Rogier van der Weyden (c. 1399-1464) - Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy (1396-1467) References Description Philip the Good ruled the duchy of Burgundy from 1419 to 1467. An active patron of the arts, he had strong links with Henry VI’s court in England though he preferred to concentrate on the expansion of his own land rather than becoming embroiled in the Hundred Years’ War. He is shown here wearing the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece, which he established on 10 January 1430 in emulation of the English Order of the Garter; he had been invited to become a Garter Knight but declined for fear of offending the French King Charles VII. The symbol of the Order refers to the tale from Greek mythology in which Jason led the band of Argonauts on a quest to find the golden fleece of the ram Chrysomallos, which was hung on a tree guarded by a dragon.

It was controversial to use a pagan symbol for a Christian order, but the chivalrous overtones of the story clearly appealed to the Duke, who had the legend illustrated for him numerous times. This portrait conforms to a standard type of image of Philip the Good created by various artists to satisfy popular demand. There is no known painted prototype and it is possible that the numerous versions derive from an original drawing by Rogier van der Weyden, unofficial painter to the Burgundian court. The prototype for portrait may have formed part of a matrimonial diptych, which would have included a portrait of Isabella of Portugal, Philip’s third wife whom he married in 1430. The portrait was probably painted by a member of Rogier van der Weyden’s large workshop and is a stylised, emotionless and idealised image of the ruler. Comparison with other versions, such as that in Bruges Musée Communal, highlight the pattern-book nature of the image. Philip is depicted in three-quarter profile, wearing a black chaperon (a hood or hat), with a scroll prominently held in his hands.

The gesture of his hands is striking; his right is outstretched as though in prayer, whereas his left is foreshortened, thereby demonstrating the artist’s grasp of perspective. The age of the sitter - around 50 - combined with the style of his clothing indicates a date around the mid 1440s. Text adapted from 'Bruegel to Rubens: Masters of Flemish Painting', London 2007 Provenance First recorded in the collection of Henry VIII at Whitehall in 1542 People involved Perseus Perseus See More Perseus Pictures > According to the myth, there once was a king named Acrisius , who had a beautiful daughter named Danae . The Oracle of Apollo told Acrisius that there would come a day when Danae 's son would kill him; so he locked Danae in a bronze tower so that she would never marry or have children. The tower had no doors, except for one very small window.

Danae was very sad, until one day, a bright golden light came through the small window; a man appeared holding a thunderbolt in his hand and although Danae knew he was a god, she didn't know which one. The man said, "Yes, I am a god and I wish to make you my wife. I can turn this dark prison into a wonderful, sunny and blooming land." Indeed, the horrible prison turned into fields as beautiful as the Elysian Fields themselves, but one day Acrisius saw light coming out of the small window. He told his men to tear down one of the walls. When he entered, he saw Danae smiling and holding a baby on her lap. This was Perseus . Acrisius was furious, so he locked Danae and baby Perseus in a large chest and cast them out to sea. Somehow, they managed to arrive safely to the island of Seriphos, where Polydectes ruled. The king's brother, Dictys, who was a fisherman, caught the chest in his net and pulled it to shore, freeing Danae and her son. Perseus grew up to become a strong young man.

Polydectes heard about Danae and asked her in marriage, but she rejected him. If it wasn't for Perseus , Polydectes would have married Danae by force; so the king decided to create a plan to get rid of the young man. Polydectes pretended to marry the daughter of his friend. Everybody had to bring a wedding present, including Perseus . However, Perseus , being poor, had not brought anything, and Polydectes pretended to be furious. After a heated discussion, Perseus said he would bring him anything the king would ask; so Polydectes asked for the head of the Gorgon Medusa . Perseus set forth on his adventure; he wandered for days, searching for the Gorgons lair. One night, in an unknown country he realized how hopeless things were. Medusa was a horrible creature, who had snakes growing out of her head instead of hair, and a terrifying gaze that literary petrified anyone who would look into her eyes. In his despair, a tall woman and a young man with winged sandals appeared and introduced themselves as goddess Athena and god Hermes .

Hermes said that they were all siblings as Perseus was in fact the son of Zeus , so they would help him in his quest; so Hermes offered him his winged sandals and the sickle that was used by Cronus to castrate Uranus ; while Athena gave him her shield, so that Perseus would not have to look straight into Medusa 's eyes. They also gave him further information on how to find the lair of Medusa . So Perseus went to the cave of the Graeae , who would lead him further in his adventure. The Graeae were three women who shared a single eye among them. So, when one of them was about to give the eye to one of the others, Perseus grabbed it and blackmailed them to aid him. So, the Graeae informed him that he should find the Nymphs of the North to get the Cap of Darkness which would make him invisible, as well as a magic bag. After getting these two items, Perseus eventually went to the lair of Medusa and her sisters, whom he found sleeping.

He wore the Cap of Darkness, and unseen managed to kill Medusa using the sickle; he then used the shield to carry the head and place it into the magic bag, for even though it was dead, the head still have the potential to turn someone into stone. Medusa 's sisters woke up and attacked Perseus , but he flew away using his winged sandals. On his way back to Seriphus, he had many adventures; in one of them, he came across the Titan Atlas , who was condemned to carry the heavens on his shoulders. To release him of his pain, Perseus turned him into stone using Medusa 's head, so that he would no longer feel the weight of his burden. Later on, he saw what looked like a statue chained to a rock, so he went to investigate. He saw that it was not a statue, but a woman, and asked her why she was chained to the rock. "My name is Andromeda", she replied, "and I have been punished because of my vain mother. She boasted that I was more beautiful than the Nereids . Poseidon was angered and said that I must be sacrificed to a sea monster," she said.

