Jason
From Iolcus set
forth the Argonauts
a generation before
Homer's heroes to Troy
Referred to in Homer
Best sources:
Apollonius
of Rhodes (3rd BC)
Hellenistic taste
for obscure and baroque
Summarized in Ps-Apollodorus,
G1-G5
Jason's
later life: Euripides: Medea:
The
Golden Fleece
(see Hyginus, 1-3)
Aeolus’ son: Athamas
+ Nephele:
two kids: Phrixus and Helle
Gets
new wife: Ino (daughter of Cadmus; nurse to Dionysus)
jealous of stepkids—plots to have
them killed
Destroys
the seeds, crops fail
pretends to go to oracle--”kill your son”
kids climb onboard and are flown away
Helle falls off into the Hellespont
Lands
in Colchis,
ruled by King Aeetes
Phrixus sacrifices ram to
Zeus
gives fleece to King,
who hangs it up on a tree
guarded by a dragon
Jason
and the Argonauts
Largest
ship thus far—built by Argus
its prow has a magic talking beam,
cut from Zeus' oracular oak
The
Argonauts (best of the best, pre-Troy):
o
Heracles
o
Theseus
o
Orpheus
o
Castor and Polyduces*
(imm) (Pollux)
§ sons
of Zeus
§ “Dioscuri”
§ brothers
of Helen of Troy
o
Boreads (Zetes and Calais)--winged
o
Telamon
(father of Ajax)
o
Peleus (father of Achilles)
o
Meleager
(brother of Deianira; hero of Boar hunt)
o
Admetus
(husband of Aclestis—helped by Heracles)
o
Augeas (stabler)
o
Tiphys—helmsman
o
Idmon
(seer)
o
Argus
To
the Black Sea!
Adventures—the Hellenistic love this stuff
Apollonius of Rhodes (3rd BC) Argonautica
Apollodorus sums it up for us:
Lemnos and sex-starved
women
Doliones: fight hosts
Heracles and boyfriend Hylas
(see Apollodorus on sources)
Zetes
and Calias, smash! Boreads
How to avoid Symplegades
Arrive at Colchis
Medea,
daughter of King Aeetes falls in love
·
Fire
breathing bull
·
Plow
·
Sow
dragon teeth
·
Fight
the warriors
Not generally eaten
Snatch and flee
Kill Medea’s brother
Have to kill robot Talos
See Apollodorus,
p. 29
RETURN
Post
Journey
Jason
and Medea in Corinth
Most fully told in Euripides, Medea 431BC
Medea complains of women's lot
