In Orchomenus, a site in ancient Boeotia, king Athamas lived happily with his wife and their two children, Phrixus and Helle. Alas, the queen’s death put an abrupt end to their happiness. Athamas could not stand being alone for long, so he took a second wife, Ino. The new queen was terribly jealous of Phrixus and Helle and laid out an evil plan. She summoned the women of the land and gave them the following advice: “Here’s how you can make your husbands happy and secure their love and respect: take the seeds they are about to sow and bake them in the kiln. Your crops will double and your men will be forever grateful to you!”
6 The women believed the queen’s words and did as they were told. That year the fields yielded absolutely nothing. “Some god is punishing us,” the men muttered to themselves in despair. Athamas decided to ask the oracle of Delphi for help. His envoys, already bought off by Ino, brought back a terrible answer: “The gods are very angry at us! Our fields will remain barren unless you sacrifice your firstborn to Zeus!” “How could I ever do such a thing to my child?” cried out the desperate king and shut himself in his palace. But the news spread quickly and soon the famished people gathered outside his doors. Angry voices came from the mob. “O, king, obey the oracle, otherwise we are all going to starve to death!” Athamas had to give in to pressure. He took his unsuspecting son to Zeus’s altar. But a second before the father’s knife touched the boy, a golden ram came down from the sky, sat the two siblings on his back and flew away again. Everyone was taken aback! “Do not be afraid, just hold on tight. Keep looking straight ahead and everything will be fine,” the divine animal said to the children, who were still trying to fully grasp what had just happened. The magic of their journey soon appeased their fear. “It’s like a dream!” exclaimed Helle and bent over, delighted by the sight of the sea separating Europe from Asia. “Watch out!” called out her anxious brother. “The ram said we should only look straight ahead.” But it was too late. Helle got dizzy and lost her balance. Phrixus, unable to assist her, could only watch as his beloved sister fell to her death into the waters below. The narrow strait was later named Hellespont in her honour. The inconsolable Phrixus let the animal take him to the land that was to be his new home, Kolchis. Wishing to thank king Aeëtes for welcoming him, he sacrificed the wondrous ram to Helios, the Sun God, and made a present of its fleece to the king. “Thank you for this priceless gift!” exclaimed Aeëtes. He immediately had the fleece hung on a tree in god Ares’s garden and appointed a sleepless dragon as its guardian, so that nobody would ever come near to this invaluable possession.
8 9 Jason
Aeson was the king of Iolcos, a city in Thessaly. His ambitious and ruthless brother Pelias managed to usurp the rightful king and ascend to the throne. Aeson, worried about the fate of his own son, devised a plan. The next morning heart-rending lamentations were heard coming out of his house. Pelias asked what all the fuss was about. “Your brother and his wife are mourning the death of their only son, Jason.” At that same moment the baby, whom everyone believed to be dead, was being delivered to the centaur Cheiron, the wise and just instructor of many Greek heroes back in those days. Time passed quickly; Jason was now twenty years old. One day Cheiron sent for him. “I have watched you growing up all these years, excelling at everything; education, strength, every art of war and peace. My work with you is done. It’s time to find your own way, my child.” Jason bade him farewell and set out to return to Iolcos. Soon he came across an old woman waiting on a river bank. He greeted her respectfully. “Good day to you, too,” she replied. “I need to cross the river but I’m afraid I will not make it. The water is too high and I am too weak.” “I will help you,” volunteered the young lad and knelt so that she could climb on his shoulders. Once they were safely across, he turned to face her and was blinded by pure light! The old woman was gone and in her place stood a dazzling lady. She spoke to him sweetly: “Do not be afraid, Jason. I am the goddess Hera. That was just a test. I have long known your beauty and your strength, but I needed to see if you have a kind soul as well. From now on I will protect you and assist you through the hard times.” And with that she vanished into thin air.
10 When Jason overcame his surprise and started on his way again, he realised that one of his sandals was missing. “It must have slipped off as I was crossing the river,” he thought to himself. But it was too late for him to try to find it. So he continued his journey and some time later he arrived at Iolcos.