MEDARY, Samuel, American editor and politician: b. Montgomery Square, Montgomery County, Pa., 25 Feb. 1801; d. Columbus, Ohio, 7 Nov. 1864. In 1825 he settled at Batavia, Clermont County, Ohio, and in 1828 established the Ohio Sun in support of Jackson's candi dacy for the presidency. He sat for Clermont County in the State house of representatives in 1834-35 and was a member of the State senate in 1835-37. In 1837 he purchased at Columbus the Western Hemisphere, later the Ohio Statesman, which he edited until 1857. In 1857-58 he was governor of Minnesota Terri tory and in 1858-59 of Kansas Territory. He was named Minister to Chile in 1853 but de clined. He established the Crisis at Columbus in 1860, and was its editor until his death. He gave active aid to Morse in the promotion of the electric telegraph, was a firm supporter of the measures of Jackson and Douglas; is said to have originated the battle-cry °Fifty-four forty, or fight I° in connection with the Oregon boundary dispute, and was often called the cold wheel-horse of Democracy.° There is a monu ment to his memory at Columbus, Ohio.
MEDEA, a powerful sorceress of the Greek heroic age, daughter of 2Ectes, king of Colchis. By some her mother is said to have been Idyia, daughter of Oceanus; by others Hecate or Newra. By her profound knowledge of the magical virtues of plants she practised witchcraft. She became the wife of Jason (q.v.), the leader of the Argonauts. For 10
years she lived with him after having sup ported him in every danger, till the charms of Glance, or Creusa, the daughter of King Creon, kindled a new passion in him, and he discarded Medea, who brooded on revenge. With this purpose she sent the bride, as a wedding gift, a poisoned garment, also a poisoned crown of gold, *filch Glance put on and died in agony. The sorceress reduced Creon's palace to ashes by a shower of fire, murdered her two children by Jason and then mounted her dragon chariot and escaped. Some say that she went to Her cules, others to Athens, to King dEgeus, by whom she had Medus. From Athens also she was banished as a sorceress. She finally re turned to her home, where her son Medus re instated her father, who had been dethroned by his brother Perses, after which she died. The story of Medea has often been a subject of tragic poetry ancient and modern. The trage dies of this name, by iEschylus and Ennius, have perished, as well as the Colchides of Sophocles. The Medeas of Euripides and Sen eca are alone extant. The story has also been dramatized by Corneille and Grillparzer. Chern bini made this myth the subject of an opera. Consult Liibker, F., (Reallexikon des plas sischen Altertums) (8th ed., Leipzig 1914), and Mallinger, Leon, etude sur la littera ture compare& (Paris 1898).