Dracontius

Dracontius Blossius Aemilius (late 5th century) was a Roman writer and lawyer who worked in Carthage.

In addition to Christian poetic compositions, he also authored pagan-themed works, among which is a unique retelling of the Argonauts' legend—a roughly 600-line epyllion titled “Medea.” Much of the action in this poem (such as the marriage of Jason and Medea, the birth of their children, and more) takes place in Colchis, which is portrayed as an icy, northern land identified with Scythia.

In the poem, Medea is depicted as an all-powerful sorceress and a priestess of Diana, much like Iphigenia, while Jason appears as a shallow and schematic character. After stealing the Golden Fleece, the Argonauts flee to Greece but arrive not in Corinth, as in traditional versions, but at the court of Creon, the ruler of Thebes.

By the end of the work, in addition to Glauce, Creon, and their children, Jason himself also becomes a victim of Medea’s vengeance.

A. Mikaberidze