Argonauts
conceptThe Argonauts were the band of heroes who sailed with Jason on the Argo to retrieve the Golden Fleece — the greatest ensemble adventure in Greek mythology.
The Myth
Jason assembled the greatest heroes of the pre-Trojan War generation: Heracles, Orpheus, Castor and Pollux, Peleus, Telamon, Atalanta (in some versions), the seer Mopsus, the winged sons of Boreas, and many more. The Argo was built by Argus with Athena's help, incorporating a beam from Dodona's speaking oak. They faced the Clashing Rocks, the Harpies, the Sirens, and King Aeëtes' impossible tasks. Their voyage mapped the edges of the Greek world.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes is the only surviving complete Hellenistic epic — and the direct model for Virgil's Aeneid.
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth:
Explore Further
Atalanta
heroA heroine raised by bears who could outrun any mortal man. Atalanta joined the Argonauts, slew the...
Athena
godGoddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, born fully armored from the head of Zeus. Patron deity of...
Boreas
godBoreas was the god of the cold north wind, bringer of winter.
Dodona
placeDodona in Epirus was the oldest oracle in Greece, where priestesses interpreted the will of Zeus...
Hera
godQueen of the Olympian gods and goddess of marriage. Known for her jealous rages against Zeus's...
Heracles
heroThe greatest hero of Greek mythology, son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmene. Famous for his...