Jason and the Argonauts Read online

  Now that their escape route lay unimpeded, the Argonauts drew together with Medea and Jason to decide on how to proceed. Peleus argued that they must embark immediately and get away from the rest of the Colchians. They would not follow, he added, because without a leader the Colchians would fall out amongst themselves. The Argonauts took Peleus’s advice and rowed quickly but stealthily away until they reached the island of Electra near the River Eridanus. Peleus was wrong, however, because the enraged Colchians wanted to continue their mission and avenge their leader. Only Hera’s intervention with bolts of lightning prevented them from giving chase.

  Fearing Aeëtes’s wrath, and with nowhere else to go, the Colchians decided to stay in the lands surrounding them and disembarked. On the Argonauts sailed to the land of the Hylleans, with no idea of the Colchian drama left in their wake. Nor had they any clue about the trials an angry Zeus had planned for them.

  Divine Punishment

  The killing of Apsyrtus enraged Zeus, who proclaimed that the Argonauts could not return to Greece unpunished. They must instead seek the counsel of the sorceress Circe, who lived on the island of Aeaea, if they were to expunge the guilt of Jason’s terrible deed. The unwitting crew pushed on away from the Hyllean lands, and down to Corcyra. From there, the Argo sailed past Melite, with none of the crew realizing how endless their voyage promised to be if they did not go to Aeaea.

  Hera could not sit idly by, however; so she gathered a storm that sent the Argo spinning back to the island of Electra. Then Hera spoke to the Argonauts through the beam of the ship, which Athena had provided at the start of their quest. She told the thoroughly terrified Argonauts of Zeus’s fury at the murder of Apsyrtus. Hera then commanded Castor and Polydeuces to pray to the gods for a path through the Ausonian Sea and on to where Circe waited.

  Hera’s pronouncement stunned the Argonauts, but they had no option other than to follow her instructions. The twins therefore beseeched the gods for guidance, while the rest of the crew rigged the sail to continue the voyage. They sailed along a stream of the River Eridanus, which soon opened out into a deep, dark, foul-smelling lake of the same name. At the other end of the lake, the Argo drew into the River Rhodanus, which flowed into the Ionian and Sardinian seas, amongst others. The Argonauts cruised down the Rhodanus into the stormy lakes that linked up through the numerous lands of the Celts.

  At one point, the Argonauts grew confused about which way to go and nearly took a disastrous turn, only for Hera to head them off with an almighty screech that diverted the fearful Argonauts back to the correct path. Hera also surrounded the Argo with mist to ease its passage through the territory of the warlike Celts. Clearing that danger, the Argonauts reached the Stoechades islands, then navigated along the Tyrrhenian shores of Ausonia until they finally came to Aeaea.

  Circe

  Scarcely had the Argonauts secured their ship to the shore of Aeaea than they saw the sorceress washing her hair and clothes in the spray of the sea. Spellbound, they watched as Circe came toward them, trailed by a mass of shapeless monsters. She extended her hand and gestured for the warriors to follow her, but Jason ordered them to stay; only he and Medea would go to face whatever fate Circe had in mind for them. The couple walked calmly along the track left by Circe until they reached the sorceress’s hall. Circe was waiting, and ordered Jason and Medea to sit on brightly burnished seats by the hearth. Neither looked Circe in the eyes, Medea going so far as to hide her face in her hands, while Jason fixed his stare on his sword that he placed between himself and the sorceress.

  Another major source for the story of Jason and the Argonauts is the Orphic Argonautica, a poem, probably composed in the 4th century AD. This poem is narrated by Orpheus and places a much bigger emphasis on the deeds of the musician. (Ivy Close Images / Alamy)

  Circe immediately recognized the guilt of Jason and Medea, and began the rituals that would cleanse them of their crimes. She sacrificed a newborn piglet, and drizzled its blood on their hands while calling on Zeus to hear her prayer, then prepared drinks and cakes to appease the gods and keep the Furies away from the couple. With the ritual complete, Circe sat opposite Jason and Medea. Recognizing a kindred spirit in the younger sorceress, Circe asked them about their journey and why they had come to her island asking for help.

