush   of   shame   had   gone   from   Medea's   face   and   a   softer   blush 

came over her as Jason spoke。 She looked upon him and she knew that she 

could hardly live if the breath of the brazen bulls withered his life or if the 

Earth´born      Men    slew    him。   She   took   the   charm    from    out  her   girdle察

ungrudgingly she put it into Jason's hands。 And as she gave him the charm 

that she had gained with such danger察the fear and trouble that was around 

her heart melted as the dew melts from around the rose when it is warmed 

by the first light of the morning。 

     Then   they  spoke   standing   close   together   in   the   portal   of   the   temple。 

She told him  how  he should   anoint his   body  all over  with the  charm察  it 

would give him察she said察boundless and untiring strength察and make him 

so that the breath of the bulls could not wither him nor the horns of the 

bulls pierce   him。   She   told him  also to   sprinkle his shield   and   his   sword 

with the charm。 

     And then they spoke of the dragon's teeth and of the Earth´born Men 

who would spring from them。 Medea told Jason that when they arose out 

of   the   earth   he   was   to   cast   a   great   stone   amongst   them。 The   Earth´born 

Men would struggle about the stone察and they would slay each other in the 

contest。 

     Her dark and delicate face was beautiful。 Jason looked upon her察and it 

came   into   his   mind   that   in   Colchis   there   was   something   else   of   worth 

besides   the   

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