The search for the Golden Fleece by Jason and the Argonauts is one of the earliest and most important tales in Greek mythology. The legend was known to Homer, and aspects of the story were told by numerous ancient writers, including the Greek poet Pindar and the Hellenistic* poets Apollonius and Callimachus.
The story of the Golden Fleece takes place a few years before the Trojan War. Athamas, the king of Orchomenus, had a son, Phrixus, and a daughter, Helle. Their stepmother wanted to destroy the children and convinced King Athamas that he must sacrifice* Phrixus to the god Zeus. Just as Phrixus was about to be killed, a magical winged ram, whose fleece was made of gold, appeared. The ram told the children to climb on its back, and he flew off toward the kingdom of Colchis at the eastern shore of the Black Sea. Helle fell into the sea and drowned, but Phrixus and the ram arrived safely in Colchis. The ram was sacrificed to Zeus, and its fleece was hung on a tree and guarded by a ferocious dragon who never slept.
A short time later, Jason arrived in Iolcus, a kingdom in the northeastern Greek region of Thessaly. Although Jason’s father was the rightful king of Iolcus, his uncle, Pelias, had taken over the throne. Jason intended to reclaim the kingship from his uncle. King Pelias told Jason that he could have the throne on one condition—Jason had to retrieve the Golden Fleece from Colchis. Pelias was certain that Jason would fail and die in his attempt.
To help him accomplish this task, Jason assembled a band of the greatest heroes* of the age, among them Heracles and Orpheus. With the help of the goddess Athena, Argus (one of the heroes) constructed a marvelous ship called the Argo. The band of heroes was the crew of this ship, and they became known as the Argonauts.
* Hellenistic referring to the Greek-influenced culture of the Mediterranean world during the three centuries after Alexander the Great, who died in 323 B.C.
* sacrifice sacred offering made to a god or goddess, usually of an animal such as a sheep or goat
* hero in mythology, a person of great strength or ability, often descended from a god
Jason and the Argonauts had many adventures on their voyage to Colchis. One of the heroes, Polydeuces, defeated the king of one land in a boxing match. Heracles left the voyage after his beloved servant was kidnapped by nymphs*. The Argonauts also rid the blind prophet Phineus of the Harpies, monstrous birdlike creatures who stole his food. In return, Phineus guided the Argo through the Clashing Rocks at the mouth of the Black Sea. The Clashing Rocks collided whenever anything passed between them. Phineus told the Argonauts to send a dove between the rocks, which would cause the rocks to stick together.
The Argo finally arrived in Colchis. Aeetes, the king of Colchis, demanded that Jason perform certain tasks before he would turn over the Golden Fleece to him. First, King Aeetes ordered Jason to plough a field using fire-breathing oxen. Jason then had to sow* dragon’s teeth and defeat the armed warriors that arose from the ground. Jason accomplished these chores with the help of Medea, the king’s daughter. Medea fell in love with Jason, and she provided him with a magic potion that protected him from the oxen and from the warriors. Medea led Jason to the sacred grove where the Golden Fleece hung and created a potion that made the dragon fall asleep. Jason snatched the fleece, and he and the Argonauts, accompanied by Medea, set out on their return trip to Iolcus. One version of the story is that Medea delayed her father, who was pursuing them, by chopping her brother up and throwing his body overboard.
* nymph in classical mythology, one of the lesser goddesses of nature
* sow to plant by scattering over; or placing into, the ground
The return trip was also filled with many amazing adventures for the Argonauts. After defeating King Pelias in Iolcus, Jason and Medea married and fled to Corinth. The later history of Jason and Medea is the subject of Euripides’ famous tragedy, Medea. (See also Heroes, Greek; Myths, Greek; Myths, Roman.)