In Greek mythology, Polymede (Ancient Greek Πολυμήδη; also Polymele or Polypheme) is a daughter of Autolycus and, in Apollodorus' genealogy, the mother of Jason by Aeson of Iolcus. Other authors give Jason different mothers — above all Alcimede daughter of Phylacus — so her maternity is a recognized fork in the Argonaut tradition.
Adapted from Wikipedia, "Polymede" · CC BY-SA 4.0
I.Family
Apollodorus names Polymede, daughter of Autolycus, as the woman by whom Aeson son of Cretheus begat Jason. Autolycus is the master-thief, grandfather also of Odysseus through Anticleia; the Argonaut thus inherits cunning from the same maternal line as the Ithacan.
Her mother is variously given as Mestra, Neaera, or Amphithea. Rival mothers of Jason in other sources include Alcimede daughter of Phylacus (Hesiod, Apollonius, Hyginus), Amphinome, Rhoeo, Theognete, Arne, and Scarphe.
II.Mythology
Polymede has little independent narrative beyond the birth of Jason. Her significance is genealogical: she ties the Iolcan royal house to Autolycus' craft and places Jason as cousin to Odysseus in Apollodorus' stemma.
A separate notice makes a Polymede the mother of Nestor by Neleus; that figure is usually Chloris of Orchomenus in the main tradition and is not this Autolycid mother of Jason.
III.Homonyms
This atlas entry (polymede) is Autolycus' daughter and Apollodorus' mother of Jason (topic jason-mother). She is distinct from Alcimede and the other rival mothers of Jason, and from the rare tradition that gives Neleus a wife named Polymede instead of Chloris.