Even as she spoke a monster rose from the sea. Perseus pulled Medusa 's head out of the bag; the sea monster turned to stone and crumbled to pieces. Perseus cut Andromeda 's chains and took her to her father, King Cepheus of Phoenicia. When Perseus asked Andromeda 's hand in marriage, Cepheus gladly agreed. So, Perseus and Andromeda set off for Seriphus. On the way they stopped at Larisa, so Perseus could compete in some games that were held at that time; however, when he threw a discus, it hit an old man who instantly died. The man was Acrisius and therefore, the prophecy became true; after mourning, Perseus and Andromeda set off again. When they arrived at Seriphus, the first person they met was Dictys, the fisherman who had brought Danae and Perseus ashore many years ago. Dictys told them how Polydectes had never really married, but since Danae wouldn't marry Polydectes , he forced her to be his handmaiden.

Perseus was furious, so he asked Dictys to take care of Andromeda , in order to avenge for his mother's mistreatment. Perseus stormed to the palace, walked in and said, "Let all who are my friends shield their eyes!" So saying he raised Medusa 's head and Polydectes and his courtiers were immediately turned to stone. Perseus and Andromeda lived happily for many years and their descendants became great kings, the greatest of them all being Heracles , the strongest man in the world. Eventually, Perseus was killed by Dionysus . To be immortalised, Perseus and Andromeda were turned into stars and would live together in the sky. Clash of the Titans (the movie) Clash of the Titans is a 2010 fantasy film (remake of the 1981 film of the same name), loosely based on the Greek myth of Perseus . (CAREFUL, SPOILERS FOLLOW!!!) The film begins with a narration describing how the Olympians managed to overthrow their own creators, the Titans , through the aid of the Kraken , Zeus 's creation.

After their fierce struggle, Zeus (Liam Neeson) became the King of the Gods, his brother, Poseidon (Danny Huston), the Lord of the Seas, and their brother, Hades (Ralph Fiennes), tricked by Zeus to rule the sickening Underworld in chaos and terror. A coffin is then seen drifting through the sea before it is rescued by a fisherman, Spyros (Pete Postlethwaite). When Spyros opens it, he discovers the baby Perseus and his mother, Danae , inside and raises the boy as his own. Perseus does not know who his real father and mother are, and worries that he will be neglected when his adoptive parents have a child of their own, but Spyros reassures him of his love. Years later, Perseus (Sam Worthington) and his family are fishing when they witness a group of soldiers from Argos destroying a massive statue of Zeus , effectively declaring war on the gods. Immediately following the fall of the statue, Zeus rises from the ocean, killing most of the soldiers and then destroying the boat Perseus and his family are on.

Perseus attempts to save his family from the sinking boat, but is unable to, and passes out on driftwood from the wreckage. The surviving soldiers find him and take him back to Argos . When King Cepheus (Vincent Regan) and Queen Cassiopeia (Polly Walker) of Argos , at a feast for the returning soldiers, compare themselves to the gods and compare the beauty of their daughter, Andromeda (Alexa Davalos), to that of Aphrodite , Zeus appears again, killing the remaining soldiers. When Perseus is unaffected by his attack, Zeus realizes he is a demigod, and tells him of his true father, himself. Zeus kills the queen, and demands that Argos further pay for its insolence and vanity; in 10 days, the Kraken will be released, and if the princess Andromeda is not sacrificed, then Argos will be destroyed. Zeus then seeks out the gods on Mount Olympus and convinces Zeus to agree to his plan in order to punish mankind for their lack of love. Initially, the Argives see Perseus as an agent of the gods and imprison him, but the king later seeks his help.

A woman named Io (Gemma Arterton), who has been watching over Perseus his entire life, advises him that the only way to avenge the death of his family is to agree to the king's wishes and attempt to defeat the Kraken . He is sent out with a small group of soldiers, led by Draco (Mads Mikkelsen), along with Io to seek the Stygian Witches, while Zeus visits Acrisius (Jason Flemyng), a disfigured man who was married to Danae when Zeus impregnated her with Perseus . When Acrisius planned to kill his wife and the newborn Perseus , Zeus sent down a thunderbolt from Olympus, badly scarring and disfiguring Acrisius ' entire body. To help him achieve his goals, Zeus imbues him with superhuman powers to enable him to kill Perseus . Acrisius attacks the Argive group, killing several, and even when his hand is severed in the fight, his blood falling on the sand causes giant scorpions to rise from the desert and continue the attack.

Perseus and the Argives manage to kill the first two scorpions, but are surrounded by three more, even larger than the first. As they are about to attack, the scorpions are suddenly calmed by a group of Djinn, gentle and benevolent Sand-Demons with magical powers. There is initially mistrust between the two groups, until the chief heals Perseus of grave injuries sustained during the fight, and the two sides agree to cooperate. Perseus and his group, via the scorpions, arrive at the barren, rocky "Garden of Stygia", the site where the Gods ended the Great War and defeated the Titans . They find the three Stygian Witches, who are hideous and share one eye. They tell Perseus , after he threatens to throw their eye off the mountain, that Medusa 's head will be able to kill the Kraken , but that he will die in the process. The soldiers go to the Underworld, where Medusa lives in seclusion in a temple, and only the soldiers enter (Io cannot because she is a woman).

Medusa turns all the remaining soldiers into stone, the Djinn destroys himself with his heart, weakening Medusa , and Draco, who is gravely injured by one of Medusa 's arrows early in the fight, rescues a cornered Perseus by skewering Medusa with a stone pillar from the ceiling and allows himself to be turned to stone in order to give Perseus a clear shot at Medusa 's head. Perseus , eyes shut, kills Medusa . As he exits the temple, Acrisius returns and stabs Io . Perseus fights him again and, this time, successfully kills him, which turns Acrisius back to human form. Io dies, telling Perseus "this is the part of the journey you do alone..." Perseus finds Pegasus and flies back to Argos as the Kraken is being released, thus destroying the city. As a priest is about to sacrifice Andromeda , Zeus appears, and has his creatures attack Perseus and steal Medusa 's head. Perseus defeats the creatures and regains the head, as well as successfully turning the Kraken to stone before it consumes Andromeda .

