Caroline Lawrence

Yeah, you've got your boot of Italy. They go to that bit there, the Adriatic. That's where they pop out. And their pursuers, Aetes takes, according to Apollonius, Aetes takes half the Colchian fleet and follows, goes back the way Jason came. But Absurtus, the younger brother, takes half the fleet and follows Jason across the Danube.

Yeah, you've got your boot of Italy. They go to that bit there, the Adriatic. That's where they pop out. And their pursuers, Aetes takes, according to Apollonius, Aetes takes half the Colchian fleet and follows, goes back the way Jason came. But Absurtus, the younger brother, takes half the fleet and follows Jason across the Danube.

Yeah, you've got your boot of Italy. They go to that bit there, the Adriatic. That's where they pop out. And their pursuers, Aetes takes, according to Apollonius, Aetes takes half the Colchian fleet and follows, goes back the way Jason came. But Absurtus, the younger brother, takes half the fleet and follows Jason across the Danube.

And when they get to the Adriatic Sea, this is where, in Apollonius' version, Medea lures Absurtus to a talk. And Jason kills him. And then when he's dead, they go and kill everybody on his ship. And the rest of the fleet are so discouraged that they decide to not go home and just settle there. And that place is called the Absurdean Islands or something like that. Again, another etiological.

And when they get to the Adriatic Sea, this is where, in Apollonius' version, Medea lures Absurtus to a talk. And Jason kills him. And then when he's dead, they go and kill everybody on his ship. And the rest of the fleet are so discouraged that they decide to not go home and just settle there. And that place is called the Absurdean Islands or something like that. Again, another etiological.

And when they get to the Adriatic Sea, this is where, in Apollonius' version, Medea lures Absurtus to a talk. And Jason kills him. And then when he's dead, they go and kill everybody on his ship. And the rest of the fleet are so discouraged that they decide to not go home and just settle there. And that place is called the Absurdean Islands or something like that. Again, another etiological.

How did these people from the Black Sea get to this part of near Italy? In Apollodorus' version, he's also writing in Greek at the end of the 1st century AD, he's the one who tells how Medea chops up her brother, takes him with him on the ship, chops him up in bits and tosses him in the sea so her father, who's pursuing them, stops to pick up the bits.

How did these people from the Black Sea get to this part of near Italy? In Apollodorus' version, he's also writing in Greek at the end of the 1st century AD, he's the one who tells how Medea chops up her brother, takes him with him on the ship, chops him up in bits and tosses him in the sea so her father, who's pursuing them, stops to pick up the bits.

How did these people from the Black Sea get to this part of near Italy? In Apollodorus' version, he's also writing in Greek at the end of the 1st century AD, he's the one who tells how Medea chops up her brother, takes him with him on the ship, chops him up in bits and tosses him in the sea so her father, who's pursuing them, stops to pick up the bits.

So there are different variations on how absurdus is used as a kind of terrible distraction.

So there are different variations on how absurdus is used as a kind of terrible distraction.

So there are different variations on how absurdus is used as a kind of terrible distraction.

Absolutely right. They start off with the most noble of motives and they deteriorate as they go along the way. And Jason, again, is often shown to be indecisive in Apollonius' version. And we also, as you say, get this focus on some of the other characters like Medea or on some of the other heroes who, again, have an etiological function to perform. But this is a terrible thing they've done.

Absolutely right. They start off with the most noble of motives and they deteriorate as they go along the way. And Jason, again, is often shown to be indecisive in Apollonius' version. And we also, as you say, get this focus on some of the other characters like Medea or on some of the other heroes who, again, have an etiological function to perform. But this is a terrible thing they've done.

Absolutely right. They start off with the most noble of motives and they deteriorate as they go along the way. And Jason, again, is often shown to be indecisive in Apollonius' version. And we also, as you say, get this focus on some of the other characters like Medea or on some of the other heroes who, again, have an etiological function to perform. But this is a terrible thing they've done.

It's such a terrible thing. Killing ordinary people is bad, but killing your own flesh and blood is abhorrent to the gods and they need purification. So they're now told that they need to go to see Circe on her island and that she will cleanse them from purification. So this is quite surprising.

It's such a terrible thing. Killing ordinary people is bad, but killing your own flesh and blood is abhorrent to the gods and they need purification. So they're now told that they need to go to see Circe on her island and that she will cleanse them from purification. So this is quite surprising.

It's such a terrible thing. Killing ordinary people is bad, but killing your own flesh and blood is abhorrent to the gods and they need purification. So they're now told that they need to go to see Circe on her island and that she will cleanse them from purification. So this is quite surprising.

Circe's the witch, of course, who had Odysseus on her island for quite a while and did lots of fun things with him. But she is now the one who can purify them. So they've now got to go to the home of Circe somewhere off the western coast of Italy. So that's another one of the tropes, the cleansing of Absurtus's murder by Jason and Medea.

Circe's the witch, of course, who had Odysseus on her island for quite a while and did lots of fun things with him. But she is now the one who can purify them. So they've now got to go to the home of Circe somewhere off the western coast of Italy. So that's another one of the tropes, the cleansing of Absurtus's murder by Jason and Medea.