This story is one of the longest and most complex Greek myths as it includes the interventions of numerous protagonists, heroes and goddesses.
Jason was the son of the late King of Iolcos Aeson, who was overthrown by his treacherous brother Pelias. Only a baby at that time Jason escaped death after his mother managed to send him to the wise centaur Chiron and pretended that he was dead as a stillborn.
Pelias knew by the Oracle that there was a threat from his own blood on his throne and that the threat will come from a man who will enter his city with only one sandal.
Years later, the grown-up Jason decided to claim his kingdom. On his way, he saw a frail old poor woman, hesitant how to cross a tumultuous river. Jason immediately proposed his help and carried her across the river. At one point he stumbled and lost one of his sandal. The old woman thanked him profusely but guess who she was?
It was the Queen of the gods, the terrible Hera, who decided at that moment to support Jason, as she loathed Pelias who had disrespected one of her temple in the past. But Hera never forgot anything, or forgave any offence.
So unaware of the prophecy made to Pelias, Jason entered the city of Iolcos with only one sandal and was immediately taken as a prisoner to Pelias.
Jason confronted Pelias, who demanded him to steal the legendary Golden Fleece in exchange for making him his heir instead of his own boy . The Golden Fleece was kept far, far away, at the eastern edge of the known world and guarded by a monstrous serpent that never closed his eyes. Though the task was considered as impossible, Jason agreed.
The Golden Fleece
The Golden Fleece came from a winged ram originally belonging to the god Hermes.
The ram was sent by the goddess Nephele to rescue her children Phrixos and Helle when their devilish step mother Ino persuaded the citizens of Thebes to sacrifice them. Saved just in time, the ram flew off over the sea with Phrixos and Helle. Unfortunately, during the flight, Helle fell off the ram into the sea and the place she landed — the modern straits of the Dardanelles — was thereafter called the Hellespont.
Phrixos, however, was safely taken to Colchis on the Black Sea and he sacrificed the ram in homage to the gods. He then placed its golden fleece in the sacred grove of the god Ares where a fearsome serpent was to guard it without any rest.
The Argonauts
To find and bring back the fleece to Greece , Jason assembled the most extraordinary crew of 50 legendary heroes.
Every hero wanted to participate to such a glorious quest, which everyone knew would be celebrated in the whole Hellenistic world.
The dream team included :
- Heracles , the strongest hero, with his page Hylas,
- Orpheus, the enchanter, the one who could charm any one, gods included with the power of his lyre, who was heartbroken after failing to bring back Euridyce from the Underworld.
- Peleus (father of the great Greek warriors Teucer and Ajax in the Trojan War )
- Telamon, Peleus’brother and by his mariage with the Thetis father of Achilles, the most admired hero in Ancient Greece.
- Meleager,
- Castor and Polydeuces (Pollux ) — to be the Gemini.
- Idmon, a mortal son of Apollo,
- Tithys,
- Pirithous,
- Philoctetes
- 2 kings to be Augeas ( the one with filthy stables) and Antaeus,
- the already wise Nestor of Pylas (who will later be the advisor of the Greeks in the Trojan War),
- Calais and Zetes, sons of the North Wind Boreas, who could fly.
- Euphemus, a son of Poseidon who could walk on water.
These are the names that are still thousands of years later learned proving that their quest for glory was a success.
The Argo
The ship, reportedly the first Greek long ship, was named after its maker Argos
Jason commissioned the shipwright Argos to construct the best ship ever built.
Athena who was touched by Jason fearlessness decided to help by giving a plank of sacred oak wood with the power of speech, taken from the sanctuary of Zeus at the holy place of Dodoma.
It was used for the prow which was carved figuring Hera.
Never was a ship so well constructed.
On completion, the vessel was named the Argo and blessed by none other than Hera, Queen of the Greek Gods. Hera, at that point, proudly considered Jason as her personal champion as she wanted Pelias, the usurper to be defeated.
The Argo could carry 50 oarsmen and Jason filled the boat with an all-star crew of Greek heroes.
The Argonauts encountered many mythical obstacles on their way to and from Colchis. These include murderous wives, sirens, giants, harpies, clashing rocks and crimes.
Finally, at their destination, in Colchis , on the eastern end of the Black Sea. Aeetes, the clever and cunning ruler accepted to give them back the fleece if they accomplished 3 tasks which were all deemed as impossible. He thought that it would be the best way to keep the Golden Fleece and to get rid of these impossible heroes.
The 3 tasks were :
1- to plough a field using two fire-breathing bulls
2- to sow the teeth of a serpent in the field,
3- to fight the giants which will come out of the teeth.
But Aeetes did not think about the gods or more importantly the goddesses. To help Jason, Hera persuaded Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, to enchant Aeetes’ daughter, Medea, into falling passionately in love with Jason.
Medea was not only a beautiful princess , but also a sorceress, mastering dark forces. She was after all the niece of Circe, another mighty and dangerous sorceress.
Medea gave Jason a magic lotion to protect him from the fire-breathing bulls and told him to throw a stone amongst the giants so that they would slaughter each other.
Thanks to Medea, Jason completed the three tasks and claimed the fleece despite the fury of Aeetes, who tried to keep the fleece despite his initial agreement.
Jason with Medea and the Argonauts had to fled hurriedly but they had captured the Golden Fleece and were taking it back to Greece. The quest was a success.
An Unhappy End
Sadly the rest of the life of Jason was not going to be a similar success, quite the opposite.
Jason and Medea should have live happily ever after as the king and queen of Iolcus. But Jason was reckless and ambitious. He decided to strengthen political ties with Corinth by marrying the daughter of the king. He betrayed Medea
Moreover by breaking his vow of love to Medea, Jason permanently lost the favour of Hera, who was the Goddess of Matrimony.
Driven crazy by this shocking betrayal ,Medea who had abandoned her family her country and even killed her own brother for Jason, killed the Corinthian princess with a cursed, flaming dress. Before fleeing in a magical chariot, she also killed her own two sons.
As for Jason, he survived Medea’s revenge for unscathed.
He ultimately died lonely regretful and unhappy. While sleeping under the rotting remains of the Argo, the stern fell on him, crushing the aged broken hero to death.
By being so self absorbed Jason had brought terrible fate on his wives and children.
Still his quest was the first of the genre and made generations and generations dreaming about the bravery and the courage of these immortal heroes.