  Medea told almost the whole story, leaving out the murder of Apsyrtus, but Circe had already guessed at the hidden truth of Medea’s guilt. Circe chastised Medea for this shameful deed of which she would never approve, adding that Aeëtes would not rest in his thirst for revenge, even if that meant going to Greece. With that, Circe dismissed Medea from her presence, telling her to take Jason with her. Medea was inconsolable at Circe’s harangue, so it was left to Jason to take her hand and lead Medea away from Circe’s home.

  The couple picked their way back to the Argo, but their leaving Circe’s hall had been noted by Iris, a messenger of Hera, who quickly returned to the goddess to make her report.

  Hera had work to do if she was to help Jason reach his homeland safely. When Iris returned, Hera told her to ask Thetis, the water nymph, to come and see her, and then to tell Hephaestus, whose forge stood on a nearby beach, to hold off the blasts from his fires and let the Argo pass. From there, Iris was to ask Aeolus, ruler of the winds, to cease all winds except for the west wind, so that the Argonauts could reach the island of Alcinous unmolested. Iris sprang into action and delivered her messages. Hephaestus and Aeolus agreed to Hera’s requests, and Thetis soon arrived at Olympus, where Hera had specific instructions for her.

  Thetis listened while Hera told her of Jason’s voyage so far and how he would need more help to get through the trials still to come. The winds and fires of Hephaestus’s forge had already been taken care of, Hera continued, but she wanted Thetis and her sisters, the Nereids, to assist the Argo through the twin horrors of Scylla and Charybdis.

  Thetis readily acceded to Hera’s request, and dived into the sea to meet with her sisters. When she had explained the plan and sent them out to the Ausonian Sea to make ready, Thetis swam in the blink of an eye to where the Argonauts rested on the beach. She picked out Peleus, her husband, and silently touched his hand to draw his attention. Thetis spoke softly, telling Peleus that the Argo must sail at dawn, and that her sisters waited to guide the ship past Scylla and Charybdis, and then through the treacherous wandering rocks known as the Planctae. However, Peleus was to inform no one of her assistance when it happened. Thetis left as quickly and silently as she came, leaving a breathless Peleus to tell the crew to be ready to sail at dawn.

  Orpheus saves (most) of the Argonaunts from the deadly song of the Sirens.

  Sirens

  It was with renewed vigour that the Argonauts brought their ship to readiness the next morning. They drew up the anchor, cast off the hawsers, and ran up the sail just in time for the west wind to spring up and pull it taught along the crossbeam. The Argo made good time, and the Argonauts soon arrived off the island of Anthemoessa, where a strange beguiling song greeted them across the waves.

  This was the island of the Sirens, the daughters of the river god Achelous, who bewitched unwary sailors to wreck their ships on the rocks surrounding the island. The Argonauts were set to be the latest victims of the siren song when Orpheus, realizing the terrible danger they were in, sang a melody that brought his shipmates to their senses. In the nick of time, the Argonauts pulled the Argo away to the west; too late for Butes, however, who was overcome by the siren song and jumped overboard to swim ashore. There was nothing the distraught Argonauts could do to save their young shipmate, however, so they sailed on in silence.

  Scylla and Charybdis

  The Argonauts had little time to reflect on their loss because looming ahead, in a narrow strait, lay the twin perils of Scylla and Charybdis. On one side of the strait, the smooth rock face of Scylla promised to shatter ships that came too close; on the other side, the whirlpool Charybdis sucked into the abyss anything nearing its deadly maw.

  Smok
e and fog, illuminated by bursts of fire from nearby mountains, filled the dreadful scene in front of the Argo, making certain navigation impossible. Just when the Argo set off, however, Thetis and the Nereids rose to the surface to help guide the ship. Thetis grabbed hold of the rudder blade and began to steer the Argo, while the Nereids circled around, raising the spirits of the beleaguered Argonauts.

  With the help of Thetis and the Nereids, the Argo forged a path between the twin hazards, and on towards the Planctae beyond. The Nereids kept the wandering rocks away from the hull as the ship navigated the treacherous waters until, finally, the ship was through and again heading west. Hera looked on, overjoyed, and hugged Athena when the danger had passed. Jason and his hugely relieved Argonauts celebrated too, and the Argo sailed on.

