Absyrtus, or
Apsyrtus was in
Greek mythology the son of
Aeëtes and a brother of
Medea and
Chalciope. His mother is variously given:
Hyginus calls her Ipsia,
Hesiod and the
Bibliotheca call her
Eidyia,
Apollonius calls her
Asterodeia, and others
Neaera or Eurylyte. When Medea fled with Jason, she took her brother Absyrtus with her, and when she was nearly overtaken by her father, she murdered her brother, cut his body into pieces and strewed them on the road, so that her father might thus be delayed by gathering the limbs of his child.
Tomi, the place where this occurred, was believed to have derived its name from
temno (, "cut").