Symplegades
The Clashing Rocks at the entrance to the Black Sea that crushed any ship attempting to pass between them.
The Story of Symplegades
They crushed everything that tried to pass — until the Argo made it through and they froze forever. The Symplegades were two massive rocks at the Bosphorus that slammed together whenever a vessel entered the strait. Phineus told Jason to send a dove through first: if it survived, the Argo could follow. The dove lost only its tail feathers. Jason ordered the Argonauts to row at full speed, and Athena pushed the stern through at the last instant. The rocks clipped the ship's stern ornament but the Argo survived. After that, the Symplegades became fixed — never to clash again. The myth likely encodes real navigational dangers in the Bosphorus strait.
Symbols
Fun Fact
The myth may encode real knowledge of dangerous currents and narrow passages in the Bosphorus.
Explore Further
Clashing Rocks
🏛 placenavigation, fire
The Wandering Rocks encountered by Odysseus, blazing cliffs through which only the Argo ever passed, offered as an alternative route to Scylla and Charybdis.
Geraestus
🏛 placegeography
The southernmost promontory of Euboea, a key waypoint for sailors with a temple of Poseidon.
Sestos
🏛 placeGeography
A city on the European shore of the Hellespont, home of Hero in the tale of Hero and Leander
Tiphys
🗡 heroNavigation, seamanship
Original helmsman of the Argo whose skill guided the ship through the Clashing Rocks
Voyage of the Argo
💭 conceptNarrative
The legendary sea journey of the Argonauts through uncharted waters to reach the kingdom of Colchis
Argo
🏛 placeThe first great ship of Greek mythology
The Argo was the ship built by Argus for Jason's quest — the first long-voyage ship in Greek myth, with a beam from Dodona's speaking oak built into its prow.
Scheria
🏛 placeLand of the Phaeacians
Scheria was the island of the Phaeacians, a seafaring people beloved by the gods, where the shipwrecked Odysseus was welcomed by King Alcinous and Princess Nausicaa.
Abydos
🏛 placeGeography
An ancient city on the Hellespont famous as the launching point of Xerxes' bridge and the home of Leander
Helle
🗡 herotragedy
Daughter of Athamas who fell from the golden ram into the strait that bears her name — the Hellespont.
Cape Sounion
🏛 placeworship, sea
The dramatic headland at the southern tip of Attica crowned by the Temple of Poseidon, where Aegeus watched for Theseus's returning ship.
Chersonese
🏛 placegeography
The narrow Thracian peninsula (modern Gallipoli), site of Protesilaus' sanctuary and Hecuba's transformation.
Lesbos
🏛 placegeography
An Aegean island where the severed head of Orpheus floated ashore, still singing, after the Maenads tore him apart.