The Argonauts

Aeson, king of Iolcus, was forced to flee from his kingdom after his younger brother Pelias seized the throne. Aeson managed to save his young son Jason, only ten years old, and entrusted him to the care of the centaur Chiron. Under Chiron's guidance, Jason trained alongside other noble youths who would later become famous for their bravery and heroic deeds. For ten years Jason lived in the centaur's cave, learning all useful and warlike arts. As he approached manhood, he felt an overwhelming desire to reclaim his rightful inheritance. So he bid farewell to his kind teacher and set out for Iolcus to demand the kingdom from his uncle Pelias.

On his journey, Jason came to a wide, foaming river. On the bank he saw an old woman who begged him to carry her across. He hesitated, knowing that even alone he would struggle against the fierce current, but he pitied her and lifted her in his arms. With great effort he reached the opposite shore. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she transformed into a beautiful woman. She smiled at the astonished youth and told him she was the goddess Hera, and that she would guide and protect him from then on. Then she vanished. Filled with hope and courage, Jason continued on his way. He realized he had lost one of his sandals in the river, but since he could not recover it, he pressed on without it.

When Jason arrived at Iolcus, he found his uncle in the marketplace offering a public sacrifice to Poseidon. After the ceremony, the king noticed the distinguished stranger, whose manly beauty and heroic bearing had already drawn the attention of the people. Seeing that one foot was bare, Pelias remembered an oracle that had warned him he would lose his kingdom to a man wearing only one sandal. He hid his fear, spoke kindly to the youth, and learned his name and purpose. Pretending to be delighted with his nephew, Pelias entertained him lavishly for five days of feasting and celebration. On the sixth day, Jason appeared before his uncle and firmly demanded the throne that was rightfully his. Pelias, concealing his true feelings, smiled and agreed to grant his request, but only if Jason would first undertake a mission for him—a mission that Pelias, due to his old age, could not accomplish himself.

He told Jason that the ghost of Phryxus had appeared to him in a dream, begging him to bring back his mortal remains and the Golden Fleece from Colchis. If Jason succeeded in obtaining these sacred relics, Pelias promised, the throne, kingdom, and scepter would be his.

Story of the Golden Fleece

Athamas, king of Boeotia, had married Nephele, a cloud-nymph, and their children were Helle and Phryxus. But Nephele's restless, wandering nature soon tired her husband. Being mortal, he had little sympathy for his ethereal wife, so he divorced her and married the beautiful but wicked Ino, sister of Semele. Ino hated her stepchildren and even plotted their death. But the watchful Nephele thwarted her cruel plans and managed to get the children out of the palace. She placed both of them on the back of a winged ram with a fleece of pure gold, a gift from Hermes. On this marvelous creature, brother and sister rode through the air over land and sea. However, during the journey, Helle became dizzy and fell into the sea, which was later called the Hellespont in her memory. She drowned.

Phryxus arrived safely at Colchis, where King Aetes welcomed him and gave him one of his daughters in marriage. In gratitude to Zeus for protecting him during his flight, Phryxus sacrificed the golden ram and presented the fleece to Aetes. The king nailed it up in the Grove of Ares, dedicating it to the god of war. An oracle had declared that Aetes's life depended on keeping the fleece safe, so he guarded the entrance to the grove with an immense dragon that never slept.

Building and Launch of the Argo

Let us return to Jason. He eagerly undertook the dangerous expedition proposed by his uncle, who hoped that the perils of the journey would rid him of the unwelcome intruder forever.

Jason quickly began making plans. He invited the young heroes he had befriended while under Chiron's care to join him. None refused; all felt honored to take part in such a noble and heroic undertaking.

Jason then approached Argos, one of the cleverest shipbuilders of the time. Under the guidance of Pallas Athena, Argos built a splendid fifty-oared galley called the Argo. The goddess embedded a board from the speaking oak of the oracle of Zeus at Dodona into the upper deck; this board retained its power of prophecy. The exterior of the ship was adorned with magnificent carvings. The vessel was so strong that it defied wind and waves, yet so light that the heroes could carry it on their shoulders when needed. When the ship was finished, the Argonauts—so named after their ship—gathered and drew lots for their positions.