Zeus appears once more and boasts that he cannot die because he is immortal; but Perseus throws his sword, charged together with Zeus 's lightning at him which banishes him to the Underworld. Perseus then saves Andromeda from drowning when the apparatus used to restrain her falls into the ocean, but refuses to become king of Argos . In the final scene, Perseus stands at the broken statue of Zeus seen at the beginning. Zeus appears and offers to make Perseus a god on Olympus; but he refuses. Zeus notes that Zeus will return one day for revenge when mankind is in fear. Zeus states that if Perseus is still intent to stay on earth then he might give him a gift since he is the son of Zeus after all. A resurrected Io appears before Perseus , and the two begin to embrace while Pegasus flies above them. MythNET - The Quest of the Golden Fleece MythNET Click a flag for a translation: This is the title of a poem by Apollonius of Rhodes who lived in the third-century AD. The poem deals with a Greek king, Athamas and his two wives.

His first wife, Nephele was afraid of her two children (especially Phrixus, one of the two children) being killed by Ino, the soon-to-be second wife. Nephele, herself, was killed by the king, and Athamas subsequently married his second wife, Princess Ino. She came from a great family; Ino was the daughter of King Thebes. Ino had an urge to kill Phrixus, the boy, so that her children (presumably from an earlier marriage) would inherit the Athamas' kingdom. Princess Ino had thought up an elaborate plan to do away with Prince Phrixus. To accomplish this plan, Princess Ino had to gather all of the corn seed on Athamas' farm and then parch the seeds so that the crop would not grow, a task which she accomplished. When the king became aware of the crop not growing, he sent a messenger to an oracle to ask what he should do. Princess Ino intercepted the messenger and persuaded, most likely through bribery, to say to the king that the crop would not grow unless the king offered up Prince Phrixus as a sacrifice.

The people of the region in Greece, who feared starvation, convinced King Athamas to permit the death of Phrixus. At the time of the death of Phrixus and his sister, who was included in this sacrifice, each were taken to the altar. Then, a ram with a fleece of pure gold, took the two and threw them into the air. Hermes had sent him and his sister in answer to their mother's prayers. The ram, Prince Phrixus and his sister, Helle, travelled across Europe and into Asia. When they entered Asia, Helle fell into a body of water and as a result, drowned. However, Phrixus and the ram safely arrived in the country of Colchis on the Black Sea. The Colchians were kind to Phrixus and they even let him marry one of King Æetes' daughters. It was at this time that Phrixus sacrificed the ram that had saved him to Zeus and he gave the golden fleece to King Æetes, who was the Colchian king. Phrixus had a cousin by the name of Pelias and he was the one who killed his own father to gain control of a kingdom in Greece.

However, the king had a young son who was the rightful heir to the kingdom, and this man was Jason. Jason had been sent away to a safe place where he could grow into a bold man who would take away the kingdom from his wicked cousin, Pelias. Pelias was told by an oracle that he would be killed by a kinsmen one day who would be wearing only one sandal. Such a man did come to the town in time and he did wear just one sandal. Pelias became afraid. For it was Jason who was the one who only shod one sandal. Jason told Pelias that he came to recover the kingdom that was rightfully his and that the kingdom should be ruled rightly, without evil. Pelias agreed to hand over the kingdom, but under one condition: The condition was that the dead Phrixus wanted the Golden Fleece returned from King Æetes, which would bring the spirit of Phrixus back to his home. Pelias asked that Jason go on the journey as opposed to himself, for he was old and Jason was young and strong. So Pelias promised to give up the kingdom on the return of Jason with the Golden Fleece.

Jason agreed and organized Hercules , Orpheus , Castor , Pollux , Achilles' father, Peleus and many more. This group of men were subsequently known as the Argonauts. Hera was also with Jason, to remind him not to leave behind a dying life. Jason and the Argonauts (which was named after their ship, the Argo) first sailed to Lemnos, an island where only women lived. Only one man, the king, was left on the island. Although the women had risen up against the men on the island by killing them, they gladly helped the Argonauts with gifts of food and wine. The Argonauts travelled to where the Harpies lived. The Harpies were flying creatures with hooked beaks and claws who left an awful odour whenever they go. The Argonauts met an old man with the power of prophecy who had a problem. Every time Phineus, the prophet, came to eat, the Harpies would come and take the food, leaving nothing left. He was left withered and weak from the lack of food. The Argonauts decided that they would help fix this problem.

Two men from the Argonauts who were sons of Boreas (the great North Wind) helped because the prophet knew that only two men were needed to defeat the Harpies (this was because Phineus was a prophet). The two brothers took their position while the old man started to eat. Sure enough, the Harpies attempted to snatch the food away from the prophet. However, the sons of Boreas followed the Harpies, who had already taken the food from Phineus. They took their swords and hit the Harpies. However, they wanted to kill the flying monsters. But they remembered that these beasts were the act of Zeus and that they should not kill them. The old man thanked the Argonauts for their help and offered some advice for navigating through the Clashing Rocks, the next encounter on their journey. He said that to navigate through them safely, one should send a dove through first. If the dove survived and wasn't crushed by the rocks, the ship would survive. If the dove died, then the ship would not survive. The next morning the Argonaut sailed off with a dove to the Clashing Rocks.

They set the dove free and the dove made it through with the exception of the bird's tail feathers, which were cut off by the rolling rocks. Next, the ship went through, and, like what the prophet said, the ship survived and passed through safely, but part of the stern of the ship was cut off, like the tail feathers of the bird. The Argonauts quickly sailed on and they passed by the country of the Amazons, because they knew that the Amazons were not gentle foes. They continued on, travelling all day. Finally, at sunset, they arrived in Colchis, home of the Golden Fleece. On Mount Olympus , Hera went to seek Aphrodite's help. Since Hera had been overseeing the adventure, she knew that there was danger involved and discussed the matter with Aphrodite. To help the Argonauts, Aphrodite told Hera that she would send Cupid , Aphrodite's son, to the Colchis and would make the daughter of the Colchian king fall in love with Jason. Medea was the daughter of King Æetes. But Medea was a powerful magician and she could save the Argonauts if they ever were in trouble.

