Re: Medea

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

"Devine, James" wrote:
>
> > are we making fun of peoples' names now?
> >
> >         --ravi
>
> it's a weird name, because of the Greek myth about Medea.
> But according to Benjamin, that myth is a lie:
> >"I just didn't believe the story," she said wryly of the classic tragedy.
> "What woman would kill her kids for a guy? I think she was a strong woman,
> and some people just made up the story to discredit her."<
> (from the sfgate link.)
>
> I've heard the same said about Catherine the Great.

One version of the story has her killing her children to save them from
the slavery Jason intended. There are constant hints in Greek myths that
the later versions of them we have had been twisted from earlier more
pro-woman versions. The critique offered above of the Medea legend won't
do, though; whatever the history of the legend (and all legends _have_
histories on the way to their final versions) it would have been a more
complex one than Benjamin offers.

Carrol