They send him gifts of friendship including Hypsipyle's robe. He asks for drugs to boost his strength, flatters her. Chalkiope pleads for Medea's help to prevent the slaying of her sons. Jason is less the traditional masculine hero and more of a manager, more democratic, more uncertain. Euripides makes Medea kill the dragon, so that she may claim that she, not Jason, is the dragon-slayer; on a vase by Douris (ca. Climax. Orpheus pleads for help from the Hesperides, and they send up springs of water. Jason and Pelias. Phrixos eventually had children Phrontis, Kytissoros, Melas, and Argos. . The Ptolemies wished to attract Greek intellectuals and poets to Alexandria, and thus founded the Museum (place of the muses) and Library. They arrive at Sintian Lemnos, where the women have killed all their men under the leadership of their queen Hypsipyle. As for Jason’s mother, no one has an exact idea who she was. The kingship passed after Kretheus's death not to Aison but to Pelias, the son Kretheus' wife Tyro bore to Poseidon. Pelias gets relieved thinking that Jason wont be able to return safely. She decides to flee with Phrixos' sons, leaving a lock of her hair as a memorial to her virginity. Medea tells the story in her Colchian tongue, but omits the murder of Apsyrtos (though Kirke is not deceived). But 3 local deities appear to Jason, saying he should "pay fair requital to your mother for all she has suffered in carrying you in her belly..." A giant horse rises from the sea. Talus. Jason and the Golden Fleece is an Ancient Greek epic poem by Apollonius of Rhodes. Euripides’ Medea. The Phaeacians. Aietes is furious at this story, angry at the sons, suspects the Minyans of having been enlisted to help in a conspiracy to take his throne. Jason has been prophesied to take the throne of Thessaly. SAGA AND FOLKTALE. The marriage is fulfilled. Though Jason and the Argonauts have to face a ton of enemies in order to get the Golden Fleece, their biggest obstacle is King Aeëtes, the ruler of Colchis. Continuing their voyage, they killed the bronze giant, TALUS [ta'lus], or TALOS, who guarded the island of Crete, by opening a vein above one of his ankles, through which his life-supporting ichor (the divine equivalent of blood) leaked out. Ariadne. Myth Summary. Orpheus plays a marriage hymn. They go ashore on the west (north) side, meet Phineus--former king of Thrace and son of Agenor. She asks Eros to bewitch Medea. Land of Mossynoikoi, who make love in public. She puts the dragon to sleep and Jason steals the golden fleece. They carried the Argo on their shoulders for twelve days to Lake Tritonis (Mopsus died in the desert) and from there made their way back to the sea. The Minyans reach the river Halys (south shore of Pontos), where Medea propitiates Hekate. Alkinoos decides that if she is a virgin she must return whereas if she has consummated the marriage then she may remain with Jason. Hera instructs Iris to fetch Thetis to help the Argonauts. The Return Route. The catalog of c. 50 heroes (called Minyans or Argonauts) includes: Orpheus (son of Kalliope and Oiagros), Asterion, Polyphemos (son of Eilatos), Iphiklos (brother of Alkimede), Admetos, Erytos and Echion (sons of Hermes) and their half-brother Aithalides, Koronos, Mopsos, Eurydamas, Menoitios, Eurytion, Erybotes, Oileus, Kanthos from Euboia, Klytios and Iphitos, Telemon and Peleus (sons of Aiakos), Boutes and Phaleros (from Kekrops=Attica), Tiphys, Phleias, Taloas and Areios and Leodokos (from Argos), Herakles with his squire Hylas, Nauplios, Idmon, Polydeukes and Kastor (the Diaskouroi), Lynkeus and Idas, Periklymenos, Amphidamas and Kepheus (from Arcadia), Ankaios (son of Lykourgos), Augeias (son of Helios), Asterios and Amphion, Euphemos (son of Poseidon), Erginos and Ankaios (sons of Poseidon, from Miletos and Parthenia=Samos, resp. The Argonauts depart Drepane, and arrive at Libya and the gulf Syrtis, from which ships cannot escape. Fight with the "earth-born". Prometheus is in nearby Caucasus. Harpies have been punishing him for misusing his powers of prophecy granted him by Apollo (son of Leto). Jason also gains the help of the Queen of the Gods, Hera (Blackman). Jason was not welcome in Iolcus because of King Pelias, who usurped Aeson, Jason’s father. Jason sprinkles the drug on his skin, clothing, spear, and sword. Aeëtes set Jason a series of impossible tasks before he would let him take the Golden Fleece. Here Medea appealed to Queen Arete for protection from the Colchians, and the king. Medea is consumed with love. Aietes is suspicious and wonders why Phrixos' sons have returned so soon. She put Thoas in a chest, in which he floated to the land of the Tauri (i.e., the Crimea, in southern Russia). Kanthos and Mopsos die. They reach an island of the Sporades. At last they