Jason was appointed commander-in-chief. Tiphys served as steersman, Lynceus as pilot. In the bow sat the renowned hero Heracles; in the stern, Peleus (father of Achilles) and Telamon (father of Ajax the Great). In the inner space were Castor and Pollux, Neleus (father of Nestor), Admetus (husband of Alcestis), Meleager (slayer of the Calydonian boar), Orpheus (the famous singer), Menoetius (father of Patroclus), Theseus (later king of Athens) and his friend Pirithous (son of Ixion), Hylas (adopted son of Heracles), Euphemus (son of Poseidon), Oileus (father of Ajax the Lesser), Zetes and Calais (the winged sons of Boreas), Idmon the Seer (son of Apollo), Mopsus (the Thessalian prophet), and many others.

Before departure, Jason offered a solemn sacrifice to Poseidon and all the other sea deities. He also invoked the protection of Zeus and the Fates. Mopsus took the auguries and found them favorable, so the heroes boarded the ship. A favorable breeze sprang up; they took their assigned places, weighed anchor, and the ship glided like a bird out of the harbor into the waters of the great sea.

Arrival at Lemnos

The Argo, with its brave crew of fifty heroes, soon disappeared from sight. Only the faint echo of Orpheus's sweet music drifted back to shore on the sea breeze.

Everything went smoothly for a while, but soon the vessel was driven by bad weather to take refuge in a harbor on the island of Lemnos. This island was inhabited only by women. The year before, in a fit of mad jealousy, they had killed all the men on the island except the father of their queen, Hypsipyle. Since they now had to defend the island themselves, they were always on the lookout for danger. When they spotted the Argo from afar, they armed themselves and rushed to the shore, determined to repel any invasion.

As the Argo entered the port, the Argonauts were astonished to see an armed crowd of women. They sent a herald in one of their boats, carrying the staff of peace and friendship. Queen Hypsipyle proposed sending food and gifts to the strangers to prevent them from landing. But her old nurse, standing beside her, suggested that this was a good opportunity to find noble husbands who would defend them, ending their constant fear. Hypsipyle listened carefully to her nurse's advice, and after some discussion, decided to invite the strangers into the city.

Jason, wearing his purple mantle—a gift from Pallas Athena—stepped ashore with some of his companions. There he was met by a deputation of the most beautiful Lemnian women. As commander of the expedition, he was invited to the queen's palace. When he appeared before Hypsipyle, she was so struck by his godlike, heroic presence that she gave him her father's scepter and invited him to sit on the throne beside her. Jason then took up residence in the royal castle, while his companions scattered throughout the town, spending their time feasting and enjoying pleasures. Only Heracles and a few chosen comrades remained on board the ship.

Day after day, their departure was delayed. The Argonauts, lost in this new life of dissipation, almost forgot the purpose of their expedition—until Heracles suddenly appeared among them and reminded them of their duty.

Giants and Doliones

The Argonauts resumed their voyage, but contrary winds drove them toward an island inhabited by the Doliones. Their king, Cyzicus, welcomed them with great kindness and hospitality. The Doliones were descendants of Poseidon, who protected them against the frequent attacks of their fierce neighbors, the earth-born Giants—monsters with six arms each.

While his companions attended a banquet given by King Cyzicus, Heracles—who, as usual, had stayed behind to guard the ship—noticed that the Giants were blocking the harbor with huge rocks. He immediately saw the danger and attacked them with his arrows, killing many. Then the other heroes came to his aid, and together they destroyed the rest.

The Argo set sail again, but a severe storm arose at night and drove the ship back to the shores of the friendly Doliones. Unfortunately, because of the darkness, the inhabitants did not recognize their former guests. Mistaking them for enemies, the Doliones attacked. Those who had recently parted as friends now fought a deadly battle. In the fight, Jason himself pierced his friend King Cyzicus through the heart. Deprived of their leader, the Doliones fled to their city and closed the gates. When dawn came, both sides realized their terrible mistake. They were filled with deep sorrow and remorse. For three days the heroes remained with the Doliones, performing funeral rites for the slain with every sign of mourning.

Heracles Left Behind

The Argonauts set sail once more. After a stormy voyage, they arrived at Mysia, where the inhabitants welcomed them with plentiful banquets.