While this was going on, the Argonauts made their way to the city to ask the king for the Golden Fleece. Hera wrapped the Argonauts in a mist so they wouldn't be seen until they arrived at the palace. King Æetes welcomed them to Colchis and was hospitable to them. Princess Medea also made her way into the palace to see what these visitors, who had entered the palace, were doing. As Princess Medea lay eyes upon Jason, Cupid , who was sent by Aphrodite to make the two fall in love, drew his bow and shot an arrow into the heart of Medea. Amazed by the sight of Jason, she quickly returned to her chambers. King Æetes gave the Argonauts something to eat, making sure to take care of the needs of the guest. It was only after this that King Æetes decided to ask what the men were doing in Colchis. They responded by saying that they were seeking the Golden Fleece in hopes to return it back to Greece. King Æetes was angered now for he did not like foreigners and he did not like the reason why they came to Colchis.

He did not like the idea of the Golden Fleece leaving Colchis, but he said that if Jason proved his courage, Jason must do what the king himself has already done. He said that Jason must harness two flame-breathing bulls whose feet were made of bronze and to plow a field with them. As well, he must take the teeth of a dragon and grow them as if they were corn seeds. A crop of armed men would grow and he must fight this crop of armed men. The king said that he must do this if he wants the Golden Fleece returned. It was an impossible task but Jason accepted the challenge. Jason thought of Medea, who would be able to help him complete this challenge. If she could invoke a magic spell to help him, he could defeat the bulls and the dragon-teethed men. Both agreed to this plan and Medea gave Jason a charm that when it was sprinkled over his weapons, he and his weapons would become invincible for a day. As well, he was given a stone that if too many men attacked him, he could throw the stone at the enemy. This would make the enemy turn on one another and fight each other.

Later on, Jason made his way to the field where the king and the other Colchians were. Soon enough, the bulls started to attack Jason, but Jason had the charm with him and he resisted the attack like a rock to the waves. After he defeated the bulls, many men rushed to attack him. Jason used the charm once again to make the warriors turn on each other and fight. Like Medea said, the warriors did so, and Jason's challenge was fulfilled. The king returned to the palace, now thinking that he won't give the Golden Fleece. Meanwhile, Medea met the Argonauts and asked if she could join them on their journeys. She also told them to quickly get the Golden Fleece from a serpent which was guarding the sacred wool. Again, Medea worked her magic by lulling the serpent to sleep. The Argonauts grabbed the fleece and quickly retreated from where the serpent was lying. By now, the king had found out what the Argonauts had done. So, King Æetes sent in son, Asyrtus, in pursuit of the Argonauts. He led an army much larger than that of the Argonauts.

However, to even the odds, Medea killed her brother, Asyrtus. There were many stories as to how he died. The two that seem to be the most sensible were either the incident where Medea invited her brother to talk and while doing so, Jason would kill him by striking him down. The alternative was that Asyrtus came aboard the Argo (for reasons unknown). While on board, Medea killed him by cutting him up into pieces. King Æetes, in this case, would be commanding the ship that was trailing the Argo. Medea would then dump the mutilated body of her brother into the sea. The king then stopped the pursuit to pick up the pieces from the ocean. However, it is not known what exactly happened to the death of Asyrtus. In any case, the Argonauts had escaped. On the return trip, they had to pass through the rock of Scylla and the whirlpool of Charybdis, most dangerous natural occurrences, however, Hera guided the Argonauts to safety. Another incident occurred when they sailed to Crete. They landed there, by the request of Medea, for she knew a man by the name of Talus.

He was the last man left of the ancient bronze race. He was a creature made all of bronze except for one ankle - this was the only point where he was vulnerable. However, he was not a kind man because he threatened to crush the Argo if the Argonauts approached. Medea sensed this and made Talus crape his vulnerable ankle and he bled to death. When the Argo reached Greece, the Argonauts disbanded leaving Jason and Medea taking the Golden Fleece to Pelias. When they arrived, Jason and Medea found that Pelias had forced Jason's father to kill himself and his mother had died of grief. Jason asked Medea for ways to punish Pelias. They accomplished this by convincing Pelias that there was a way to make the old young again. To prove this, they took an old ram and sacrificed it. Medea used one of her charms and turned the old ram, that was now in boiling water, into a young lamb. So, to make Pelias young again, Medea convinced Pelias' daughters to cut Pelias up. However, when this was complete, both Jason and Medea had vanished, leaving Pelias killed by his own daughters.

If there was one benefit from this, it was that Jason had his revenge now. It has also been said that Medea offered Jason to make Jason's father young again, and this might have happened. By doing this, she gave Jason the secret to perpetual youth. Jason and Medea moved to Corinth where they had two sons. Medea missed her family in Colchis but her love for Jason seemed to be more important. All this for a man who would eventually betray her. The first example of this occurred when Jason married the daughter of the King of Corinth. As a result of the King of Corinth fearing the powers of Medea, the King ordered Medea and her two helpless children out of the country. While alone one day, Medea thought of Jason, and suddenly, Jason himself appeared. She said nothing but Jason said that if it wasn't for Medea's comments to the king about her powers, she could have still lived in Corinth. He had come to Medea now because he was not a man to fail a friend, and he would see that she had plenty of gold and everything necessary for her journey. However, Medea was very angry.

Through her words, she explained that it was she that was the one who obtained the Golden Fleece by conquering the bulls, the dragon-men and the serpent warder of the Fleece. Jason retorted by saying that he had not been save by her but by Aphrodite who had made Medea fall in love with him. He also said that she owed him a great deal for moving her to Greece, a "civilized country". Medea, who was an intelligent woman, knew that he was being stubborn and said nothing more. Medea wanted revenge. So, she decided that she would kill Jason's bride. She decided that she would take a robe and anointed it with deadly drugs. She then placed it into a casket and told her sons to deliver it to the new bride. To ensure that she would die, she would have to wear it at once. The princess received this gift and wore it at once. No sooner had she put it on when a fire devoured her, melting her flesh away. She had died. When Medea knew that the deed was done, she turned her mind to one more dreadful task. This task was far more dreadful, for she was going to kill her own two sons.

