Jason and Argonaut: Part I

Aries the Ram usher in the zodiacs and spring. It was the ram's fleece that is sought after by Jason and Argonaut. How?

Once upon a time; Athamas, a founder of Halos in Thessaly but also king of the city of Orchomenus in Boeotia, took as his first wife the cloud goddess Nephele. They had two children, the boy Phrixus and the girl Helle. Later years Athamas became enamored of and married Ino, the daughter of Cadmus, Founder King of Thebes (Greek). When Nephele left in anger, drought came upon the land by Lord Zeus.

Ino was jealous of her stepchildren for they are next in line for the throne and plotted their deaths. She persuaded Athamas that sacrificing Phrixus was the only way to end the drought. Nephele and Hermes appeared to the children with a winged ram whose fleece was of gold. On the ram's back, Phrixus and his sister Helle escaped as the ram flew across the sea. Helle, however, fell and drowned at Hellespont, which was named after her.

Phrixus arrived safely in Aea, a city in the land of Colchis. Colchis was ruled by Aeëtes. Aeëtes was the son of the Sun Titan Helios, and the brother of the immortal sorceress Circe. Aeëtes welcomed Phrixus and had one of his daughters, Chalciope or Iophossa, married to the young stranger. He sacrifices the ram to Lord Zeus or Poseidon and gives its skin (The Golden Fleece) to King Aeëtes. 

The Golden Fleece was placed upon and nailed to the branch of tree by Phrixus in a grove. The grove was guarded by a dragon that never sleeps, sent by the war-god Ares.

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