  The Argo squeezes through the wandering rocks. (Mary Evans Picture Library / Alamy)

  Return of the Colchians

  The Argonauts soon sailed into the Ionian gulf and came to the island of Drepane, where Alcinous, King of the Phaeacians, and his queen Arete prepared a welcome as if the Argonauts were their own sons returning from a dangerous adventure. Jason’s crew revelled in the celebrations, but their joy was cut short by the arrival of a new Colchian army intent on seizing Medea. Alcinous moved quickly between the two sides, hoping to prevent all-out war on his island. Medea, meanwhile, begged Arete to protect her and not hand her over to the horrible fate she expected at the hands of Aeëtes.

  Turning to the Argonauts, Medea reminded them of everything she had lost so that they could capture the Fleece and return safely to their families, and that if they betrayed her now they should live in fear of the gods for the rest of their lives. The warriors drew their swords and brandished spears and swore to protect Medea, but darkness fell before either side came to blows. All slept, except Medea who fretted long into the night.

  Alcinous and his queen also had trouble sleeping. They lay in the dark, discussing how to deal with Medea. Arete pleaded with her husband to save Medea, partly on the prudent grounds that the Argonauts lived closer than the Colchians and it would be easier for them to exact their revenge, and partly because of Medea’s begging Arete for help. Moreover, she added, Jason was committed to marrying Medea and that was a better fate than the vengeance of her father. Alcinous in reply pointed out that Aeëtes was a great warlord and quite capable of attacking the Greeks. If Medea was still a virgin, he continued, she must be sent back to her father, but if she was married or pregnant then she should stay with her husband. Having made his decision, the king rolled over to sleep.

  Arete lay awake a little longer before rising to quietly summon a messenger to go to Jason and tell him that he must marry Medea immediately.

  Arete’s herald reached Jason, who was surrounded by watchful Argonauts wearing full armour. The warriors rejoiced when they heard the herald’s story, and quickly set about organizing the sacrifices necessary for a successful wedding. Some of them took the Fleece to a sacred cave nearby and laid it out to make a splendid wedding bed. Nymphs sent by Hera brought garlands of flowers to spread around the cave. Finally, the nymphs unrolled fine linen to complete the marriage bed. The Argonauts took up defensive positions at the cave’s entrance and Orpheus began to play the marriage song. Jason and Medea arrived soon after, and became man and wife, but even in their happiness they feared the judgement of Alcinous.

  Dawn broke the next morning with all parties already awake in anticipation of the drama to come. Alcinous left the city carrying his golden staff of justice, accompanied by his army in full war panoply. Crowds gathered along the way, brought out by the news spread around the island by Hera, and the air crackled with tension. Some of the Phaeacian men sacrificed a sheep and cow, while women brought linen and gold ornaments for the newlyweds. The nymphs danced and sang in honour of Hera.

  JASON AND THE MOVIES

  The story of Jason and the Argonauts has been dramatized twice in the modern era. The first effort came in 1963 when director Don Chaffey and renowned special effects creator Ray Harryhausen combined to make a movie starring Todd Armstrong as Jason and Nancy Kovack as Medea. The movie was neither a hit nor failure at the box office but, primarily as a result of Harryhausen’s spectacular stop-motion animation, it has since become the most popular and readily identifiable rendition of the Golden Fleece story.

  There are a number of significant differences, however, between the movie and the classical version as told by Apollonius. The most notable are the enhanced role of Talos and his relocation in the narrative, and the dragon’s teeth soldiers who become skeletons in the movie and chase Jason across the landscape rather than fight amongst themselves when Jason throws the rock into their midst.

  The second movie version was the lavish 2000 made-for-television movie starring Jason London as Jason and Jolene Blalock as Medea. The movie was directed by Nick Willing and featured CGI special effects for the monsters. This version is more faithful to the original legend and incorporates elements of Valerius Flaccus’s retelling, including the fight with the sea monster and the inclusion of Atalanta in the crew; although her efforts to seduce Jason are a modern inclusion, as is the killing of Pelias that concludes the movie.

  The recent video game, Rise of the Argonauts, departs further from the myth, with the Fleece being sought to heal Jason’s dying wife.

