Jason and Medea joining their right hands, Roman sarcophagus from the late ^first century AD. AD palace Altemps

In Greek mythology , Jason and Jason (in Greek / "the healer") is the son of Aeson king of Iolcos in Thessaly , and a descendant of Aeolus. He is best known for his quest for the Golden Fleece with the Argonauts. It is a major Greek heroes and especially venerated at Athens.

He sees his father deposed from the throne by his uncle Pelias. Saved views killings of Pelias by friends, he was raised by the centaur Chiron on Mount Pelion. As an adult, he claims the throne Iolcos. Pelias promised to return it, provided he reports from Colchis the golden fleece. After taking the head of the Argonauts, Jason manages to King ts , guardian of the Fleece, which is subjected to various tests including the young heroes triumph with the help of the king's daughter, Medea, who s is in love with him. Upon his return, Pelias, Jason discovers that got rid of Aeson. Medea, now wife of Jason, is developing a machine that pushes girls Pelias to kill their own father. Exile in Corinth, the couple lived happily for ten years. However, Jason ends up neglecting his wife and prefers the daughter of King Creon. Medea kills it, puts to death his children and fled in a winged chariot, the sun now. Jason then returned Iolcos and, with the help of Peleus and the Dioscuri , ascended the throne.

Myth

Jason is the son of Aeson king of Iolcos. The name of his mother varies according to the traditions: some say this is Alcimed , daughter of Phylacos , according to others, Polimeles . Jason saw his father deposed from the throne by his half-brother of the latter, Pelias. Saved views killings of Pelias by friends, he was raised by the centaur Chiron on Mount Pelion.

The Quest for the Golden Fleece

Bringing Jason to Pelias the Golden Fleece , crater Apulian red-figure painter of the Underworld , 340 - 330 BC. BC , Muse du Louvre

An oracle had predicted that Pelias would be dethroned by a man who introduces himself with one sandal. As an adult, Jason will claim the throne Iolcos. On the way, he helps an old woman crossing a river. This woman is none other than the goddess Hera, disguised, he loses a sandal in the crossing.

Pelias promised him the throne provided he brings him the Golden Fleece , which is now in Colchis. With the help of Athena and Hera , Jason began to build a fabulous ship, the Argo (the "fast"). It ended he embarked on board along with 50 young men heroes, the Argonauts (this is the generation prior to the heroes of the Trojan War ), who shared with him the teachings of the centaur Chiron. Among them, there were Hercules , Theseus and the twins Castor and Pollux. Benot de Sainte-Maure Pelias tells that asks a talented builder Greek named Argus, to build a ship on this occasion, the first sailing ship christened the Argo.

Jason arrives on land Laomedon , King of Troy. The latter, fearing that Jason and his men do not attack, sends a messenger on the hunt field. Jason reasonable but offended the king and curse the city saying they will one day be punished in that inhospitable, then walk away (based on the Romance of Troy, Benot de Sainte-Maure).

After a perilous journey, the Argonauts finally docked in Colchis. King ts agrees to let the Golden Fleece if he manages to overcome trials superhuman. Indeed, the presence of the Golden Fleece in his kingdom ensured its prosperity. These tests are: plowing into a barren land with oxen yoked with brazen hooves and breathing fire, to sow dragon's teeth of Cadmus , which germinate warriors, the Spartans (the "harvest"), who attack. Fortunately, he was assisted by the king's daughter, the sorceress Medea , who fell in love with him. This provides a balm to protect against burns and iron bulls, and a stone ensuring that the warriors are killing each other. Then, it dulls the dragon guarding the Golden Fleece and fled with him, nothing stops it will even kill his own brother, Apsyrtus to delay the king's men in pursuit.

Back to Iolcos , Jason finds that Pelias took advantage of his absence to kill his father and get rid of his family. Medea then develops a ruse for revenge: it rejuvenates a ram by boiling in a cauldron with magic herbs. And she convinces the girls of Pelias to do the same with their father. but gives them no power of herbs, and Pelias's daughters against their will cause the death of their father. However Acaste his son Jason and banished Medea. They then went into exile in Corinth.

Exile in Corinth

For ten years, they lead a happy life and raise their children until the day when Jason abandons Medea and ends up marrying a princess local Glauce , daughter of King Creon. Medea takes revenge by killing Glauce and his family and his own children, and Mermerus Pheres.

Literary sources

Athena facing the dragon guardian of the golden fleece , which is being regurgitated Jason. Douris Cup (480-470 BC.)

The myth of Jason and the Argonauts cycle is the subject of many literary works.

• A Greek work: Apollonius of Rhodes , Argonautica.
• A work in Latin Gaius Valerius Flaccus , Argonautica.
• A medieval work: Benot de Sainte-Maure, Le Roman de Troy, 1165.

Around 1460 , the priest Raoul Lefvre writes a history of Jason, he presents as a company to rehabilitate the character of Jason, dictated by the hero himself. In reality, the work is probably written to order for Philip the Good , duke of Burgundy, following the attacks on the Order of the Golden Fleece : the latter is accused of being under the patronage of a vile seducer and Chancellor of the doc, Jehan Germain, has even proposed replacing the biblical hero Jason Gideon .

In the eighteenth ^century , Jason and the Argonauts still arouse interest. In The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms Amended (1728), Isaac Newton argues that much of the constellations are derived from the epic Argonautica :

• The Aries is the Golden Fleece;
• the Taurus represents those that submit to the yoke Jason to Colchis;
• the Gemini are Castor and Pollux, who help to Jason, and Swan their mother Leda ;
• The Dragon is one of Cadmus - the Raven perches on his body;
• The ship Argo is entitled to his own constellation, now divided into the hull , the stern and sails ;
• the Cup is that of Medea;
• the Centaur is Chiron, which is associated with the altar ;
• Hercules , one of the Argonauts, is portrayed with his victims, the Hydra (Lerna), the Cancer (a crab sent by Hera to thwart the hero for his fight with the Hydra), the Lion (Nemea) and Vulture (now the Lyre ) shot by the arrow.

Notes

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