She did so, but not without feeling sorrow for what she had done. But when Jason realized Medea had killed her bride, he was determined to kill Medea. But when he arrived at Medea's house, she had already left in a chariot that was drawn by dragons. As this occurred, Jason cursed her, but not himself, for what had happened. Search this website for more information: Jason and the Argonauts - Argonaut Limited Jason and the Argonauts Jason and the Argonauts Jason & the Argonauts The Greek myth follows Jason and a band of heroes and warriors called the Argonauts. The Argonauts accompanied Jason in a fearsome quest to find the treasured Golden Fleece & reclaim his rightful throne. When Jason turned 20 he returned to his homeland to claim his throne, Jason’s Uncle Pelias had stolen the throne from Jason’s father. When confronted, Pelias agreed to give up his throne if Jason undertook a quest to find and return with the legendary Golden Fleece. The Golden Fleece cut from a magical ram was said to be in a faraway land guarded by a dragon that never slept.

Pelias believed this quest to be impossible and as Jason would never return his throne would be safe. In spite of the impossibility of the challenge Jason sent word seeking those brave and willing who wished to earn the glory of succeeding on this perilous adventure. Fifty heroes and warriors assembled and were named the Argonauts after their fifty oared ship the Argo. Jason and the Argonauts set sail on their brave quest overcoming many seemingly impassable situations and challenges, such as fields of soldiers, sea monsters and a fire-breathing dragon, before finally recovering the Golden Fleece and reclaiming Jason’s throne. In the same way as the Argonauts of old we masterfully face investment decisions and recommendations utilising our expert team who act with honesty and integrity. Our Argonauts are leading specialists in their areas and are led by an experienced executive team who hold deep industry knowledge. We are recognised as a firm of excellence in the natural resources and investment industries. Argonaut strives to possess expertise across the full capital spectrum, and are able to deliver our corporate clients financial solutions during their entire company life cycle. Similar to the victorious journey undertaken by the mythical Argonauts we possess an established track record of successfully creating significant wealth for clients.

About Us BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: Jason and the Golden Fleece Jason and the Golden Fleece By Michael Wood Last updated 2011-02-17 Michael Wood discovers a story of heroism, treachery, love and tragedy that would make Hollywood proud. On this page Print this page Classic tale The Greek tale of Jason and the Golden Fleece has been told for 3,000 years. It's a classic hero's quest tale - a sort of ancient Greek mission impossible - in which the hero embarks on a sea voyage into an unknown land, with a great task to achieve. He is in search of a magical ram's fleece, which he has to find in order to reclaim his father's kingdom of Iolkos from the usurper King Pelias. The Greeks have retold and reinterpreted it many times since, changing it as their knowledge of the physical world increased. The story is a set a generation before the time of the Trojan War, around 1300 BC, but the first known written mention of it comes six centuries later, in the age of Homer (800 BC).

The tale came out of the region of Thessaly, in Greece, where early epic poetry developed. The Greeks have retold and reinterpreted it many times since, changing it as their knowledge of the physical world increased. No one knows for sure where the earliest poets set the adventure, but by 700 BC the poet Eumelos set the tale of the Golden Fleece in the kingdom of Aia, a land that at the time was thought to be at the eastern edge of the world. At this point the Jason story becomes fixed as an expedition to the Black Sea. The most famous version, penned by Apollonius of Rhodes, who was head of the library at Alexandria, was composed in the third century BC, after the invasion of Asia by Alexander the Great. Since the 1870s a series of excavations at Mycenae, Knossos, Troy and elsewhere has brought the Greek Heroic Age - the imaginary time when the great myths were set - to life.

The archaeologists' discoveries of Bronze Age (2300-700 BC) artefacts made it clear that the Greek myths and epic poems preserve the traditions of a Bronze Age society, and may refer to actual events of that time. The story could also perhaps represent an age of Greek colonisation around the shores of the Black Sea. Top Jason's task Village in Svaneti region of north west Georgia. Here people still pan for gold using the fleece of a sheep © According to the legend, Jason was deprived of his expectation of the throne of Iolkos (a real kingdom situated in the locale of present day Volos) by his uncle, King Pelias, who usurped the throne. Jason was taken from his parents, and was brought up on Mount Pelion, in Thessaly, by a centaur named Cheiron. Meantime his uncle lived in dread of an oracle's prophecy, which said he should fear the 'man with one shoe'. His task would take him beyond the known world to acquire the fleece of a magical ram that once belonged to Zeus, the king of the gods.

At the age of 20 Jason set off to return to Iolkos - on his journey losing a sandal in the river while helping Hera, Queen of the Gods, who was in disguise as an old woman. On arriving before King Pelias, Jason revealed who he was and made a claim to the kingdom. The king replied, 'If I am to give you the kingdom, first you must bring me the Fleece of the Golden Ram'. And this was the hero's quest. His task would take him beyond the known world to acquire the fleece of a magical ram that once belonged to Zeus, the king of the gods. Jason's ancestor Phrixus had flown east from Greece to the land of Cochlis (modern day Georgia) on the back of this ram. King Aietes, son of Helios the sun god, had then sacrificed the ram and hung its fleece in a sacred grove guarded by a dragon. An oracle foretold that Aietes would lose his kingdom if he lost the fleece, and it was from Aietes that Jason had to retrieve it. Why a fleece? Fleeces are connected with magic in many folk traditions.

