Sailing Under Greek Skies

1. Sailing Under Greek Skies Brad Carroll

2. Medea Seeing Medea without knowing the story of …

3. Jason and the Argonauts is like seeing …

4. without having seen the first two Star Wars films!

5. Who is Luke Skywalker and what happened to his hand?

6. The story of Jason and the Argonauts is told in the stars Star chart by Johannes Hevelius, 17th century

7. In 1752, Nicolas Louis de Lacaille split Argo Navis into three smaller constellations.

8. from the French word (la poupe) for stern the Poop the Keel the Sails

9. Greek Navigation The philosopher Thales of Miletos taught Greek sailors to navigate by the Little Bear constellation in ~ 600 B.C. “Now to Miletos he steered his courseThat was the teaching of old ThalesWho in bygone days gauged the starsOf the Little Bear by which the PhoeniciansSteered across the seas”

10. As Earth turns, the stars appear to rotate around Polaris, the North star

11. Greek Navigation “Follow the Coast” Depth sounding: "When you get 11 fathoms and ooze on the lead, you are a day's journey out from Alexandria.“ - Herodotus (4th century B.C.)

12. Greek Navigation The oldest map of anywhere in the western world, dating from about 500 BC, is the Soleto Map. It depicts Apulia, the heel of Italy’s “boot.”

13. Greek Navigation

14. Greek Navigation Antikythera Mechanism dates from 150 – 100 BC

15. Greek Navigation Antikythera Mechanism Has as many as 72 gears. When a date was entered via a crank (now lost), the mechanism calculated the position of the Sun, Moon, or other astronomical information such as the location of other planets..

16. Greek Navigation Antikythera Mechanism On 30 July 2008, scientists reported new findings in the journal Nature showing that the mechanism tracked the Metonic calendar, predicted solar eclipses, and calculated the timing of the ancient Olympic Games. Inscriptions on the instrument closely match the names of the months on calendars from Illyria and Epirus in northwestern Greece and with the island of Corfu. The concept for the mechanism originated in the colonies of Corinth in Sicily, which implies a connection with Archimedes (287 – 212 BC)

17. Jason and the Argonauts – the Quest for the Golden Fleece http://www.mythweb.com/heroes/jason/index.html Jason was the son of the lawful king of Iolcus, but his uncle Pelias had usurped the throne. Pelias lived in constant fear of losing what he had taken so unjustly. He kept Jason's father a prisoner and would certainly have murdered Jason at birth. But Jason's mother deceived Pelias by mourning as if Jason had died. Meanwhile the infant was bundled off to the wilderness cave of Chiron the Centaur. Chiron tutored Jason in the lore of plants, the hunt and the civilized arts. When he had come of age, Jason set out like a proper hero to claim his rightful throne.

18. Jason and the Argonauts – the Quest for the Golden Fleece Under the guise of hospitality, Pelias invited Jason to a banquet. "You say you've got what it takes to rule a kingdom," said Pelias. "May I take it that you're fit to deal with any thorny problems that arise? For example, how would you go about getting rid of someone who was giving you difficulties?“ "Send him after the Golden Fleece?" Jason suggested. "Not a bad idea," responded Pelias. "It's just the sort of quest that any hero worth his salt would leap at. Why, if he succeeded he'd be remembered down through the ages. Tell you what, why don't you go?"

19. Jason and the Argonauts – the Quest for the Golden Fleece A model of the Argo

20. Jason and the Argonauts – the Quest for the Golden Fleece Jason and the Argonauts set out on a quest for the golden fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Lolcus in Thessaly.

21. Jason’s journey is traced by the Sun as it passes through the constellations of the zodiac.

22. The Sun passes through the 12 constellations of the zodiac in the course of a year. Jason’s journey begins when the sun is between Scorpius and Sagittarius. ^ ^ ^ ^ Sun starts here

23. Sun between Scorpio and Sagittarius • Above Scorpio is Ophiuchus = Jason • Above Ophiuchus are Hercules and Bootes • (Argo’s crew) • Virgo = Atalanta, the only woman on the Argo • When Ophiuchus = Jason rises in the east, the • stars of Argo Navis lies in the west. The Milky Way • represents the waters of the sea. • The journey of the Sun through Sagittarius = the • Argonauts visit with Chiron, Jason’s old master and • teacher.

24. When the sun sets in the west, the Pleiades (visit to • the Amazons) rise in the east. • When the sun sets, the Twins, Castor and Pollux, • rise in the east recalling their visit to Samothrace • where they were adorned with the two stars. • The sun passes through Aquarius (water carrier), • and just before sunrise Hercules is high in the • south. When the sun sets, the Hyades rise in the • east. This recalls the search by Hercules for • his friend Hylas, who was drowned by the water • nymphs, the Hyades.

25. When the sun arrives in Pisces (the fishes), at • sunset Leo rises, followed by Virgo. The represents • the visit at Cybele (who has a lion in front of her • chariot). • As the fishes set, Orion is high in the sky • representing the giant Amycus (slain by Castor and • Pollux). • When the sun rises in the fishes, the three birds – • Cygnus (swan), Aquila(eagle), and Vega (vulture) – • pale in the light of dawn, representing the defeat of • the Harpies at the palace of King Phineus.

26. When the sun sets in Aries (the ram), the Argonauts • are at the Symplegades. The Pleiades represent • the dove sent through the two rocks to give the • Argo safe passage. When the Pleiades set in the • west, the Argo culminates and Lyra (Orpheus’ harp) • rises in the northeast. This recalls the safe journey • of the Argo through the Symplegades. • When the sun sets in the ram, Virgo comes up in • the east. This represents the slaying of the wild • boar by Atalanta. • The sun passes through Taurus as the Argonauts • arrive in Colchis.

27. Jason and the Argonauts – the Quest for the Golden Fleece

28. Medea In Colchis, King Aeetes was reluctant to part with the Golden Fleece. He challenged Jason with a quest: “You must yoke the fire-breathing bulls and plough a field for me to sow some dragon’s teeth.” Venus made Medea, the king’s daughter, fall in love with Jason and help him.

29. Perseus = King Aeetes stands above Taurus. Algol • (the demon star) = Medea. Aries the ram = golden • fleece. The fleece is guarded by a dragon (Cetus • the whale). Taurus represents the plowing of the • field. • 14. Sun arrives in Gemini (twins), opposite Sagittarius. • This starts the homeward journey. • 15. Medea kills her brother and throws the dismembered • body into the sea. This is represented by Auriga • (the charioteer) in the Milky Way (sea).

30. Sun arrives in Cancer (crab), when the Argo has to • bypass Scylla and Charybdis (sea monsters • depicted by Hydra, the watersnake). One of the • crew falls overboard. When Cancer rises in the east, • Bootes falls below the horizon in the west. In the • evening, Cancer sets in the west as Bootes rises • in the east, rescued by the music from Orpheus’ lyre. • Sun passes through Leo (lion) as the Argo passes • through Scylla and Charybdis with the help of the • Nereids, which we see when the sun in Leo rises • in the morning. The Hyades represent the Nereids. • 18. Sun passes through Virgo (Circe the enchantress).

31. Sun enters Libra, the scales, representing the • wedding of Jason and Medea. A golden horse • (Pegasus) rises from the sea carrying three • goddesses (Andromeda and Cassiopeia). • Sun arrives in Scorpio, which depicts the Argonauts’ • trek through the Lybian desert, where one of the • crew was killed by a scorpion. This is represented • by Orion setting in the west as Scorpio rises in the • east. • The sun arrives at its starting point, and the Argo • has returned home.

32. Medea Jason leaves Medea to marry a princess. Much mayhem ensues.