Commentary Inf XVIII 86-96

Jason, who will be remembered in Paradiso in a far more positive light, as the precursor of Dante in his having taken a great voyage and returned with the golden fleece ([Par II 16-18]; [Par XXV 7]; [Par XXXIII 94-96]), is here presented as the classical exemplar of the vile seducer. Dante's portrait of the seduced and abandoned Hypsipyle (in Greek mythology daughter of the king of Lemnos) is based on various accounts found in Ovid (Heroides VI), Valerius Flaccus (Argonautica II.242-427), and Statius (Thebaid, esp. V.445-485). See Clara Kraus, 'Isifile,' 'Medea,' and Giorgio Padoan, "Giasone," all in the 3rd volume of the ED (1971). Dante's sources for Medea (daughter of the king of Colchis), represented rather as victim than as witch and murderer, are mainly Ovidian (Metam. VII.1-158, 394-403.

For the resonance at v. 91 of Beatrice's description of Virgilian utterance as 'parola ornata' see C.Inf.II.67. As for Jason's segni (signs of love), Dante may be thinking of his ability to move Medea by tears as well as words (see Ovid, Metam. VII.169, where Medea 'nec tenuit lacrimas: mota est pietate rogantis).