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DAILY LIFE
The myth of Jason, the Argonauts and the Golden Fleece
Jason is the son of a king. But the country has been taken over by his power-hungry brother Pelias. Fearing that her son would be killed by Pelias, Jason’s mother sends him away to live in the cave of Chiron the Centaur (half man, half horse), where he is raised until he is a man. Then Jason returns to claim the throne. But on his way back, he is tested by the goddess Hera. Disguised as an elderly woman, Hera begs Jason to help her across a stream. He agrees and takes her on his back. Jason’s goodwill impresses Hera, and she makes it her duty to help him on his journey.
The Argo
Jason meets with Pelias and says the throne is rightfully his. Pelias agrees to give up the throne providing Jason can bring back the Golden Fleece. Pelius doesn’t think this is possible. But Jason builds a boat called the Argo and gets a crew of heroes, such as Herakles. Jason calls this crew
the Argonauts.
The Argonauts set sail for the land of the Golden Fleece. The ship first stops at an island where there are only women. Herakles wants to go no further and is left behind.
The Clashing Rocks
The Argo makes its way to another island, where the crew chases flying witches away. To show his gratitude, King Phineus warns them that they will soon meet the Clashing
Rocks. The rocks clash together whenever a ship tries to get through. The secret, Phineus says, is to release a bird between the rocks so that they come together, then, before they have time to clash again, the Argo can sail through. As a result, the Argo gets safely to the land of the Golden Fleece.
The Golden Fleece
Aeetes, the king where the Fleece is kept, dislikes Jason but agrees to give him the Golden Fleece if he could help out with a
few small jobs. These jobs are seemingly impossible tasks designed to kill Jason. Fortunately for Jason, the goddess Aphrodite makes Medea, the king’s daughter, fall in love with Jason. Medea has magical powers which she uses to help Jason complete the jobs. First Jason is ordered to harness two fire- breathing bulls. He then has to plant some dragon’s teeth in a field. As the teeth enter the soil, they sprout into armed warriors. Without Medea’s assistance, Jason would have been killed, but thanks to her magic he harnesses the bulls and kills the warriors.
Jason now finds that the Fleece is guarded by a dragon. The dragon is given a sleeping potion by Medea and Jason grabs the Fleece. The Argonauts quickly set sail but they are pursued by the king’s army. On the return trip to Greece, the Argo is safely guided with help from Hera. Medea then kills Pelias and Jason becomes king. As you can see, it all ends happily ever after!
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