Full Description
The voyage of Jason and the Argonauts and their hunt for the Golden Fleece is one of the most enduringly popular of all of the Ancient Greek heroic myths. Accepting the quest in order to regain his kingdom, Jason assembled a crew of legendary heroes, including Hercules, Orpheus, Atalanta, and the twins Castor and Polydeuces. With this band of warriors and demi-gods, Jason set sail in the Argo on a journey across the known world. During their quest, the Argonauts faced numerous challenges including the Harpies, the Clashing Rocks, the Sirens, Talos, the bronze giant, the sleepless dragon that guarded the fleece, and, of course, the fickle will of the gods of Olympus. Filled with magic, monsters, sword fights, and sacrifice, this ancient adventure story is given new life by Neil Smith who also examines its historical context, its classical sources and its enduring legacy.
Contents
The Man with One Sandal /Narrative: Jason and his Mission /Sources for Jason /Greek Mythology: Its purpose and relevance /The Gods: Who were they and what did they do? /The Voyage Out /Preparations: Greek Ships and Jason's Crew /Narrative: Lemnos /Narrative: The Doliones: "real" fighting, Greek arms and armour /Narrative: The Harpies /Narrative: Clashing Rocks /Colchis /Narrative: Jason's 3 Tasks & the Golden Fleece /Jason & Medea / The Voyage Back /Narrative: Sirens /Narrative: Talos /Narrative: Jason's Arrival /Jason's Demise /Narrative: Jason's Betrayal: Euripides' Medea /Jason's Legacy /Jason in Books & Movies
