Apsyrtus was killed by Medea to delay pursuit when she fled with Jason. His death underscores themes of betrayal and ruthless love. In poetry, Apsyrtus symbolises the tragic cost of ambition and passion, embodying the darker consequences of heroic quests.

Apsyrtus, also called Absyrtus, represents one of mythology's most horrific familial betrayals, as Medea murdered her own brother to aid Jason's escape with the Golden Fleece. The myth exists in multiple versions: in one, Medea kills and dismembers the child Apsyrtus, scattering his body parts to delay her pursuing father Aeetes; in another, she lures her adult brother into an ambush. This fratricide establishes Medea as a figure capable of extreme transgression, foreshadowing her later murder of her own children. For students of tragedy and epic, Apsyrtus' death marks a point of no return in Medea's moral descent and exemplifies the pollution of kindred bloodshed that haunts Greek moral thought. The image of the dismembered brother scattered across waves became a potent symbol of desperate flight and irrevocable crime. This story influences the portrayal of Medea in later literature, from Euripides through Seneca to modern adaptations.