For the ancient Etruscans a gold coloured fleece was a prophecy of future prosperity for the clan. Recent discoveries about the Hittite Empire in Bronze Age Anatolia show celebrations where fleeces were hung to renew royal power. This can offer insight into Jason's search for the fleece and Aietes' reluctance to relinquish it. The fleece represented kinship and prosperity. Top Black Sea colonisation Ships in the old Turkish harbour at Lemnos, Greece. Legend has it that Lemnos was populated entirely with women © Jason's ship, the Argo, began its journey with a crew of 50 (which swelled to 100, including Hercules, in subsequent retellings of the myth) - known as the 'Argonauts'. The Greek claim that the Argo was the first ship ever built can not be true, but Jason's journey was seen by the ancient Greeks as the first long-distance voyage ever undertaken. Indeed, the voyage can be seen as a metaphor for the opening up of the Black Sea coast. Historically, once the Greeks learned to sail into the Black Sea they embarked on a period of colonisation lasting some 3,000 years - but the time they first arrived in the region is still controversial.

Lemnos, an island in the north-eastern Aegean was Jason's first stop. This was a place inhabited by women who had murdered their husbands after being cursed by Aphrodite. Next the Argo sailed to Samothrace, where the Argonauts were initiated into the Kabeiroi, a cult of 'great gods' who were not Greek and who offered protection to seafarers. From Samothrace the adventurers passed the city of Troy by night, and entered the Sea of Marmara the next day. The Jason tale is a founding myth for many towns along this shore. The Jason tale is a founding myth for many towns along this shore. It is, however, most likely that local accounts of events have arisen out of the story itself, rather than being based on historic facts that themselves became the basis of the myth. It is along this stretch of coast that the Argonauts rescue a blind prophet, Phineus, by chasing away the Harpies - the ugly winged females Zeus had sent to torment Phineus. In return Phineus prophesies that Jason will be the first mariner to sail through the 'clashing rocks' that guard the entrance to the Black Sea.

The myth arose when Greek sailors were first able to negotiate their way up the powerful currents of the Bosphorus to enter the Black Sea beyond. In time the sea was transformed in Greek eyes from Axeinos Pontus, the 'hostile sea' to Euxeinos Pontus, the 'welcoming sea'. Top City of Aia A bull fight near Trabzon, Turkey. Bullfighting is still popular in regions of Turkey where the ancient Greeks founded colonies © The story continues with the Argonauts finally reaching the land of Colchis, and the first part of their quest is achieved. The heroes land and hold council, deciding to walk up to the city of Aia. Along the way they see bodies wrapped in hides and hung in trees, a sight that travellers in Georgia recount right up to the 17th century. The ancient Greeks speak of Aia as a real city on the River Phasis (the modern River Rhion). Archaeologists have yet to find it, although in 1876 gold treasure was found in this region at an ancient site near the town of Vani, and it was suggested that this might be the city of the Argonaut legend.

Heinrich Schlieman, the excavator of Troy and Mycenae, proposed to dig here but was not given permission. This suggests that some parts of the myth depict the culture of the historical Iron Age rather than the earlier Bronze Age of Jason. Then in 1947 excavations revealed that between 600 and 400 BC (the time the Jason legend took its final shape) Vani was indeed an important Colchin city. The city was not inhabited during the Heroic Age (when the Jason story is set), but it was the Colchin 'capital' at the time the Greek poets located the myth here. This suggests that some parts of the myth depict the culture of the historical Iron Age rather than the earlier Bronze Age of Jason. Top The story continues Site of Medea's shrine, near Corinth © In the myth, once in Colchis Jason asks King Aietes to return the Golden Fleece. Aietes agrees to do so if Jason can perform a series of superhuman tasks. He has to yoke fire-breathing bulls, plough and sow a field with dragons' teeth, and overcome phantom warriors.

In the meantime Aphrodite (the goddess of love) makes Medea, daughter of King Aietes, fall in love with Jason. Medea offers to help Jason with his tasks if he marries her in return. He agrees, and is enabled to complete the tasks. Thus the classic triangle of hero, dark power and female helper is formed, to be repeated in stories all the way down to Hollywood. Thus the classic triangle of hero, dark power and female helper is formed, to be repeated in stories all the way down to Hollywood. And it seems possible that this theme was based on an even earlier myth. An excavation of the 1920s and 30s, at Boghaz Koy, in central Turkey, uncovered Indo-European tablets from a Hittite civilisation dating to the 14th century BC. One of these has an account on it of a story similar to that of Jason and Medea, and may reveal the prehistory of the myth. It is not known at what date the Greeks borrowed it, but it very possibly happened in the ninth or eighth century BC. This was the time when many themes were taken from the east and incorporated into Greek poetry. To continue the story.

King Aietes organises a banquet, but confides to Medea that he will kill Jason and the Argonauts rather than surrender the Golden Fleece. Medea tells Jason, and helps him retrieve the Fleece. From here the Argonauts flee home, encountering further epic adventures. The ancient storytellers give several versions of the route Jason took back to Greece, reflecting changes in Greek ideas about the geography of the world. On the final leg of their journey, the Argonauts are caught in a storm, and after they pray to Apollo an island appears to them. The inhabitants of modern-day Anafi, 'the one which was revealed', and which is said to be the island in question, continue to celebrate their part in the story to this day. They regularly hold a festival inside an ancient temple to Apollo, built on the spot where legend says Jason gave thanks to the god for his rescue. Top Dénouement Map showing the ancient Greek view of how Jason might have returned home © On his return to Iolkos Jason discovers that King Pelias has killed his father, and his mother has died of grief. Medea tricks Pelias by offering to rejuvenate him, and then kills him.

Jason and Medea go into exile in Corinth, where Jason betrays Medea by marrying the king's daughter. Medea takes revenge by killing her own children by Jason. Pausanias, in his first-century guidebook to Greece, describes a shrine to the murdered children next to a temple to Hera, queen of gods, at Corinth. Pausanias, in his first-century guidebook to Greece, describes a shrine to the murdered children next to a temple to Hera, queen of gods, at Corinth. Centuries later, in the 1930s, a British excavation at Perachora uncovered an eighth-century BC temple to Hera, supposedly dedicated by Medea, near an oracle site with pilgrimage offerings left by women devotees over many centuries - perhaps there's a historic basis to the myth? In the end, Jason becomes a wanderer once more, and eventually returns to beached hull of the Argo. Here the beam of the ship (which was said to speak and was named Dodona) falls on him and kills him. His story has come full circle - as in all Greek myths, the hero's destiny is in the hands of the gods. We know the story of Jason, but not exactly when it was first told.

