Poison for Good...

Poison for Evil

Archaeologists study ancient pottery to learn about people who lived long ago.

map of Greece with labels for Europe to the north, Asia to the east, and the Mediterranean Sea to the south

Greece today

black silhouettes of typical Ancient Greek pottery forms

In ancient Greece, people told stories of powerful gods, mighty heroes, and legendary quests. These stories reflected the beliefs, values, teachings, and history of the people.

Ancient Greek artists painted stories on vases and other pottery. Some included eerie tales of enchantment, deadly poisons, and magical objects that protect people from poison. Many of the poisons in these Greek myths were inspired by real plants and other poisonous things found in nature.

Watch two stories from ancient Greece that are animated as if they are vase paintings that have come to life. One of them is about the great hero Hercules, who was known for his many adventures. The other story is about the sorceress Medea.

What poisonous tales do they tell?

Hercules

What did the great hero Hercules use to make poisonous arrows?

SHOW HIDE TRANSCRIPT

POISON FOR GOOD POISON FOR EVIL - HERCULES

Three Greek vases with mostly blank surfaces.

[HARP MUSIC]

NARRATOR: Watch two popular Greek myths unfold to see how people have used poison to their advantage for thousands of years. Sometimes poison can be useful. See how this is so in Hercules and the Hydra.

Illustrations of a Greek column, a cartoon Hercules, and a cartoon Hydra, (a nine-headed snake monster) appear on the three vases.

NARRATOR: Meet Hercules, a hero in the making.

Hercules flexes his muscles.

NARRATOR: He’s off to slay the serpent monster Hydra. But Hercules must be careful. One bit from the monster’s nine heads could kill him.

Hercules pulls out his bow and an arrow and runs off the surface of one vase, to drop down onto another.

NARRATOR: Hercules takes out his trusty weapon, a bow and arrow. If he defeats the Hydra, he can harness its blood, which contains a powerful poison.

Hercules draws his bow, shooting at the Hydra. The Hydra stretches out its long necks, expanding onto another vase.

NARRATOR: When the Hydra attacks, Hercules tries to kill the mighty serpent quickly by cutting off its heads.

Hercules jumps into the vase with the Hydra’s body. He cuts off several of the Hydra’s heads as it tries to attack him.

NARRATOR: But for every head he lops off, two grow back in its place!

Two heads grow where one was cut off.

NARRATOR: Hercules remembers a bright idea. Each stump is burned so no new heads can grow.

Hercules uses a torch to burn the stumps of the Hydra’s heads.

NARRATOR: Hercules dips his arrows in the Hydra’s poisonous blood.

Hercules dips his arrows in the Hydra’s blood.

NARRATOR: Each one is now a very potent weapon called a toxicon, which in Greek means “poison arrow.”

The word toxicon, written in the Greek alphabet, appears next to an arrow on the top vase.

NARRATOR: From this and other related terms, come our modern words “toxic” or “toxin,” which both mean “something poisonous.”

Medea

Why did the sorceress Medea use poison? 

SHOW HIDE TRANSCRIPT

POISON FOR GOOD POISON FOR EVIL - MEDEA

Three Greek vases with mostly blank surfaces.

[HARP MUSIC]

Illustrations of a snake, a golden fleece, and ocean waves appear on two of the three vases.

NARRATOR: During their many travels together, the sorceress Medea used her magical powers to help her ambitious husband Jason, who was famous for finding the golden fleece.

Medea and Jason appear by the snake and the golden fleece. Medea casts a spell on the snake so that Jason can strike it with his sword and steal the fleece. They walk off together.

NARRATOR: When the couple arrived in Corinth, the king and his daughter, Glauce, greeted them.

Jason and Medea sail across the waves. They arrive at a palace and bow to the king and his elegant daughter.

NARRATOR: The young princess immediately fell in love with Jason.

The princess approaches Jason with her arms outstretched. Jason puts his hand on his heart.

NARRATOR: And Jason, imagining even greater glory, being married to a princess, abandoned Medea.

Jason walks off the vase with Medea and onto the vase with the king and princess. Medea raises her hand to her head in sorrow.

NARRATOR: And so, it was decided the lovers would marry and Medea should be sent away.

Jason and the princess exit with the king. Sad Medea is left alone on one vase.

NARRATOR: Brokenhearted and betrayed, Medea sent her children to court to be looked after. To bribe, Glauce, Medea gave her children presents for the princess.

Medea calls her children and gives them gifts to present to the king.

NARRATOR: Glauce agreed to care for Medea’s children and gladly accepted the gifts – a new gown and a crown.

Medea exits from the stage of one vase, while her children cross over to another vase with the princess Glauce. They give her the presents and she puts on the crown and goes behind a screen to put on the gown.

NARRATOR: But Medea’s gifts were a trick. She had poisoned them. The poison horribly burned Glauce, and when the king tried to help her, he was poisoned too.

The princess’ gown and crown burst into flame. The king and Jason run towards her and the king bursts into flame, as well.

NARRATOR: Triumphant in her revenge, Medea flew away in a golden chariot.

Medea flies away in a chariot drawn by golden snakes.

NARRATOR: Jason, shocked and saddened, was left with nothing.

Jason stands alone near the flames of the princess and king. He bows in sorrow.

Credits

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Credits:

Map of Greece, © Vemaps; silhouetted pottery, © AMNH; Videos, © AMNH