Circe Purifies Jason and Medea
After the killing of Apsyrtus, Jason and Medea seek out Circe to be purified from the blood guilt of the murder.
The Story
The death of Apsyrtus brought divine anger upon the fugitives.
Jason and Medea could not simply continue home as though nothing had happened.
Bloodshed, especially the killing of a close relative, created ritual pollution.
The Argo was driven from its direct course.
The travellers learned that they would not escape the anger of Zeus until Jason and Medea had been purified.
Their journey therefore brought them to Circe.
Circe was herself part of the family of Helios and a relative of Medea.
Jason and Medea approached her as suppliants.
Their behaviour revealed that they carried the guilt of murder.
Circe performed rites of purification.
She cleansed them from the ritual pollution surrounding Apsyrtus' death.
But purification did not mean approval.
Circe recognised the terrible nature of what had happened and refused to celebrate Medea's actions.
Jason and Medea left her island and continued the long voyage westward.
The episode places Circe in the Argonautic generation long before her famous encounter with Odysseus.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The episode connects the Argonaut and Odyssey traditions through Circe and shows that heroic violence could create religious consequences requiring purification.
Traditions & Variations
The route taken to Circe and the details of the purification differ between Argonautic traditions.