By classical times the myth had spread across the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and it continues to fascinate us in our own day, informing archaeological investigations and bearing continued retellings - a testimony to the perennial appeal of the tale of the hero's quest. Jason and the Golden Fleece (The Argonautica) by Richard Hunter (Oxford World's Classics, 1998) The Voyage of the Argo by David Slavitt (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999) Pindar's Mythmaking: The Fourth Pythian Ode by Charles Segal (Princetown University Press, 1986) Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources, vol.

1 by T Gantz (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993) Medea edited by JJ Clauss and S Johnson (Princeton University Press, 1997) Ritual Myth and Drama in the Ancient Near East by T Gaster Thespis (Gordian Press, 1961) Structure and History in Greek Mythology by W Burkert (University of California Press, 1983) The Greeks in the Black Sea by Mariama Koromila (Aristide D Caratzas Publishing, 1991) The Greek Myths by Robert Graves (Penguin, 1992) Greek Gods and Heroes by Robert Graves (Random House, 1965) The Jason Voyageby Tim Severin (Simon and Schuster, 1986) Top About the author Michael Wood is the writer and presenter of many critically acclaimed television series, including In the Footsteps of...series. Born and educated in Manchester, Michael did postgraduate research on Anglo-Saxon history at Oxford. Since then he has made over 60 documentary films and written several best selling books. His films have centred on history, but have also included travel, politics and cultural history.

Greek myths Greek Myths Ancient Greek civilization provided the foundations of Western culture. Philosophically, artistically, scientifically and politically, the Greeks reached an astonishing level of sophistication. The deepest expression of Greek ideology, however, lay in a mythology so rich that its legacy has endured to the present day. Some of the myths date back to the Aegean civilization, whose bull-cult flourished in Crete before 1600 BCE. According to some theories, this society was matriarchal and worshipped above all the Great Goddess or Earth Mother. Later myths show a conflict between matriarchal and patriarchal allegiances, with the patriarchal Olympian gods, headed by sky-god Zeus, gaining ascendancy over the older pantheon that included Ouranos, Gaia, Kronos and Rhea. This is echoed in the myths of other pantheons, such as the Babylonian Marduk overcoming Tiamat. Greek myths in brief Sources There was a strong oral tradition in Greece, as in most other cultures. However, the particular richness and complexity of Greek mythological owes much to the fact that the stories were fashioned into literature from early times.

Hesiod’s Theogony One of the first authors was Hesiod, who wrote his Theogony in the eighth century BCE. This was a long poem in which he attempted to collect together all the myths that had been handed down orally and organize them into a comprehensive genealogy. The genius of Homer Homer’s two great epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey are thought to have been composed towards the end of the eighth century BCE. The Iliad chiefly recounts events that took place during the Trojan War, concentrating on key heroic figures such as Achilles, Agamemnon and Hector, while the Odyssey relates the adventures of Odysseus on his return journey from Troy. Although he used historical material, Homer’s purpose was not so much to record past events as to give an exciting account of heroic action. The role of the hero More often than not, the subject of Greek myths is heroic. The role of the hero is mapped out in such recurring themes as the separation from the mother, the overcoming of obstacles, and the finding and supplanting of the father. The great heroes whose lives conform to this pattern include Perseus, Theseus, Jason and Oedipus.

Of these, Perseus can be seen as the most faultless of the Greek heroes. He achieves his quest early on in his career through a combination of the aid of the gods and his own prowess. Then, after winning his bride Andromeda, he nobly gives away his kingdom and rules elsewhere. After this he kills his grandfather by accident and through a trial of skill. In this he fulfils the oracle, but incurs no penalty. Gods and Goddesses The gods were differentiated from the heroes not so much by their strength as by their supernatural power. They demanded worship from heroes and men alike and, in return, were able to perform miracles, offer supernatural protection, or give magical gifts - as in the story of Perseus. The Olympian pantheon of gods was the most well-known, each deity possessing a distinctive character. Twelve of them famously lived on Mount Olympus. In addition to these twelve Olympian deities were Hades, who ruled the Underground realm with his queen, Persephone, and also the dark goddess Hecate, who lived with them. Hestia, goddess of the Hearth, was replaced by Dionysus in the fifth century BCE.

In the story which follows, ‘The Judgement of Paris’, we see how the gods could play with the lives of men. Zeus, Thunderer. Ruler of gods Poseidon, Sea God Apollo, God of Light, linked to Helios Dionysus, God of Wine and Fertility Hera, Wife of Zeus, Queen of gods Athene, Goddess of Wisdom and War Artemis, Virgin Huntress Demeter, Earth Mother, Goddess of Grain Aphrodite, Goddess of Love The Judgement of Paris This famous and intriguing story which is claimed to be the cause of the great Trojan War is found in Apollodorus and is also mentioned by Pausanias. When the dark beauty, Hecuba, the wife of King Priam, was pregnant, she had a terrifying dream. She dreamed she gave birth to a firebrand and awoke screaming that the city of Troy was burning to the ground. Alarmed by this, her husband consulted his son, the seer Aisacros, who told him the baby would one day cause the destruction of his country. Accordingly Priam ordered that the child should be put to death.

