16 – Jason, Medea, and the Argonauts

The Golden Fleece

  • Athamas and Nephele
  • Athamas x Ino (Cadmus x Harmonia) à Learchus and Melicertes, step mother to Phrixus and Helle.
  • Ino’s jealousy – To make Athamas prefer her sons over Nephele’s sons. She decides to parch the seed grain, famine ensues. Athamas sends convoy to the Delphic oracle. Ino intercedes, goes to the envoys and bribes them, to bring back a false oracle, one that Ino has invented. In order relieve the kingdom of the famine, Athamas must sacrifice oldest son Phrixus. Nephele, watching from above (cloud), rescues her children. Consults with Hermes, brings to Phrixus and Helle a ram with a golden fleece, and ability to fly.
    • Parched seed grain à famine
    • Delphic oracle
    • Nephele’s intervention
    • Flight of Phrixus and Helle – Hermes advises to mount ram, fly away. The ram flies towards the east, while in the strights of Europe and Asia, Black sea. Helle falls off the ram and into the water, which is called Hellespont  (helle’s sea). Phrixus stays on, reaches Colchis, far eastern edge of the black sea. He dismounts from the ram and sacrifices it to Zeus Phyxios (escapes), makes friends with the king of the city, Aeetes, given the fleece, taken to garden dedicated to Ares, hung in a tree, garded by a serpent that never sleeps.
      • Hellespont
      • Colchis
      • Zeus Phyxios, grove of Ares, guarded by serpent

Jason and Pelias

  • Cretcheus of Iolcus
  • Aeson of Iolcus
  • Pelias’ usurpation – usurped kingdom from Aeson. receives oracle that says he will be killed by an Iolid. Hera is angry.
  • Chiron and Philyra – killed in Hera’s temple. Youngest son Jason, goes to Chiron and Philyra. When he comes of age, goes back to Iolcus.
  • Hera’s anger – in her anger for Aeson interferes with the events. Hera sends to Pelias to be ware a man with one sandal.  Jason comes to river Anarus, Hera comes to earth as an old woman. Offers to carry her across, puts her down on the other side, she turns back into Hera and promises to be with him whenever he needs her. He lost a sandal while crossing the river. Received by Pelias when he gets to Iolcus, here to reclaim fathers kingdom, notices sandal missing. Pelias tells Jason he can have the kingdom if he brings to Pelias the golden fleece of Phrixus.
    • Beware the man with one sandal
    • Crossing the river Anaurus
    • The quest for the Golden Fleece

Motifs of a Quest

  • Elements of extraordinary linked to hero’s birth and childhood
  • Hero faces opposition from beginning and must prove worth by surmounting challenges
  • Enemies instigate achievement
  • Hero helped by at least one ally, divine or human
  • Hero faces apparently unsuperable obstacles, often labors or a quest
  • Adventurous conflicts with opponents present physical, sexual and spiritual

The Argonauts

  • Argus (son of Arestor) à the Argo – the first boat built by the Greeks.
    • Athena – gives Argus a piece of Oak, sacred grove of Zues, where he has shrine at Dodona. Has powers, can speak.
    • Zeus’ shrine at Dodona
      • Crew at boarding – the board greets them
      • Zeus’ anger at killing Absyrtus – speaks again
      • Argonauts (usually 50)
        • Heroes of Thessaly (Jason)
        • Heroes of Peloponnese (Augeas)
        • Heroes of Calydonian Boar Hunt (Meleager)
        • Fathers of heroes of Trojan War 9 Peleus, Telamon, Oileus, Nauplius)
        • Heroes with special powers (idmon and Mopsus – seers, Castor – horseman and Polydeuces – wrestler,Idas and Lynceus – eyesight, periclymenus – shapeshifter, Euphemus – runner, Zetes and Calais – sons of north wind can fly, Argus – built the boat, Tiphys – helmsman
        • Orpheus – seer, a later development in Mythology
        • Heracles

