What This Collection Is
King Pelias receives an oracle that a man wearing a single sandal will cause his downfall. When Jason arrives at a banquet missing a sandal, Pelias attempts to secure his own safety by ordering the young man to retrieve the Golden Fleece from Colchis. Jason gathers a band of heroes to man the Argo, a ship constructed by Argus. Their voyage involves navigating the Cyanean rocks and facing the local heavy-weight champion, Amycus, who forces strangers into boxing matches. The mission relies on the divine plotting of Hera and Athena, as well as the intervention of the sorceress Medea. Her passion for Jason leads to the theft of the fleece, a subsequent panic-stricken flight, and a detour across the Celtic mainland.
Figures & speakers
- Jason
The leader of the Argonauts who loses a sandal in a stream.
- Medea
The Colchian maiden whose magic and love secure the fleece.
- Pelias
The king who devises the quest to ensure Jason's demise.
- Hera
Divine protector of the Argo who manipulates Medea's heart.
What it's really about
- Fate
- Oracles and divine decrees drive all human action.
- Magic
- Sorcery and potions prove more effective than shields.
Why it's memorable
- Polydeuces accepting a boxing challenge from a king who kills all his visitors.
- Medea clutching her throat and pulling her hair while deciding whether to help Jason.
Where it lands
The heroes return to the beach of Pagasae after a final water-carrying race at Aegina, ending their long toils.
For your book club
- Whether Jason is a hero or merely a passenger on Medea's sorcerous success.
- The geographic confusion of the Argonauts sailing from the Black Sea to the Celtic mainland.
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