November 3

Jason & the Argonauts

“No ship that ever yet came to these rocks has got away again, but the waves and whirlwinds of fire are freighted with wreckage and with the bodies of dead men. The only vessel that ever sailed and got through, was the famous Argo on her way from the house of Aëtes, and she too would have gone against these great rocks, only that Hera piloted her past them for the love she bore to Jason.” (Homer, Odyssey)

Colchis

JasonThessaly

IolcusCorinthSon of Aeson and

PheresRelated to SisyphusHera and Athena

Family

Escape of Phrixus and HelleAthamas +

NephelePhrixus and HeleIno (stepmother)

Golden RamHellespont

Phrixus arrives at Colchis

King AeëtesSon of Helios

Golden FleeceRam sacrificed, and

given to AeëtesGuarded by serpent-

dragon

Pelias & AesonJason brought up in secret by Chiron

centaur, tutor of AsclepiusJason returns 20 years laterProphesy of man with one sandal

Carries “Hera” across riverPelias promises to yield the thrown if…

Jason’s One Sandal

MinyaeMinyae

Thessaly and Miletus (Western Turkey)

Crew of ArgoArgo-nautes

Greek colonizationBlack Sea

Most famous version of story:Apollonius of Rhodes

(3rd Century BCE)

The ArgonautsJasonCastor and PolluxOrpheusPeleus

Father of AchillesTelamon

Father of AjaxAugeas

King of Elis

MeleagerArcadia

Idmonseer

Zetes and CallaïsWinged sons of

BoreasHeracles

Hylas

Queen HypsipyleOnly women

Cursed by Aphrodite with uglinessThracian prostitutes; murder by wives

Argonauts stay there for a year, and have many childrenparallels?

Jason has twin sons by HypsipyleEuneus and Thoas

Island of Lemnos

Immediately before Bosporus Strait (Istanbul)Argo puts ashore

Heracles’ broken oarHylas gets lost nereids

Expedition loses Heraclessearches for Hylas

Cyzicus/Cios

The Argonauts and Hylas

AmycusBebrykes tribe

Chief Amycuscompels

visitors to have a boxing match

Polydeuces (Pollux) defeats and kills him

Symplegades

PhineusPhineus

Blind prophetharpies

Zetes and CalaïsPhineus foretells

the rest of the journey

Three Labours of JasonArgo arrives at ColchisKing Aeëtes agrees to give Jason the fleece, if

he first…1. yokes a pair of fire-breathing, brazen-footed

bulls2. plows a field and sows it with dragon’s teeth3. Fights the armed men which spring up

Princess Medeayoungest daughter of AeëtesPriestess of Hecate, skilled in magicfalls in love with Jason (Aphrodite)

“And she says to herself, “But why should I cry out to the gods to save him from such suffering, when, by my actions and my power, I myself may shield him from all such evils? Such a decision would wreck the kingdom of my father, and through me the wily stranger would escape from him, and spreading to the wind his sails he would forget and leave me to my fate. Oh, if he should forget my sacrifice, and prefer those who neglected him, let him then perish in his treachery! But these are idle thoughts: his bearing reveals innate nobility and grace, that should dispel all fear of treachery, and guarantee his ever-faithful heart.”

Medea falls in love: CP 86

Medea’s HelpSpecial ointment for

bullshint of the stones for

the warriorsMagic herbs for

serpent-dragon

Jason and Medea in GreecePelias refuses to give throne to Jason

Medea demonstrates power by rejuvenating Jason’s father, Aeson

Daughters of Pelias request same treatment for father

Pelias killed Jason and Medea flee south to Corinthchildren of Jason and Medea

Jason’s new marriageEuripides’ Medeaabandons Medea to marry Glauce of Corinth

Death of the Children

Old tale (known even by Homer)Prelude to Odysseus’ journey

Reflects Greek attitudes towards geography and the East

Hero overcoming labours to secure birthrightlabours are accomplished, destruction awaits

heromale “hero quest”Fate of female hero family vs “husband”

Important Aspects of Jason and the Argonauts