Golden Fleece
The fleece of a golden-wooled ram, hung in a sacred grove in Colchis and guarded by a sleepless dragon. Its recovery was the object of Jason's legendary voyage.
The Meaning of Golden Fleece
The Golden Fleece originated with Phrixus and Helle, two royal children who escaped sacrifice on the back of a flying ram with golden wool sent by their mother, the cloud nymph Nephele. Helle fell into the sea (giving it the name Hellespont), but Phrixus reached Colchis safely and sacrificed the ram to Zeus, hanging its golden fleece in a sacred grove guarded by a dragon that never slept.
The Fleece became an object of legendary status — a prize that represented kingship, authority, and divine favor. When Jason claimed the throne of Iolcos from his uncle Pelias, Pelias set him the seemingly impossible task of retrieving it.
Jason assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis. King Aeetes set impossible conditions: yoke fire-breathing bulls, sow dragon's teeth, and defeat the warriors that sprang from them. Only with the sorcery of Medea, Aeetes' daughter, could Jason accomplish these tasks and drug the sleepless dragon. He seized the Fleece and fled, taking Medea with him.
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Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Fleece of Chrysomallus
💭 conceptArtefact
The golden fleece of the divine winged ram, the object of Jason's legendary quest to Colchis
Golden Fleece
💭 conceptquest
The fleece of the golden ram Chrysomallus that carried Phrixus to Colchis, becoming the object of Jason's quest.
Quest for the Golden Fleece
💭 conceptNarrative
Jason's expedition aboard the Argo to retrieve the golden fleece from the distant land of Colchis
Bellerophon and Chimera
💭 conceptNarrative
The hero's aerial battle against a fire-breathing monster while riding the winged horse Pegasus
The Trojan War
💭 conceptWar, fate, heroism
A ten-year siege of Troy by a coalition of Greek kings, sparked by the abduction of Helen and shaped by the rivalries of the gods.
Perseus and Medusa
💭 conceptNarrative
The hero's quest to slay the mortal Gorgon and his ingenious use of divine gifts to accomplish the impossible
The Twelve Labours
💭 conceptHeroism, endurance, redemption
Twelve impossible tasks imposed on Heracles by King Eurystheus as penance for killing his own family in a madness sent by Hera.
Argonautica
💭 conceptLiterature
Apollonius of Rhodes' epic poem narrating Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece
House of Cadmus
💭 conceptDynasty, Thebes
The royal dynasty of Thebes founded by the Phoenician prince Cadmus who sowed the dragon's teeth
Seven Against Thebes
💭 conceptwar, curse
The doomed military expedition of seven champions against the seven gates of Thebes, organised by Polynices to reclaim the throne from his brother Eteocles.
Perseus and Andromeda
💭 conceptNarrative
The rescue of an Ethiopian princess from a sea monster by the Gorgon-slaying hero
Hippolytus and Phaedra
💭 conceptNarrative
A tragedy of forbidden desire, false accusation, and divine cruelty destroying an innocent young prince