In the application of the Æolid genealogy to Corinth, Sisyphus, the
son of Æolus, appears as the first name: but the old Corinthian poet
Eumêlus either found or framed an heroic genealogy for his native city
independent both of Æolus and Sisyphus. According to this genealogy,
Ephyrê, daughter of Oceanus and Têthys, was the primitive tenant of
the Corinthian territory, Asôpus of the Sikyônian: both were assigned
to the god Hêlios, in adjusting a dispute between him and Poseidôn,
by Briareus. Hêlios divided the territory between his two sons Æêtês
and Alôeus: to the former he assigned Corinth, to the latter Sikyôn.
Æêtês, obeying the admonition of an oracle, emigrated to Kolchis,
leaving his territory under the rule of Bunos, the son of Hermês,
with the stipulation that it should be restored whenever either he
or any of his descendants returned. After the death of Bunos, both
Corinth and Sikyôn were possessed by Epôpeus, son of Alôeus, a wicked
man. His son Marathôn left him in disgust and retired into Attica,
but returned after his death and succeeded to his territory, which he
in turn divided between his two sons Corinthos and Sikyôn, from whom
the names of the two districts were first derived. Corinthos died
without issue, and the Corinthians then invited Mêdea from Iôlkos as
the representative of Æêtês: she with her husband Jasôn thus obtained
the sovereignty of Corinth.[262] This legend of Eumêlus, one of the
earliest of the genealogical poets, so different from the story adopted
by Neophrôn or Euripidês, was followed certainly by Simonidês and
seemingly by Theopompus.[263] The incidents in it are imagined and
arranged with a view to the supremacy of Mêdea; the emigration of Æêtês
and the conditions under which he transferred his sceptre, being so
laid out as to confer upon Mêdea an hereditary title to the throne.
The Corinthians paid to Mêdea and to her children solemn worship,
either divine or heroic, in conjunction with Hêrê Akræa,[264] and this
was sufficient to give to Mêdea a prominent place in the genealogy
composed by a Corinthian poet, accustomed to blend together gods,
heroes and men in the antiquities of his native city. According to
the legend of Eumêlus, Jasôn became (through Mêdea) king of Corinth;
but she concealed the children of their marriage in the temple of
Hêrê, trusting that the goddess would render them immortal. Jasôn,
discovering her proceedings, left her and retired in disgust to Iôlkos;
Mêdea also, being disappointed in her scheme, quitted the place,
leaving the throne in the hands of Sisyphus, to whom, according to
the story of Theopompus, she had become attached.[265] Other legends
recounted, that Zeus had contracted a passion for Mêdea, but that she
had rejected his suit from fear of the displeasure of Hêrê; who, as
a recompense for such fidelity, rendered her children immortal:[266]
moreover Mêdea had erected, by special command of Hêrê, the celebrated
temple of Aphroditê at Corinth.
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