Euripides' Medea: Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key people, places, gods, and stage terms from Euripides' Medea translation.

Medea

Protagonist of Euripides' Medea; a woman from Kolchis who helps Jason obtain the Golden Fleece and later seeks revenge, culminating in the murder of her husband and children.

Jason

Leader of the Argonauts; Medea's husband who marries the Corinthian princess and is banished from Korinth.

Kreon (Creon)

King of Korinth (Corinth); banishes Medea and her children and enforces exile.

Aigeus

King of Athens who offers Medea asylum in his land under an agreement.

Pelias

King of Iolkos whom Medea aided Jason in overthrowing; later killed (by his daughters) in the backstory.

Kolchis

Medea’s homeland; location associated with the Golden Fleece.

Korinth (Corinth)

City-state where Medea seeks refuge; Kreon is its king.

Iolkos (Jason and Medea's homeland)

Jason and Medea’s homeland; setting of earlier events and exile.

Argo

The ship of the Argonauts; Jason’s vessel on the quest for the Golden Fleece.

Golden Fleece

The prize sought by Jason and Medea with the Argo; central element of their quest.

Helios

Sun god; divine ancestor connected to Medea’s lineage and gifts.

Themis

Goddess of divine law and oaths; invoked by Medea in her pleas.

Zeus

King of the gods; invoked in Medea’s appeals to higher justice and oaths.

Hermes

Messenger god invoked by the Chorus; sometimes depicted as guiding or escorting mortals.

Hekate

Goddess of magic and crossroads; invoked by Medea as a patron of power.

Hera Akraia

Sanctuary of Hera where Medea plans to bury her children and where ritual acts occur.

Skene (skenē)

Stage house behind the performance area; used for entrances/exits.

Parodoi

Wing paths or side entrances/alleys used by actors and chorus.

Deus ex machina

Stage device (machine/ crane) used to bring Medea onstage; “god out of the machine.”

Dragon chariot

Medea’s dramatic entrance on a dragon-figure chariot, a form of deus ex machina.

Bosporos (Bosporus)

The strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara; mentioned as travel route.

Kephisos (Kephisos)

A sacred river; celebrated in ritual and mythic contexts within the play.

Erechtheus

Mythical king of Athens referenced in the play’s world of kings and heroes.

Sisyphus

Mythical king; referenced in the play as part of the world’s sacred/divinely charged sites.

Aphrodite

Goddess of love; invoked in Medea’s reflections on marriage and fidelity.

Gifts (dress and tiara)

The dowry items Medea arranges to give the bride (dress and golden tiara) to secure her husband’s favor.

Oath

A solemn promise binding participants; central to Medea’s appeals to Themis/Zeus and to Kreon/Aigeus.

Suppliant

A person who pleads earnestly for mercy or aid; Medea acts as a suppliant to Aigeus and Kreon at various points.

Exile/Banishment

Forced removal from one’s homeland; central to Medea’s and Jason’s fates in the play.

City Path/City Gates

Stage directions indicating routes actors use to enter/exit between city, palace, and harbor areas.