While his friends feasted, Heracles—who had declined to join them—went into the forest to find a fir tree for an oar. His adopted son Hylas missed him and went to look for him. When the youth reached a spring in the most secluded part of the forest, the nymph of the fountain was so captivated by his beauty that she pulled him down beneath the water, and he was never seen again. Polyphemus, another hero who happened to be in the forest, heard Hylas's cry for help. He met Heracles and told him what had happened. They immediately began searching for the missing youth, but found no trace of him. While they were looking, the Argo set sail and left them behind.

The ship had traveled some distance before the absence of Heracles was noticed. Some heroes wanted to turn back for him; others wished to continue. In the midst of the dispute, the sea-god Glaucus rose from the waves and told them that it was Zeus's will for Heracles to remain behind, as he had another mission to perform. The Argonauts continued their voyage without their companions. Heracles returned to Argos, while Polyphemus stayed with the Mysians, founded a city, and became its king.

Contest with Amycus

The next morning, the Argo landed at the country of the Bebrycians. Their king, Amycus, was a famous boxer who allowed no strangers to leave his shores without matching their strength against his. When the heroes asked permission to land, they were told they could only do so if one of them fought the king in a boxing match. Pollux, the best boxer in Greece, was chosen as their champion. The contest took place, and after a tremendous struggle, it proved fatal to Amycus, who had never been defeated before.

Phineus and the Harpies

The Argonauts proceeded toward Bithynia, where the blind old prophet-king Phineus, son of Agenor, reigned. Phineus had been punished by the gods with premature old age and blindness for misusing the gift of prophecy. He was also tormented by the Harpies, who swooped down on his food and either devoured it or defiled it so that it could not be eaten. This poor old man, trembling with weakness and faint with hunger, appeared before the Argonauts and begged for their help against his fiendish tormentors. Zetes and Calais, the winged sons of Boreas, recognized Phineus as the husband of their sister Cleopatra. They embraced him affectionately and promised to rescue him from his painful situation.

The heroes prepared a banquet on the seashore and invited Phineus. But as soon as he took his place, the Harpies swooped down and devoured all the food. Zetes and Calais rose into the air, drove the Harpies away, and were pursuing them with drawn swords when Iris, the swift-footed messenger of the gods, appeared. She commanded them to stop their vengeance, promising that Phineus would no longer be bothered.

Freed from his tormentors at last, the old man sat down and enjoyed a plentiful meal with his kind friends the Argonauts. They told him the purpose of their voyage. In gratitude for his deliverance, Phineus gave them much useful advice about their journey. He warned them of the many dangers ahead and instructed them on how to overcome them.

Passage of the Symplegades

After two weeks in Bithynia, the Argonauts set sail again. They had not gone far when they heard a tremendous crash. It came from two great rocky islands called the Symplegades, which floated in the sea and constantly met and separated.

Before leaving Bithynia, the blind old seer Phineus had told them they would have to pass between these terrible rocks and explained how to do it safely. As they approached the danger, they remembered his advice and followed it. Tiphys the steersman stood at the helm, while Euphemus held a dove ready to release. Phineus had said that if the dove dared to fly through, they could safely follow. Euphemus let the bird go. It flew swiftly between the islands, but even so, it lost some tail feathers when the rocks crashed together. Seizing the moment when the rocks separated again, the Argonauts rowed with all their might and made it through safely. After the miraculous passage of the Argo, the Symplegades became permanently fixed and attached to the bottom of the sea.

The Stymphalides

The Argo sailed along the southern coast of the Pontus and reached the island of Aretias, which was inhabited by birds that shot sharp feathers like arrows from their wings as they flew. As the ship glided along, Oileus was wounded by one of these birds. The Argonauts held a council, and by the advice of the experienced hero Amphidamas, they all put on their helmets and raised their glittering shields, shouting such terrifying cries that the birds fled in terror. The Argonauts were then able to land safely on the island.

There they found four shipwrecked youths who turned out to be the sons of Phryxus. Jason greeted them as his cousins. When they learned the purpose of the expedition, they volunteered to accompany the Argo and guide the heroes to Colchis. They also told them that the Golden Fleece was guarded by a fearsome dragon, that King Aetes was extremely cruel, and that as the son of Apollo, he possessed superhuman strength.

Arrival at Colchis