- Absyrtus
Absyrtus, or Apsyrtus (Greek: polytonic|Ἄψυρτος), was in
Greek mythology the son ofAeëtes and a brother ofMedea andChalciope . His mother is variously given: Hyginus calls her Ipsia, [Gaius Julius Hyginus . "Fabulae", 13.]Apollodorus calls her Idyia, [Apollodorus , i. 9. §23.] Apollonius calls her Asterodeia, [Apollonius of Rhodes , iii. 241.] and others Hecate, Neaera, or Eurylyte. [Schol. ad Apollon. I. c.]When Medea fled with Jason, she took her brother Absyrtus with her, and when she was nearly overtaken by her father, she murdered her brother, cut his body into pieces and strewed them on the road, so that her father might thus be delayed by gathering the limbs of his child.
Tomi , the place where this occurred, was believed to have derived its name from "temno" (polytonic|τέμνω, "cut"). [Apollodorus i. 9. §24;Ovid , "Tristia " iii. 9; compare Apollonius iv. 338, &c. 460, &c.]According to another tradition, Absyrtus was not taken by Medea, but was sent out by his father in pursuit of her. He overtook her in
Corcyra , where she had been kindly received by KingAlcinous , who refused to surrender her to Absyrtus. When he overtook her a second time in the island of Minerva, he was slain by Jason. [Gaius Julius Hyginus . "Fabulae", 23.] A tradition followed byPacuvius , [Cicero , "De Natura Deorum " iii. 19.] Justin, [Junianus Justinus , xlii. 3.] , and Diodorus, [Diodorus Siculus , iv. 45] called the son of Aeëtes, who was murdered by Medea,Aegialeus . [cite encyclopedia
last = Schmitz
first = Leonhard
authorlink =
title = Absyrtus
encyclopedia =Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology
volume = 1
pages = 3-4
publisher =
location = Boston
date = 1849
url = http://www.ancientlibrary.com/smith-bio/0012.html
accessdate = ]References
ources
*SmithDGRBM
External links
* [http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/medea.html Medea's story at Pantheon.org]
* [http://education.yahoo.com/homework_help/cliffsnotes/mythology/54.html Jason's story at education.yahoo.com]
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