Chapter 19 Lecture One of Two Jason and the Myths of Iolchus and Calydon ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Myths of Jason and Thessaly Thessaly; a large plain north of Thermopylae Neolithic and Mycenaean settlements Port city of Iolchus (modern-day Volos) the point of debarkation for Jason’s adventure ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

PRELUDE TO THE ARGONAUTICA Phrixus, Hellê, and the Golden Fleece ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Phrixus, Hellê, and the Golden Fleece Aeolus => – The Aeolids – Athamas Athamas + Nephelê – Phrixus (son) – Hellê (daughter) ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Phrixus, Hellê, and the Golden Fleece Athamas then marries another, Ino, daughter of Cadmus in Thebes – Two sons Ino arranges a trap to have Phrixus (her step son) murdered – Parches grain – Intercepts messenger to Delphi – Prophecy says Phrixus must be sacrificed – A golden ram appears just in time – The two – Phrixus and Hellê ride away on it ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Phrixus, Hellê, and the Golden Fleece Hellê falls off the ram at the “Hellespont” Ram flies on to Colchis, where Aeëtes is king – The fleece is given to Aeëtes, who receives Phrixus ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

PRELUDE TO THE ARGONAUTICA Pelias and Aeson ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Pelias and Aeson Athamas’s niece (Tyro) She has two sons by Poseidon – Pelias, who will become king in Iolchus – Neleus, who will become king in Pylos She has two sons by the mortal, Cretheus – Aeson and Pheres ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Pelias and Aeson Pelias drives out his brother Neleus Imprisons his half-brother Aeson But Aeson’s wife bears Jason – Spirited away and raise by Chiron the Centaur on Mt. Pelion (near Iolcus) Aeson warned to beware a man with one sandal ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Pelias and Aeson Now a young man, Jason comes down from Mt. Pelion to Iolcus Helps Hera in disguise to cross a river and he loses a sandal – Hera is out to punish Aeson for not worshipping her. Her plan is to bring Medea to Iolcus, and that means having Jason go to Aeëtes’s kingdom to get her! ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Pelias and Aeson Jason is tricked into going to search for the Golden Fleece – “What would you do if you knew someone was going to kill you?” ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

THE VOYAGE OF THE ARGO ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

The Voyage of the Argo A ship is built by Argus – The bow is from Dodona – Called the Argo after Argus Jason collects the best warriors of the day ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Fig Gathering of the Argonauts ©2012 Pearson Education Inc. Musée du Louvre, Paris; Réunion des Musées Nationaux / Art Resource, New York

EARLY ADVENTURES ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Early Adventures The women of Lemnos – Had earlier killed their men for refusing their them (except for Queen Hypsipylê) – The Argonauts service the sex-starved women – Heracles preserves the company of his boyfriend (Hylas) Next they were received by Cyzicus at Samothrace ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Early Adventures A storm blows the Argo back to Samothrace at night and, thinking his island was being attacked by strangers, Cyzicus brings out his army – King is killed by Jason Heracles lost when Hylas is abducted by water nymphs on Mysia – John Waterhouse, Hylas and the NymphsHylas and the Nymphs ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Early Adventures Bebryces Amycus – Defeated by Polydecues in boxing ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Fig The Binding of Amycus ©2012 Pearson Education Inc. Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris

PHINEUS AND HARPIES ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Fig Phineus and Harpies Fig. King Phineus and the Harpies Freed by Zetes and Calaïs ©2012 Pearson Education Inc. Réunion des Musées Nationaux / Art Resource, New York

THE SYMPLEGADES ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

The Symplegades Phineus gives them advice about their future adventures – Release a dove ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Fig Greek Ship of the Classical Period ©2012 Pearson Education Inc. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

MEDEA AND THE GOLDEN FLEECE ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Medea and the Golden Fleece Medea, daughter of Aeëtes, first sees Jason – Aphrodite sends Eros to make her fall in love with him Aeëtes is expecting a “stranger” to be his downfall and refuses the fleece – Must first yoke fire-breathing bulls and sow dragon’s teeth (which would produce murderous warriors) ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Medea and the Golden Fleece Medea gives him ointments to protect him from the bulls When the warriors are grown... the rock Medea helps Jason get the fleece Aeëtes in pursuit – Apsyrtus (his two fates) The geography of the chase – Eridanus, southern France, the Phaeacians... ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Fig In an otherwise unattested event for him, Jason is vomited out by a serpent on this vase. ©2012 Pearson Education Inc. Photo Vatican Museums

LIBYA ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Libya The Argo is dropped into the middle of desert The Nymphs of the Hesperides The close encounter with Heracles Triton helps them Talus of Crete – Medea’s “evil eye” Poem stops as they’ve left Crete ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

OBSERVATIONS The Deflated Hero ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

The Deflated Hero Evidence for Bronze Age travel into the Black Sea? – To this legendary voyage are added details of folktale (the quest): hero’s troubles at birth, magical animal raised him, magical land and impossible tasks, marriage as a reward... – But he did not get a glorious kingship ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

The Deflated Hero Apollonius writing for a literate audience who would appreciate the twists and variations on the standard hero theme – Focus on individual emotions, precious descriptions... – Greatly influenced subsequent epic and poetry, especially Vergil and his Aeneid ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.

Fig The death of Talus ©2012 Pearson Education Inc. Museo Nazionale Jatta, Ruvo; Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, Rome

End ©2012 Pearson Education Inc.