JASON

Below: This 15th-century bronze statue is a copy of a second-century Roman original depicting Jason with a winged genius, or guardian spirit.

The Greek hero Jason was the son of Aeson, king of lolcus in Thessaly, and was brought up in secret after his father was deposed. As an adult Jason attempted to win back his father’s kingdom.

He was set the task of bringing back the Golden Fleece, which was guarded by a sleepless dragon.

After the death of King Cretheus of

Lolcus, who was Jason’s grandfather, the throne should have gone to his eldest son, Aeson, born of his wife Tyro. However,

Tyro had another son, Pelias, from an earlier relationship with the god Poseidon.

Pelias seized the throne from the rightful heir, Aeson, whom he then kept a prisoner in his palace. Aeson’s wife, whom the Athenian grammarian Apollodorus (fl. 140 BCE) names Polymede, gave birth to Jason in captivity.

Fearing for the child’s safety, she pretended that the baby had been stillborn. The child was smuggled out of the palace and placed into the care of the centaur Cheiron, who reared the boy in his cave on Mount Pelion. When Jason grew up, he went down the mountain to reclaim the throne.

By this time Pelias had managed to incur the anger of the goddess Hera, to whom he had neglected to sacrifice. He had also been warned by an oracle that he would be killed by a man wearing one sandal. While making his way toward lolcus, Jason had to cross the Anaurus River. There he was approached by an old woman (really

Hera in disguise) who begged him to carry her across. While doing so, he lost one of his sandals in the river. When he reached Pelias, who was celebrating a festival in honor of Poseidon, Jason appeared wearing one sandal. Pelias recognized his future murderer and slyly asked him what he would do if he learned that somebody was destined to kill him. Prompted by Hera, Jason replied that he would send him to fetch the fabled Golden Fleece (see box, page 151). Pelias replied that when that was done, he would gladly give up his throne to Aeson’s son.