  Jason (Jason London) and Medea (Jolene Blalock) in the 2000 made-for-television film. (AF archive / Alamy)

  Alcinous had heard of the marriage and kept to his word that Medea would not be returned to the Colchians. Like their counterparts before them, the Colchians dreaded returning to face Aeëtes. They begged Alcinous to let them stay on the island as Phaeacians, to which he agreed. Turning to the Argonauts, the king wished them a successful voyage home, and gave them many gifts, including twelve handmaidens to serve Medea. A week after their arrival, the Argonauts sailed away from Drepane on a fresh breeze, hoping their next stop would be home. Their destination was not Greece, however, but Libya.

  THE ENDLESS DESERT

  The Argo sped on with full sail, past the land of the Curetes, through the Echinades islands, and on to the land of Pelops. Then a north wind blew up to tug the ship towards the Libyan Sea. For nine days and nights the Argonauts fought against the storm’s inexorable force, but could not stop the Argo from being pulled deeper into the Gulf of Syrtis. Once in the gulf, there was no way out because of the shifting, sandy shoals and impenetrable beds of seaweed. Ahead lay the hostile, desolate Libyan desert, and it was on to that shore that the Argo came to rest.

  The Argonauts climbed down from the decks and looked round in dismay bordering on outright despair. Search parties sent along the beach to find a way out returned with no hope for the desperate crew. When darkness fell, the Argonauts rolled into their blankets, fearing they might be dead by morning, while Medea and her handmaidens wailed laments deep into the night. Fortunately, the nymphs of the desert took pity on the abandoned sailors.

  Jason was lying with his cloak over his head when the nymphs appeared beside him. One pulled his cloak off and chastised Jason for abandoning hope. She assured him that he would get back to Greece if he paid attention to a significant omen that was about to happen. The nymphs vanished before he could reply, but Jason felt renewed and quickly roused his shipmates. The downcast Argonauts gathered round to hear Jason speak. He told them of the nymphs and their cryptic message. Then, just as Jason finished, a huge horse rose out of the surf, shook out the spray from its golden mane, and galloped off into the sands.

  Peleus understood immediately the meaning of this incredible event, and shouted to the Argonauts that they must carry the ship on their shoulders through the desert, following the hoof-prints of the magical horse. The warriors sprang into action, preparing the Argo for her new voyage, then hoisted her on their shoulders.

  The Argonauts marched across the blistering desert for twelve days and nights, until they came to the Tritonian Lake. They did not stop, but strode in until the waters buoye
d the Argo, and only then did the Argonauts release their burden. The starving and thirsty sailors could not rest, however, because they needed to hunt for food and water. They set off along the shore, where they arrived at the garden of Atlas with its golden apple trees.

  Talos, the bronze man, from the 1963 movie. (Moviestore collection Ltd / Alamy)

  The Argonauts saw nymphs, the Hesperides, in among the trees, dancing and chanting songs, but when they approached the nymphs dissolved into the earth. Orpheus called on them to come back and show the Argonauts where they could find a spring. The nymphs returned out of the ground in the guise of trees. One of them, Aegle, spoke, accusing the Argonauts of bringing Heracles with them. She continued that Heracles had visited the garden the previous day, killed their guardian serpent, and then smashed a rock to create the spring to which she pointed.

  The strangeness of the nymph’s story did not deter the Argonauts from flocking to the spring and slaking their thirst, though some hoped that they might meet Heracles again on their way home. After gorging themselves on fresh water, the Argonauts split up to search for Heracles; Calaïs and Zetes took to the air while Euphemus sprinted out into the desert; Lynceus used his far-sightedness to scan the horizons, and Canthus followed along, hoping to find answers from Heracles on what had happened to his friend Polyphemus. The search was in vain, however, and the Argonauts returned to the ship, all except for Canthus whose terrible fate soon became apparent.

  The Deaths of Canthus and Mopsus

  For a man who lived as a hero, Canthus died in a most prosaic fashion. While out on his search for Heracles, he came across a flock of sheep and quickly decided to take some back for his shipmates. The shepherd had other ideas and, throwing a well-aimed slingshot, killed Canthus. The unfortunate shepherd died too, at the hands of the avenging Argonauts when they discovered Canthus’s fate. They buried Canthus and took the sheep for which he had sacrificed his life.