Chapter 2 The Tale of the Argonauts-2

The origin of the Golden Fleece is this: Phryxos was the son of Atamas, king of Boeotia, and he was abused by his father's favorite concubine Ino.In order to save his son, his biological mother, Nephele, quietly carried her son out of the palace with the help of his sister Helle.Nephele was a cloud god who rode her sons and daughters on the backs of winged rams.The wool of this ram was pure gold.It was a gift she got from Hermes, the messenger of the gods and the god of undead guide.The siblings rode this magical sheep soaring through the air, over land and sea.On the way, the elder sister Helle became dizzy, fell off the sheep's back, fell into the sea and drowned.That sea has since been called the Helles Sea, also known as the Helles Ponto.Phryxos arrived safely at Colchis on the coast of the Black Sea, was warmly received by King Aeetes, and betrothed his daughter Calciobe to him.Phryxos sacrificed a golden goat to Zeus, thanking him for his escape.He presented the Golden Fleece as a gift to King Aeetes.The king dedicated it to Ares, the god of war. He ordered people to nail it in the sacred forest commemorating Ares, and sent a dragon to guard it, because the oracle told him that his life was closely related to the golden fleece. If they are connected together, if the golden fleece survives, he will survive, and if the golden fleece dies, he will perish.

The Golden Fleece is regarded as a rare treasure, and the Greeks have had legends about it for a long time.Many heroes and kings wanted it.Therefore, King Pelias took it for granted that Jason should be encouraged to retrieve the treasure.Jason really agreed. He didn't see that his uncle's real intention was to risk his death, but he readily agreed to complete the adventure. The famous heroes of Greece were invited to this heroic event.At the foot of Mount Pelion, under the guidance of Athena, Argo, the brilliant Greek architect, built a magnificent ship of solid wood that would not rot in sea water, with fifty oars on board.The ship was named "Argo" after the shipbuilder, son of Aristotle.This ship was the largest ship the Greeks ever sailed at sea.The sails are made of wood from a talking oak tree in front of the temple of Dodona. This board can be used for divination and is a gift from the goddess Athena.The magnificent ship was richly decorated with checkered panels, but the hull was so light that heroes could carry it on their shoulders and carry it away.

When the ship was built and equipped, the sailors on the Argonauts drew lots to determine their place on board.Jason was in command of the ship, Tifes at the helm, Lyncus the keen-sighted pilot, Hercules the famous hero in the fore-chamber, Peleus the father of Achilles, and Ajax's father. Father Telamon was in charge of the back cabin.The rest of the sailors were Castor and Polydeuces, sons of Zeus, Neleus, father of Nestor, king of Pylos, Admetus, husband of faithful wife Alcestis, who killed Ca Meleager of Lydon the boar, Orpheus the gifted singer, Menoetios the father of Patroclus, Theseus who later became king of Athens and his friend Pirithous, He Hylas, the young friend of Lacules, Oyuphomus, the son of Poseidon, and Oleus, the father of little Ajax.Jason sacrificed his ship to Poseidon, the god of the sea.Before setting sail, all the heroes offered sacrifices to Poseidon and other sea gods and prayed devoutly.

When all the heroes took their positions in the ship, Jason gave an order, and they pulled anchor and set sail. Fifty oars rowed together, and the big ship advanced with wind and waves. Soon the port of Aiolkas was far away. was left behind.The heroes sailed across the islands and mountains in high spirits.Next day a great wind arose at sea, and the rough waves carried them as far as the harbor of Remnos.