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One of the most interesting myths from ancient Greek mythology is that of Jason and the Argonauts. The story took place in the era before the Trojan War. As was the theme of a lot of myths during the time, the story was a hero quest that started with a betrayal.
Aeson, the Greek King of Iolcus, is killed by his half brother, Pelias who then takes the throne. Due to this treachery, he was warned by an Oracle that a descendant of Aeson wearing only one sandal would seek revenge against him.
Aeson had a son named Jason. When he was usurped by his brother, Jason who was taken by his mother to Cheiron who hides him from his uncle and raises him.
At the age of 20, now fully grown, Jason journeys back to Iolcus to see Pelias and reclaim his rightful place as the King of Iolcus. On his way, he passes a river where the Goddess Hera, disguised as an old woman, requests his help to cross the river. While he is assisting her, one of his sandals falls into the river, forcing him to appear in front of Pelias with only one sandal. This reminds Pelias of the prophecy.
Being the crafty man that he is, Pelias does not dismiss Jason's claim to the throne instantly. Rather, he sets before him an impossible task. If Jason is able to retrieve the Golden Fleece from Colchis, land at the edge of the known world, Pelias will honour his claim and give up the throne of Iolcus.
The Golden Fleece itself had a connection to Jason that dated back to his ancestor, Phrixus. The God Zeus had gifted a golden ram to Phrixus who flew on the back of the ram from Greece to Colchis. When he saw the golden ram, Aietes, the King of Colchis, was reminded of a prophecy that foretold that if the golden fleece was taken from him, he would lose his kingdom. So he sacrificed the golden ram and hung its fleece in a sacred grove, guarded by a dragon.
Determined to reclaim his throne, Jason agreed to this task and set out to retrieve the fleece. For his journey, Jason recruits 50 of the best warriors and heroes of Greece, including Hercules and Orpheus, and they set sail on the ship called Argo.
Argo was the name of the ship that Jason and his companions set sail on. It was after this that these voyagers were called 'the Argonauts' and their journey as 'the Argonautica'.
On their journey, the Argonauts stop at the Greek Isle of Lemnos, populated only by women. Unknown to the voyagers, the women had murdered their husbands and now use the arrival of the Argonauts to repopulate their island.
Another arduous step in their journey is the Straits of Bosphorus which were the edge of the known world for ancient Greeks. It was said that the clashing rocks protected the straits and would smash any passing ship. Guided by the wisdom of a blind prophet, Jason manages to pass this hurdle by sending a bird before his ship sailed through the straits. This way, they closed on the bird and when they reopened, the Argo passed through unharmed.
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[Jason bringing Pelias the Golden Fleece]
At last, when Jason arrives in Colchis, he asks King Aietes for the Golden Fleece as it had come from a ram that belonged to his ancestor. He also mentions that this was the wish of the Goddess Hera as well. Mindful of the prophecy and not wanting to part with the fleece, King Aietes also sets an impossible challenge in front of Jason - to plough the land with fire breathing bulls, then sow the land with dragon's teeth. He does not tell Jason that sowing the dragon's teeth will cause a warring army to rise from the ground and attack Jason.
Unbeknownst to King Aietes, his daughter, Medea, had taken a liking to Jason and offers to help him in exchange for marriage. With the help of Medea, who was a powerful sorceress, Jason is able to overcome the impossible task set by her father.
When he returns to reclaim the fleece, King Aietes invites him to take it if he can retrieve it from the guard dragon. Once again, Medea helps Jason by putting a spell on the dragon so that Jason can get the fleece from the tree where it hung.
Having retrieved the fleece, Jason, Medea, and the rest of the Argonauts start their journey back to Iolcus. To help escape the pursuit of her father, Medea kills her brother and scatters the pieces of his body in the sea which according to Greek custom of burial ensured that her father would be delayed. This angered the God Zeus and he threw many obstacles in the Argonauts' way which they faced courageously, and ultimately redeemed themselves.
Back in Iolcus, Jason hands over the fleece to Pelias and reclaims his throne. However, most Greek myths do not end on a joyous note. Similarly, Jason and Medea, despite reclaiming his birthright, are driven out of Iolcus by the people because they fear Medea's power as a sorceress. They seek refuge in Corinth where the King offers his daughter in marriage to Jason who agrees. Feeling betrayed, Medea kills the princess of Corinth and her own children and ascends to Mount Olympus.
Jason, having lost everything, goes back to Iolcus where the Argo is displayed. He sits on board the ship, weeping at his fate when a decaying beam falls over him and ends his life.
Today, researchers claim that gold found in Georgian streams indicate that this was the former Colchis, home of the Golden Fleece. But whether this is true or not cannot be verified, despite the best efforts of the historians, as little of the old lands survived the wear and tear of time.
