Summary, from the companion site to Classical Mythology.

Commentary, from the companion site to Classical Mythology.

• Robert Graves, in his Greek Myths, thinks the saga is a "marriage task myth linked to a semi-historical legend of a Minyan sea expedition sent out from Iolcos by the Orchomenons."

• Some cities that claimed descent from the Minyans were Orchomenos in Boeotia, Iolcos in Thessaly, and Miletus in Ionia. Jason was descended from the ruling family of Iolcos. The Euxine Sea, where the story takes place, was colonized by the Milesians. So the saga makes geographical sense.

The Golden Fleece

• Athamas was king of variously stated places: Thessaly, Boeotia, Thebes, Orchomenos. He was married first to Nephele (cloud), and had two children, Phrixus and Helle.
• Nephele flew away and Athamas married Ino, a daughter of Cadmus.
• Ino (the evil stepmother) tried to convince Athams to sacrifice Phrixus.
• Phrixus was saved by Nephele and Hermes. Phrixus and Helle flew, on a golden ram, across the Aegean. Helle fell off over the straits between Europe and Asia, and gave her name to the Hellespont.
• The ram told Phrixus to fly to Colchis, on the Eastern point of the Black or Euxine Sea.
• In Colchis, Phrixus was received by the king, Aeëtes (son of Helius), whose sisters were Circe and Pasiphaë. Phrixus sacrificed the golden ram to Zeus and gave the fleece to Aeëtes. It was guarded by a dragon, who never slept, in a grove of Ares.
• Phrixus married Aeëtes' daughter, Chalciope. They had 4 sons: Argus, Melas, Phrontis, and Cytisorus.

Jason and Pelias

• Athamas had a brother, Cretheus, who was king of Iolcus.
• When Cretheus died, his stepson Pelias (son of Tyro and Poseidon) usurped the throne from Aeson, Cretheus' son by Tyro. See p. 474 for the family tree.
• Aeson was the father of Jason, who was sent away to be educated by Chiron.
• Jason returned after 20 years to claim the throne, but Pelias had been warned to beware a man wearing one sandal. On his way to Iolcos, Jason had crossed the river Anaurus with an old woman (Hera in disguise) on his back and had lost his sandal.
• Hera remained champion of Jason and enemy of Pelias, who had neglected to sacrifice to her.
• Pelias forced Jason to retrieve the golden fleece if he wanted the throne of Iolcos.

At this point, the story is best preserved in the Voyage of the Argo by Apollonius of Rhodes.

Jason and Medea in Greece

• Medea rejuvenated Jason's father Aeson by cutting him up and boiling him with herbs.
• Medea promised the daughters of Pelias she could do the same for him, and besides the example of Aeson, she also rejuvenated a ram.
• The daughters of Pelias were convinced to cut up their father and boil him in a cauldron. Medea did not add her magic herbs, so Pelias died.
• After this murder, Jason and Medea were forced to flee to Corinth. Medea had been linked with Corinth very early in Greek myth -- the 8th century. In these versions the children of Medea are killed, but not by her: either they die in the sanctuary of Hera or they are killed by the Corinthians.
• The most powerful and best remembered version from this point in the myth is Euripides' Medea.
• Jason divorced Medea to marry Glauce/Creusa.
• In revenge, Medea sent Glauce/Creusa a poisoned robe and crown, which killed both Glauce and her father.
• Medea then killed her children by Jason and escaped to Athens in a chariot drawn by flying dragons.
• Medea was received by Aegeus, bore a son Medus, and tried to murder Theseus.
• Medea eventually went to Persia, where Medus established the kingdom of Media; Medea returned to Colchis.
• In Apollonius, Medea is destined to marry Achilles in the Underworld.