Meet the Heroes by Duane Damon

Over time, the exact number of heroes aboard Jason’s ship, the Argo, has been widely disputed. Some say there were precisely 50, while others insist it was 53. Still others list 84. Whatever the number, there were a few who appear on every list.

The Harpies and The Sons of Boreas The Argonauts Zetes and Calais were the sons of Boreas, the god of the north wind. The brothers were said to travel through the air faster than an arrow could fly, and their powers were about to be put to the test. The Argonauts had heard tales of the Symplegades, the deadly Clashing Rocks. These high, solid walls of rock at the entrance to the Bosporus Channel that led into the Black Sea stood ready to crush any vessel sailing between them. But the helmsman Tiphys recalled the one man who held the secret of safe passage. That man was the blind and aging Phineas, king of Salmydessus, a city near the channel. Phineas had committed the unpardonable act of striving to achieve wisdom equal to that of the gods. For this they had taken his eyes.

Arriving in the city, the Argonauts could sense an atmosphere of great foreboding among the townspeople and even the king’s servants. When Jason and his band confronted the troubled monarch in his palace, he promised to tell them the secret of the Clashing Rocks. But first, the Argonauts had to overcome another punishment that the gods had given the unhappy Phineas.

This document may not be printed, saved, or otherwise used outside of the Odysseyware system. No copying, printing, or reproduction is permitted. Each night, in the great banquet hall, a royal meal was prepared for the king. And each night a terrible scene took place. Two horrific flying creatures, Aello and Ocypete, their wings beating at a rapid pace, would set upon the king’s banquet table. With their long claws, they snatched food from his plate and fouled the rest into a stinking mess. These attacks left the monarch starving and afraid. “Help me,” Phineas begged the Argonauts, “and I’ll reveal the secret of the Symplegades.” Then, without waiting for a reply, he ordered dinner to be served.

The Argonauts did not have to wait long before shrieking and the flapping sound of wings echoed through the hall. The horrible creatures known as the Harpies had arrived. Crowned with the heads of women, they had blazing red eyes and blood-smeared bodies. When the Harpies settled on the king’s table, the wings on the feet of Zetes and Calais began to flutter, as the wings on their shoulders spread for flight. In a moment, they were in the air, flying directly at the creatures, swords in hand. Screeching in fear and rage, the Harpies turned and raced out of the palace. Out to sea they flew, in hopes of losing the two Argonauts who followed close behind, but to no avail. The monsters wearily reached the Floating Island. There, the sons of Boreas would have cut both to pieces but for the sudden appearance of Iris, Zeus’ messenger.

“Do not slay these two hounds of Zeus!” she protested. “Let them remain on this lonely island for the rest of their days. I give my solemn oath by the waters of the Styx that they will never again trouble King Phineas.” Calais and Zetes agreed to Iris’ wishes.

In his joy, Phineas remained true to his word and told the Argonauts the secret of the Symplegades. With this newfound knowledge, Jason and his band sailed confidently toward the perilous power of the Clashing Rocks

This document may not be printed, saved, or otherwise used outside of the Odysseyware system. No copying, printing, or reproduction is permitted. Orpheus and The Sirens On the way to Colchis, the Argonauts faced one of their greatest challenges. On an island called Anthemoessa, there lived three enchanted women known as Sirens, who possessed a gift that was deadly to mortal men. It was their ability to sing so sweetly that anyone who heard the song could not resist drawing nearer. After falling under the spell of the Sirens, many a sailor met his doom on the sharp rocks that encircled the island.

Among the Argonauts was one man who could save them all— Orpheus, the greatest of all mortal musicians. His mother was a Muse who married a Thracian prince. Orpheus had a gift of singing and playing his lyre with such beauty that few could resist its power to calm even the most explosive situation. When the Argonauts became exhausted from their labors, his music revived their strength. If the men became quarrelsome, the soothing tones of Orpheus’ voice and lyre would drain the anger from their hearts.

As the ship passed Anthemoessa, a dreadful battle between the music of life and the music of doom began. The Sirens perched themselves on the rocks so that the Argonauts would be beguiled by their beauty. They then began singing their entrancing call of death to Jason and his band. So captivating was their singing that the Argonauts wanted nothing but to hear more. So, without thinking, they steered their vessel directly toward the island and certain destruction. On the Argo, Orpheus picked up his lyre and began to play and sing. As the men rowed steadily toward the Sirens, the sound of Orpheus’ music rose into the air. Soon, the Argonauts joined in his song, and the music from the Argo began to overpower the songs of the Sirens. With their thinking restored and now fully aware of the doom that awaited them, Jason and

This document may not be printed, saved, or otherwise used outside of the Odysseyware system. No copying, printing, or reproduction is permitted. his men rowed lustily out to sea—all, that is, except for Butes, the youngest member of the crew. Mesmerized by the beauty of the women and their song, he dived overboard only to be crushed against the rocks by the waves. It was a sorrowful Jason who continued the journey to Colchis.

Atalanta Fleet of foot and among the best of the archers, Atalanta was the only woman aboard the Argo. She helped the crew defeat the six-armed giants near the land of King Cyzicus. Later, near the island of Ares, her arrows flew with deadly accuracy, as she and the other archers drove off another set of monsters. These were the Stymphalian birds that attacked them with deadly bronze beaks and claws. Castor and Pollux Renowned for their skill in wrestling and boxing, Castor and Pollux were twin sons of Zeus. When the Argonauts landed on the island of Bebrycos, King Amycus refused to allow them to return to their ship until an Argonaut defeated him in a boxing match. In the fight that followed, Pollux killed Amycus and earned freedom for his comrades.

Hylas The servant of Heracles, Hylas was yet another victim of female creatures. One day, on the island of Cios, he went off with a pitcher to find water. In the forest, he stumbled upon a pool where beautiful nymphs gathered to sing songs to the hunting goddess Artemis. Hylas was kneeling at the edge of the water, when one of the nymphs spied the handsome young man and fell in love. Reaching up, she seized him and pulled him into the pool. He was never seen again.

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