Medea, on account of her hatred toward Jason for marrying the daughter of Creon, killed her and Creon and her own sons, and then she was divorced from Jason to live with Aigeus. The story was not treated by either of the others [sc. Aeschylus or Sophocles].

The drama is set in Corinth and the chorus is composed of women of citizen stock. Medea's Nurse speaks the prologue.

It premiered [lit. "was taught"] in the archonship of Pythodoros in the first year of the 87th Olympiad [431 BCE]. Euphorion won first prize, Sophocles second, and Euripides third with Medea, Philoktetes, Diktys, and the satyr play Harvesters which is not extant.