Penny Dreadfuls, 1912 · page 97 of 118
The Medea — page 97: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains scholarly annotations—"Notes to Medea"—explaining classical references and textual details for readers. The notes gloss mythological locations (the Symplegades rocks, Mount Pelion, Colchis), historical context about the characters (Jason's father Aeson, Pelias), and importantly, a discussion of Medea's legal marital status to Jason, explaining that intermarriage between subjects of separate ancient states required treaties that never existed between Greece and Colchis. The annotations appear designed to accompany a dramatic text, likely a Victorian edition of Euripides' *Medea*.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
' NOTES TO MEDEA P. 3, 1. 2, To Colchis through the blue Symplé- gades.]|— The Symplégades (“ Clashing Yor Kuaneai (“ Dark blue”’) were two rocks in the sea which used to clash together and crush anything that was between them. They stood above the north end of the Bos- phorus and formed the Gate (l. 1264, p. 70) to the Axeinos Pontos, or “Stranger-less Sea,” where all Greeks were murdered. At the farthest eastern end of that sea was the land of Colchis. P. 3, 1. 3, Pélion.]|—The great mountain in Thessaly. ldlcos, a little kingdom between Pélion and the sea, ruled originally by Aeson, Jason’s father, then by the usurping Pélias. P, 3, 1. 9, Daugnters of Pélias.]|—See Introduction, p. vii. P. 4, 1. 18, Wed.]|— Medea was not legally married to Jason, and could not be, though in common par- lance he is sometimes called her husband. Inter- marriage between the subjects of two separate states was not possible in antiquity without a special treaty. And naturally there was no such treaty with Colchis. This is, I think, the view of the play, and corre- sponds to the normal Athenian conceptions of society. In the original legend it is likely enough that Medea belongs to “matriarchal” times before the. institution of marriage. P. 4, 1. 18, Head of Corinth.|—A peculiar word 81 Eomichboo <S (E(0)