The Voyage to Colchis

  • Hypsipyle and the Lemnian Women – ruled by women, ruled by Hypsiple. Decided they didn’t want to honor Aphrodite, avenged herself by giving them unattractive smell. Their husbands went to Thrace, found concubines. Lemnian woman angry, killed all of their husbands, only one man remained, Thoas, saved because Hypsipyle made herself queen and hid him away. When Jason and the Argonauts show up, they refuse to show them harbor, but could land if they promise to have sex with them. Stayed for a year, took off on the Argo. Hypsipyle’s hiding her father discovered, sent into exile. Thoas swept by Artemis, took him to the land of the Taurians, made priest.
    • Aphrodite’s anger at the Lemnian women
    • Thaos
    • One year stay
    • Jason x Hypsipyle à Eunes and Thoas/ Nebrophonus
    • Hypsipyle’s deception discovered.
    • Samothrace
      • Mysteries – initiated into the cult at Samothrace at recommendation of Orpheus.
      • Cyzicus and the Doliones  – next stop is Cyzicus, inhabited by the Doliones and king Cyzicus. Recieves with hospitality. There are giants above the city, the Argonauts help them, Heracles shoots many of them. Set off again, at night a storm drives them back to the shroes at Cyzicus, don’t realize who they are, the Doliones don’t know either. They fight, Cyzicus is killed. In the morning they realize what has happened, give proper burial.
        • Help against the Gegeneis
        • Death of Cyzicus
        • Cios – island for supplies or possibly an oar. Heracles separated from friend Hylas. When time to go, Heracles returns, but Hylas does not. Hylas was abducted, found a spring, pulled into the spring by the nymphs. Heracles stays searching for Hylas
          • Hylas and Heracles
          • The Bebryces – fierce people, force any stranger who lands on their shores to wrestles with their king Amycus. Polydueces, son of Zeus, wins. Bebryces then attack the ring, and the Argonauts fight against them, Amecus is killed by Polydeuces.
            • Amycus
            • Polydeuces
            • Salmydessus – near entry to Black Sea. A blind seer is king, named Phineus, married to Cleopatra. Jason and the Argonauts need his advice. Phineus is beset by the Harpies (storm winds). Have bad habit of stealing food or defecate upon. Sent as punishment to Phineus. Argonauts must get rid of them before gives advice. Jason calls upon Zetes and Calais, flyers, chase them back to small group of islands called the Strophades. A god intervines, Iris, promised that they will not return. Zetes and Calais return without Harpies. Phineus gives information. Tells hima bout the route he will have to take, in particular one of the worst obstacles, the clashing rocks. Tells them how to pass.
              • Phineus
              • Harpies
              • Zetes and Calais
              • Strophades
              • Phineus’ aid
              • Symplegades – smashing rocks. Send a dove first, if the dove managed to get through, but as soon as they began to part again, row as fast as he can. Almost completely unscathed, Her or Athena pushes the Argo through so that it only just catches the back of the ship.
                • Dove
                • Help of Hera/Athena
                • Voyage through the Eucine sea – Black sea.
                  • Mariandyni and Lycus – another tribe, the Mariandyni and king Lycus, hospitably entertained,
                  • Death of Idmon – goared by a boar, seer
                  • Death of Tiphys; Ancaeus replaces  – helmsman Tiphys dies by diseas, replaced by Ancaeus.
                  • Pass Amazons and Chalybes – don’t go to Amazons or Chalybes (iron workers, large, warlike)
                  • Island of Ares –
                    • Stymphalian birds – Heracles had rid from Greece, now live on island of Ares. Jason orders to men to clash their shields, make noise, scares the birds away.
                    • Sons of Phrixus – four young men come out of hiding. Had been sent by father to voyage to Greece, suffered a shipwreck. Ask for passage back to Colchis, in return for guidance
                    • Aeetes tasks for Jason – Aeetes does not want to give the fleece up. Imposes 3 tasks.
                      • Yoke bulls – fire breathing bulls, gifts from Haephestus,
                      • Plow field and sow teeth – with the bulls, plant the teeth of the dragon that Cadmus killed when he founded Thebes. Athena had given Aeetes some of the teeth.
                      • Kill the men that sprang up – armed men spring up from the ground, kill them all.
                      • Medea’s role – Hera and Aphrodite there to help. Medea falls in love with Jason, learns of his reluctance, helps, gives him ointment protects against from fire and iron. Yokes bulls, plants teeth, takes a boulder and throws it in their midst, they fight against themselves, kill each other. Aeetes is worried, planning to attack Jason and the Argonauts at their ship. Medea learns of father’s plan, tells Jason. Jason will take her with him to obtain the fleece. They go to the grove of Ares, wakeful serpant with a  crest, three tongues, sharp teeth. Medea gives drugged caked to give to the serpent. Grabs the fleece, gets on the ship etc.
                        • Hera and Aphrodite
