Woman from Colchis

By Danko Antolovic

“'Woman from Colchis' by Danko Antolovic is a stirring short story that tells the myth of Medeia and her lover, Jason (of the Argonauts). Before she met the man who sought the Golden Fleece on Colchis, Medeia was the daughter of a king, and a priestess of the goddess Hecate, whose favor had made Medeia strong in the art of witchcraft and potion-making. Determined to leave her home behind, Medeia conspires to help Jason pass a series of impossible trials set forth by her father to prevent the young man from winning the Golden Fleece; with her charms and guidance, Jason easily wins the item. The pair escapes on Jason’s ship and sails to the city of Iolcos, where he has pledged to hand the Fleece over to King Pelias. But Pelias is an unjust ruler, and his actions in Jason’s absence will pit the young man (and his sorcerous lover) against him. As Jason and Medeia formulate plans for revenge, they also threaten to sever the very ties between them.

The story of Medeia is not a pleasant one—but few Greek myths are. Antolovic has wisely chosen his narrative subject; Medeia is a compelling person, blessed with terrible power but cursed to be betrayed by everyone who gets close to her. Antolovic’s writing carries the story along with an almost somnambulant sensuality. His prose is carefully crafted, and the images he summons are by turns haunting and phantasmagorical. Fans of contemporary myth retellings like Madeline Miller’s 'Circe' will be sure to enjoy this one.” – Red City Review

• Language: English
• Publisher: Danko Antolovic
• Release date: Aug 11, 2019
• ISBN: 9781370210008

Danko Antolovic

Danko Antolovic is a scientist and technologist whose professional activities and publications include research in quantum chemistry and computational modelling of molecules, research in solar energy for space applications, design of systems for image analysis and robotic vision, and development of wireless communication technology. He is the author, most recently, of the monograph “Radiolocation in Ubiquitous Wireless Communication” (Springer, 2010), and of two novellas: "My Name is Daedalus" (Straylight Magazine, November 2016) and "Woman from Colchis" (Scarlet Leaf Review, October 2018).

Book preview

Woman from Colchis

By Danko Antolovic

Copyright 2017 Danko Antolovic. All rights reserved.

Smashwords Edition.

Cover: Medea, by William W. Story, Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain.

Come, goddess, come to this modest shrine I have raised to you; accept the blood of the sacrifice. Appear to me, Hekate the night wanderer! I have honored you all my years, compassionate goddess, come to me now. The night is deep, soft and dark, this is your hour... May your gaze not pass me by at this time when I need you...

I hear your plea, priestess. I do not avert my eyes, and it is not for the sake of the sacrifice that I come, but because of your devotion, which makes you dear to me.

I could always see into your sincere heart, priestess Medeia, but this evening your heart is dark and closed, opaque like the night. What trouble besets you? What sorrow veils itself from immortal eyes?

Blessed goddess, I am strong and grateful in your presence. I will tell you everything: tonight I mean to win my freedom from the snares that hold me... It is a fearsome charm I will attempt, a thing no sorceress has ever done. I pray to you to approve, I call upon you to allow my craft to succeed. Hear me, Hekate, follow my journey, so that you will know how my heart came to this dark place where it now rests.

* * *

You remember, goddess, the shy young maiden, barely more than a child, who had entered your service. I feared your power, feared the dark arts I was meant to learn. But you smiled upon me, merciful Hekate: I imbibed your knowledge like the eager child that I was, and before long potions, charms and sorcery became my whole life.

What you say is true, Medeia. No priestess has ever been as skilled in my arts as you.

I was a shy, timid girl, my goddess, but in your arts I found a thing to call my own. I was content to remain in the land of Colchis, in your service, all of my days. But what did I know? I did not have my sister's plucky courage, and all I knew of the world was my native land — not even that, but mostly just my father's court.

That day, when the strangers came, I happened to be in the great hall, watching them address father Aietes. The man who appeared to be their leader was explaining that they had come from someplace in Hellas, and that they were compelled — by some reason back home, which I did not understand — to bring back with them my father's golden fleece. They truly needed the fleece, he said, and they were willing to pay for it; there were fifty of them, brave and experienced fighters, ready to enter into mercenary service of noble Aietes in exchange for this favor.

The young stranger was calm and polite, but father flew into a rage. He swung down his thick, hairy arm, his hand slammed the table, so that plates clanked and beakers overturned. Give them the fleece? Just like that, for the asking? Who did they think they were? He railed, he shouted. He even accused the strangers of having come to depose him from power — a stupid accusation indeed, for how could they? Fifty men, however brave, were not a match for the Colchian army.

The stranger spoke again, seeking to reassure him of their honorable intentions, but father would not hear any of it. He threatened to lop off their hands, mutilate their faces, unman them, leave them only their feet to wander away on, as a caution to other insolents. His face was red with cruel, unthinking rage.

I was shaking as I watched their exchange; I remember leaning against a wall to steady myself. Father was a large man of heavy limbs and a thick neck; he was