reach the [Mediterranean] sea and they sail for Crete. She wants Thetis to help them pass through the narrow channel between Skylla and Charybdis [also referred to as the Planktai, see above regarding the Dark Rocks]. They fear for their lives, but Medea offers to neutralize him. An infant Jason is taken away far off safely after his family is killed and his father's throne taken by his uncle Pelias. They plan to sail from Iolkos, the Magnesian Pagasai, on the east coast of Thessaly, the land of the Pelasgians. Orpheus out-plays the Sirens using his Bistonian lyre. She wants the Minyans to breed with the island women to repopulate island with males. Follow Bithynian coast (north coast of Turkey). He was to yoke a pair of brazen-footed, fire-breathing bulls (the gift of Hephaestus to Aeëtes) and plough a field. Meet Jason's Excellent AdventureThis is a summary of the adventures and exploits of Jason the Argonaut who was based on the Greek Mythology.Synopsis:The tale of the Golden Fleece begins with a Greek king named Athamas, who got tired of his wife, put … Synopsis Aeëtes had originally been king of Ephyra (an early name of Corinth), which he left to go to Colchis. It was hung in a grove sacred to Ares and guarded by a serpent. Peleus is bitter over how she abandoned him long ago. The Colchians put to sea to chase the Minyans. She invokes the spirits of death, the Keres, and casts an evil eye on Talos. She tells how to win the contest, gives him drugs. Athamas then married INO [eye'noh], daughter of Cadmus (see MLS, Chapter 17), who out of jealousy of her stepchildren caused a famine and, after Delphi had been consulted, plotted to have Athamas sacrifice Phrixus to end the famine. The Argonauts sailed to Lemnos, where the women, under Queen HYPSIPYLE [hip-sip'i-lee], had killed every male except THOAS [thoh'as], father of Hypsipyle. Plot Keywords There they celebrated the marriage, and the Colchians gave up the pursuit. They enter the Hellespont/Dardanelles; Dardania, Abydos. In a night battle they mistakenly killed King Cyzicus (after whom the city was named). To rejuvenate his wife. Chapter 24: Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts. are paraphrases of its commentary. However, there is a prophecy that he will be overthrown by a child of Aristo wearing one sandal. Mopsos sees a favorable omen. They search in vain for Herakles, who they believe has saved them. The ship Argos is built by Argos son of Arestor (this is not the same as Phrixos' son Argos) with the advice of Athena. His father was Aeson, king of Iolcos in Thessaly. Jason follows his advice and assembles a sailing crew of the finest men in Greece, including Hercules. Zeus wants the Argonauts cleansed of the blood of Apsyrtos by Aiaian Kirke. But it is Greek epic poetry updated for the tastes of a more discerning and rational Hellenistic audience. She understands they are supplicants who committed murder. The Argonauts frightened away the STYMPHALIAN [stim-fay'li-an] birds, which had settled on the island of Ares after being driven out of Greece by Heracles in his sixth labor. After he married his 2nd wife Ino, she plotted against the 2 stepchildren Phrixos and Helle, who were saved by a magical golden-fleeced ram who flew away with them. Tags: Jason debates how to approach Aietes. But it's not quite easy for this. Later Arete pleads to her husband on behalf of the girl. On his journey back Jason carried an old woman across the river Anaurus, losing a shoe during the crossing. Last update: 14 February 2019, Summary by Michael McGoodwin, prepared 2002. Athamas, king of Boiotia and son of Aiolos (hero of the Aeolians), had son Phrixos and Orpheus takes up his lyre and sings. He selects a crew, which included Polydeuces (Crawford) and Hercules (Green). edition translated by Richard Hunter. The story takes place in the era before the Trojan War, when Hercules and Theseus were alive and active in ancient Greece. She pleads for them to save her--she will help them to get the golden fleece by putting the dragon standing guard to sleep. Medea promises to help her. Here they took on board the four sons of Phrixus (who had been shipwrecked) and sailed on to the river Phasis, on whose banks was Colchis. They travel along the Ausonian sea (west Italian coast) and reach Kirke at Tyrrhenia and the harbor of Aiaie... Jason and Medea appear to her. Many were fathers of Trojan War heroes, while others had special skills: Idmon and Mopsus were seers; Castor and Polydeuces were, respectively, a horseman and a boxer; Lynceus had special powers of sight; Zetes and Calaïs (sons of Boreas) were winged; Argus was the shipwright, and Tiphys the helmsman. Phrixos' wife is Chalkiope (she is granddaughter of Helios, daughter of Aietes, niece of Kirke, sister to Media and Apsyrtos).