So, after the boy was born, he was given to the chief herdsman, Agelaus, to be killed. Agelaus left the child on Mount Ida to die from exposure but, returning five days later, found the boy still alive and took him home, where he brought him up secretly. As a young man, Paris became noted for his extreme beauty, wit and prowess. At about this time the wedding of Peleus and Thetis, the hero and the sea-goddess, was celebrated on Mount Pelion. All the gods and goddesses were invited, with the noted exception of Eris, the Goddess of Strife, who was hideous and disagreeable. Angered at being left out of the nuptuals she strode into the middle of the wedding feast and threw a golden apple into the assembled company. It landed between the three most powerful goddesses, Hera, Athene and Aphrodite. Picking it up, Zeus found it was inscribed ‘For the Fairest’. Wisely deciding not to judge between the three deities himself, Zeus nominated the beautiful Paris as arbiter, but first he sent Hermes to enquire whether he would be willing to act as judge.

Paris agreed and so a time was set for the three goddesses to appear to him on Mount Ida. When the day came, Paris sat himself on a boulder and waited with beating heart for the arrival of the three great deities. All at once a great light appeared which covered the entire mountain. At first Paris was blinded, but then the goddesses cloaked their light in cloud so that he was able to look at them. First Hera, the great queen, approached him and flaunted her beauty in front of him. Radiant with glory she made him a promise. If he awarded her the apple, she would grant him wealth and power. He would rule over the greatest kingdom on earth. Paris felt the excitement of this and his ambition rose up and yearned for her gift. After that, grey-eyed Athene approached him, drawing near and bending down, so that he might look into the magical depths of her eyes. She promised him victory in all battles, together with glory and wisdom - the three most precious gifts a man could have. This time Paris felt his mind leap with excitement and with desire for the riches of knowledge and the glory of prowess. Then it was the turn of Aphrodite.

Hanging back a little, she tilted her head so that her hair fell forward, concealing a blush on her face. Then she loosened the girdle of her robe and beneath it, Paris caught sight of her perfectly formed breast, white as alabaster. ‘Paris,’ she said, and her voice seemed to sing inside his head. ‘Give me the apple and in return I will give you the gift of love. You will possess the most beautiful woman in the land, a woman equal to me in perfection of form. With her you will experience the greatest delights of love-making. Choose me, Paris, and she will be yours.’ Then Paris, overpowered by the intoxication of her words and her beauty, found himself handing her the apple without even pausing to reflect on his decision, guided only by the strength of his desire. So it was that Paris awarded the Apple of Discord to Aphrodite, and Hera and Athene became his implacable enemies. True to her promise, Aphrodite gave him Helen, the most beautiful woman living on the earth at that time - but, in order to enjoy her, he had to snatch her from her powerful husband, Menelaus.

So began the terrible ten-years’ war between the Trojans and the Greeks in which many a brave hero lost his life, including Paris himself, and after which the great hero Odysseus wandered the seas for a further ten long years before returning home. The Judgement of Paris, Hendrick van Balen. Paris holds the golden apple. Commentary This brief episode, which is to have such far-reaching consequences, begins on a suitably ominous note. Hecuba’s dream is reminiscent of other prophetic dreams and portents. As is usually the case, those involved take drastic steps to prevent the awful prophecy coming true. This is the case with the Celtic Deirdre, whose beauty causes similar strife, and Oedipus (see Chapter 4), who is exposed as an infant in a similar way to Paris. Like Oedipus, and other heroes, Paris grows up unaware of his true parentage. Ironically he is even said to have unwittingly attended his own funeral games, finally held by his real parents for their ‘long-dead’ son! As in other cases, too, the gods ensure that mortals are unable to avoid their fate.

Goddesses dishonoured The full extent to which humans are ruled by the gods only becomes clear when we learn that Aphrodite set up the contest, presumably knowing that she held the trump card. She did so in order to punish Tyndareus, husband of Leda, for dishonouring her. Pausanias relates that Tyndareus put fetters on Aphrodite’s statue in her temple, because he felt that her amorous powers should be confined to marriage. The outraged goddess decided to make all three of his daughters unfaithful to their husbands. The most famous daughter was Helen of Troy, although strictly speaking her father was probably Zeus, who seduced Leda in the form of a swan on a night when she also slept with her husband. The marriage at which the fateful apple is produced is unusual, being between a mortal man and a goddess. The failure to invite Eris, Strife (echoed in the fairytale of Sleeping Beauty), represents a dishonouring comparable with Tyndareus’ treatment of Aphrodite. The implication is that even destructive deities are essential to the psyche and to society, and will make their presence felt if denied.

Similarly, strife is a necessary part of marriage. Eris is associated with Ares, god of war, who in turn is amorously connected to Aphrodite. The beauty contest The contest which Eris initiates sets the three goddesses against each other. In myth, goddesses frequently appear in threes, representing aspects of a single deity. Thus, although Hera, Athene and Aphrodite represent quite different forces, the competition may reflect a time when they were less divided. Paris has a difficult choice. Hera, wife of Zeus, is the goddess of marriage and the home, and as such is always smarting from her husband’s sexual adventures. Athene is a virgin goddess of war and wisdom. Aphrodite is the goddess of sexual love, also associated with physical beauty in all its forms. Yet her affairs with the war god Ares, and her engineering of the Trojan War (as well as lesser conflicts), suggest the close relationship between sexual love and conflict. The apple thrown by Eris is perhaps related to Eve’s apple, representing a Fall from unity to disunity. The contest itself resembles other mythical contests, especially that between three Celtic heroes, including Cuchulainn, over which of them is the greatest hero.

Here the role played by Eris in the Greek myth is paralleled by the mischief-maker Bricriu. In another version of the story, Aphrodite cheats by revealing herself naked except for her magic girdle. Even in the version given here, it seems that the contest is unequal: Paris is overpowered and, contrary to the story’s usual title, is unable to exercise his judgement. We could see this as a metaphor for ‘falling in love’. In an even more intriguing version, found in Euripedes and Apollodorus, Hera, angry with Paris for choosing Aphrodite, creates a phantom Helen, whom he weds, while the real Helen is spirited away to Egypt by Hermes on the orders of Zeus. This implies that Paris does not relate to the real woman, but to a phantasm of his own imagination. In Jungian terms she is the projection of his own anima.

Question: In Greek myth, who led the quest to find the Chrysomallos?
Answer: JASON