                        • Aid to Jason
                        • Jasson wins the fleece – Aeetes notices the fleece is missing, sends men in persuit of Jason and medea
                        • Persuit of the Colchians of Absyrtus – brother of Medea, Absyrtus has been abducted by older sister, in order to slow them down, kills him chops him up  and throws him into the sea. The Colchians must stop and pick him up.
                          • Death of Absyrtus
                          • Rout of Apollonius
                            • Euxine  (black sea) àDanube à head of Adriatic à mythical river Eridanus à Rhone river à Mediterranean (W Italy)
                            • Circe – put in at Aeaea, somewhere near Naples, Circe is Medea’s aunt. Ask for purification for death of Absytrus, she does.
                              • Purification
  • The Planctae, Scylla and Charybdis, the Sirens – Head to the clashing rocks, etc.
  • Phaeacians- Scheria, want to put in, Alkinoos and Arete refuse hospitality unless they marry. They are married.
    • Alcinous and Arete
    • Marriage of Jason and Medea
  • Voyage to Libya –
    • Syrtes – vast shoals on coast of Lybia.
    • Portage to Lake Tirtonis
    • Triton aids – in getting Argo from the lake to the Mediteranean.
  • Talus – Travel to Crete, put in at island garded by bronze guant named Talus, invulnerable except a bad ankle, a membrane that is weak and notbronze. Put by gods as guardian for the island, walks around 3 times a day, throws rocks at them to drive them off. Jason finds the weak point, kills him with a  spear.
  • Iolcus – dismisses all of the sailors, takes the fleece to Pelias. When he shoes up, he says thanks, but sorry no kingdom. Enrages Jason, but also Medea. Argo off to Corinth, Medea comes up with a plan for dealing with Pelias, takes the daughters of Pelias, calls them and tells them to watch what she can do. Kills a ram, boiling cauldron of water with herbs, a new baby lamb crawls out. I can make the old young again. Let’s try it on Dad. They kill their father,cut him up put him in cauldron, but they don’t have the magic herbs. Dad soup. They go to brother Acastus for help. Acastus confronts Jason and Medea, exiles them under blood guilt.
    • Pelias reneges
    • Argo dedicated at Corinth
    • Death of Pelias
    • Medea’s connections to Corinth – they head to Corinth
      • Helius’ gift to Aeetes of Ephyra
      • Summoned as queen – sought ruler decended from Aeetes.
      • Connection to Hera – associated also with Corinth, large temple. Paitroness of Jason.
        • Cult of children – associated with children of Medea. Took children to temple of Hera and locked them in, before she could free them, they had died.
        • Euripides’ Medea – Jason and Medea arrive in Corinth as sanctuary and purification. Jason has become complacent. Jason worried that he won’t become a king. King of Corinth, Creon, has offered to Jason a marriage with his daughter Glauce. Jason has repudiated his marriage with Medea, and agreed to marry Glauce. To ensure Medea won’t muddy the waters, Medea and her sons must go into exile (Creon says so). She lost home land on his behalf, killed Pelias, has two children with him. Now he is going to marry a younger woman, greek princess. Medea meets with Creon and arranges so that Creon will give her time before she has to go into exile. Her friend Aegeus is returning from Delphic oracle, Medea tells him she can help him (about childlessness) if he accepts her when she comes to Athens. Sends wedding gifts treated with ointment, caustic burns human skin. Glauce bursts into flames. Creon tries to pull the clothing off, sticks to her skin, and then his, he bursts into flames as well. The palace is in flames, Creon and Glauce are killed. When the people of Corinth hear about the lethal gifts the children had brought. Medea hears what has happened to Glauce, Jason shows up wanting to take the children, town wants to kill the kids. Medea kills the children in front of his eyes. Jason asks why, she says that she knew it would hurt him the most, die alone and unmourned. Medea escapes riding chariot pulled by dragons (from Helius). Jason wanders Corinth, a lose puiece of the Argo falls and kills him.
          • Creon
          • Glauce/ Creusa
          • Medea’s exile
          • Visit of Aegeus
          • Lethal wedding gifts
          • Murder of children
          • Escape to Athens
            • Chariot of Helius
  • Death of Jason
  • Medea in Athens – takes up with Aegeus, produce Medus. Theseus is crossed by Medea, attempts to kill him, but Aegeus saves his son, Medea fleas to Media. At some point returns to Colchis.
    • Aegeus x Medea à Medus
    • Arrival of Theseus (Aegeus x Aithra, daughter of Pittheus of Troezen
    • Flight to Persia à Media
    • Return to Colchis

Interpretation

  • In literature
    • Homer
    • Corinthian poet Eumelos (8th C)
    • Apollonius of Rhodes (3rd C)
    • Ovid, Valerius Flaccus, Statius’ Thebaid, Euripides
    • The hero’s quest
      • Propp’s model (see p. 402)
      • Earliest stages of Greek mythology
      • Reflection of colonization (8th C onward)
      • Folktale elements

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