Golden Fleece (Origin)
conceptThe fleece of the golden ram Chrysomallus that carried Phrixus to Colchis, becoming the object of Jason's quest.
The Myth
The ram could fly and speak — and it told the boy on its back not to look down. Chrysomallus was sent by Hermes (or Nephele) to rescue Phrixus and Helle from their murderous stepmother Ino. The ram flew east carrying both children, but Helle fell into the strait now called the Hellespont (Dardanelles). Phrixus reached Colchis safely and sacrificed the ram to Zeus, giving the fleece to King Aeetes, who hung it in a grove guarded by a sleepless dragon. The fleece's gold represented kingship and divine right. Jason needed it to reclaim his throne from Pelias. Some scholars argue the myth encodes real gold-panning techniques using sheepskins.
Symbols
Fun Fact
Georgian gold-panners traditionally used sheepskins to trap gold dust from rivers — possibly inspiring the myth.
Explore Further
Helle
heroDaughter of Athamas who fell from the golden ram into the strait that bears her name — the...
Aeetes
heroKing of Colchis, son of Helios, father of Medea, and guardian of the Golden Fleece who set...
Colchis
placeColchis was a kingdom at the eastern edge of the Greek world, on the shore of the Black Sea in...
Jason
heroThe hero who assembled the Argonauts and sailed to Colchis in quest of the Golden Fleece. Jason's...
Pelias
heroUsurper king of Iolcus who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece hoping he would die, and...
Golden Fleece
conceptThe fleece of a golden-wooled ram, hung in a sacred grove in Colchis and guarded by a sleepless...
Hermes Trismegistus
conceptA syncretic figure combining the Greek Hermes with the Egyptian Thoth, representing ultimate...
Phrixus
heroSon of Athamas who rode the golden ram to Colchis, sacrificed it, and gave its fleece to King...
Ages of Man
conceptHesiod's five successive races of humanity — Gold, Silver, Bronze, Heroes, and Iron — each worse...
Apple of Discord
conceptGolden apple thrown by Eris inscribed "for the fairest" that triggered the divine beauty contest...
Argonauts
conceptThe Argonauts were the band of heroes who sailed with Jason on the Argo to retrieve the Golden...
Constellation Argo Navis
conceptThe great southern constellation representing the ship Argo, in which Jason and the Argonauts...