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The Quest of the Golden Fleece

The Quest of the Golden Fleece. Origin:. Athamas, a king, got tired of his first wife, Nephele, and marries a second, Ino. Ino wants Nephele’s son, Phrixus, out of the way so her own son can inherit the throne.

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The Quest of the Golden Fleece

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  1. The Quest of the Golden Fleece

  2. Origin: • Athamas, a king, got tired of his first wife, Nephele, and marries a second, Ino. Ino wants Nephele’s son, Phrixus, out of the way so her own son can inherit the throne. • Ino, determined to bring about the little boy's death, and she made an elaborate plan how this was to be done.

  3. Nephele was afraid for her two children. • The people, threatened with starvation, forced the King to yield and permit the boy's death. • All of a sudden, the boy and girl were bore away by a wondrous ram with a fleece of pure gold.

  4. While crossing the strait … • Sea of Helle • Country of Colchis

  5. Phrixus killed the ram and gifted the golden fleece to the King. • Phrixus had an uncle who was by rights a king in Greece, but had had his kindom taken away from him by his nephew, a man named Pelias. • Oracle’s prediction…

  6. In due time such a man came to the town. • Jason asked Pelias to return his throne to him. • Pelias agreed as long as Jason could get the golden fleece back.

  7. The idea of the great adventure was delightful to Jason and he let it be known everywhere.

  8. Jason, intrigued by the challenge, assembles a remarkable group of heroes to help him, including Hercules, Theseus, Peleus, and Orpheus. Their ship is named the Argo, so the group is called the Argonauts.

  9. Adventure: • Jason finally arrived to claim the fleece as his own. Aeëtes promised to give it to him only if he could perform certain tasks. • First, Jason had to plow a field with fire-breathing oxen that he had to yoke himself. • Then, Jason sowed the teeth of a dragon into a field.

  10. The teeth sprouted into an army of warriors. • Jason was quick-thinking, however, and before they attacked him, he threw a rock into the crowd. • Unable to determine whence the rock had come, the soldiers attacked and killed each other. 

  11.  Finally, Aeëtes made Jason fight and kill the sleepless dragon that guarded the fleece. Jason then took the fleece and sailed away with Aeëtes's daughter  Medea.

  12. The Escape • Aeetes chased them as they fled. • Medea distracted him by by killing her brother Apsyrtus, and throwing pieces of his body into the sea. • The other version of the slaughter

  13. The Return Journey • On the way back to Iolcus, Medea prophesied to Euphemus, the Argo's helmsman, that one day he would rule Libia. • Zeus sent a series of storms at the Argo and blew it off course as the punishment for the slaughter . • The Argo then sought purification with Circe, a nymph. After being cleansed, they continued their journey home.

  14. Circe • Aminor goddess of magic. • The daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid and the sister of Aeetes. • She was known for her vast knowledge of drugs and herbs. And she purified the Argonauts for the death of Absyrtus,  may reflect early tradition.

  15. The Return Journey- The Sirens • The Sirens lived on three small, rocky islands called Sirenumscopuli. • They sang beautiful songs that enticed sailors to come to them, which resulted in the crashing of their ship into the islands. • With the aid of Orpheus, the Argonauts were able to pass the Sirens.

  16. The Return Journey- Talos • The island of Crete was guarded by the bronze man, Talos. • Talos hurled huge stones at the ship, keeping it at bay. • Weakness: Talos had one blood vessel which went from his neck to his ankle, bound shut by only one bronze nail (as in metal casting by the lost wax method).  • Medea removed the bronze nail and Talos bled to death

  17. Jason Returns • Iolcus was ruled by Jason's uncle Pelias, who had gained the throne by killing Jason's father. • Medea tricked Pelias's daughters into thinking that they could restore their father to youth by cutting him up and boiling him in a pot. • Pelias died a gruesome death, and Pelias' son, Acastus, drove Jason and Medea into exile for the murder.

  18. Medea’s Revenge • The couple married and settled in Corinth, where they raised several children. • The king of Corinth, offered Jason his daughter in marriage. • Knowing that Jason was going to abandon her, Medea took her revenge by sending the bride a poisoned wedding gown that burned her alive . • By some accounts, before fleeing to Athens, she also killed the children she had borne to Jason.

  19. Later Jason and Peleus (father of Achilles), attacked and defeated Acastus, reclaiming the throne of Iolcus for himself once more. Jason's son then became king. • As a result of breaking his vow, Jason lost his favor with Hera and died lonely and unhappy.

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