Jason and the Argonaut: Part IV

Before the Argonauts arrived in Aea, capital of Colchis, Lady Hera knew they would need the help of Medea, daughter of King Aeëtes. Like her aunt, the immortal Circe, Medea was powerful sorceress and high priestess of Hecate, Goddess of Magic and Witchcraft. Hera knew that the Argonauts would fail in their quest without Medea's magic.

To achieve this, Hera wanted Medea to fall madly in love with Jason, that she would even betray her father. Hera commanded Aphrodite to let her son Eros to make Medea instantly fall in love with Jason, with one of his arrow. Aphrodite agreed and instructed Eros, making Medea falling under Jason's charm.

When Jason arrived with his men in Aea, Hera made sure that the first person to meet Jason would be Medea, who instantly fell in love with the hero when Eros pierced her with his arrow. The Argonauts went ashore and decided to make their way to the city of Aea, to the court of King Aeëtes of Colchis.

As a guest of Aeëtes, Jason was entertained, until Jason demanded his host for the Golden Fleece. Aeëtes wanted to kill Jason right that moment but he knew that such a dastardly act would only make matters worse. Realizing he can't kill his guest (Don’t forget Jason travel with heroes from Greece it would be one hell of a fight), Aeëtes agreed to give the ram to Jason if he could perform several tasks.
 Jason, himself must:
• Face the Fire-breathing bulls.
• Make the bulls plough the field.
• Planting dragon's teeth in the earth.
• Finally defeat armed men that would spring out of the earth.
Without Heracles this tasks seemed impossible for an ordinary hero. Jason reluctantly agreed. Medea, learning what her father had intended Jason to do; she could not help but feel longing and concern for the young hero. She decided to betray her father by helping Jason perform the tasks. She went to meet Jason at his ship, gave the hero a fire resistant ointment that would protect him from the flame of the fire-breathing bull. She also told Jason how to face the dragon-teeth men.
The next day, protected from fire for a single day, Jason successfully had the pair of fire-breathing bulls tied and collared to a yoke. Jason set about plowing the field and planting dragon teeth in the soil. When dozens of armed men sprang out of the earth, like the Theban king Cadmus, Jason threw rocks at the dragon-teeth men so they face and kill one another, instead of him. Jason dispatched the few surviving dragon men with his sword.
Aeëtes was enraged when Jason had succeeded his all the difficult tasks, he knew that someone in his family had betrayed him. He thought it was his grandsons by his other daughter and Phrixus. Instead Aeëtes secretly urged his people to attack the Argonauts.

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