Argonauts

For other uses, see Argonaut (disambiguation).

Gathering of the Argonauts, Attic red-figure krater, 460–450 BC, Louvre (G 341).

The Argonauts (/ˈɑːrɡənɔːt/; Ancient Greek: Ἀργοναῦται Argonautai) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War, around 1300 BC, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, Argo, named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts" literally means "Argo sailors". They were sometimes called Minyans, after a prehistoric tribe in the area.

Contents

Mythology

Background

Pelias, king of Iolcos, stops on the steps of a temple as he recognises young Jason by his missing sandal; Roman fresco from Pompeii, 1st century AD.

After the death of King Cretheus, the Aeolian Pelias usurped the Iolcan throne from his half-brother Aeson and became king of Iolcus in Thessaly (near the modern city of Volos). Because of this unlawful act, an oracle warned him that a descendant of Aeolus would seek revenge. Pelias put to death every prominent descendant of Aeolus he could, but spared Aeson because of the pleas of their mother Tyro. Instead, Pelias kept Aeson prisoner and forced him to renounce his inheritance. Aeson married Alcimede, who bore him a son named Jason. Pelias intended to kill the baby at once, but Alcimede summoned her kinswomen to weep over him as if he were stillborn. She faked a burial and smuggled the baby to Mount Pelion. He was raised by the centaur Chiron, the trainer of heroes.

When Jason was 20 years old, an oracle ordered him to dress as a Magnesian and head to the Iolcan court. While traveling Jason lost his sandal crossing the muddy Anavros river while helping an old woman (Hera in disguise). The goddess was angry with King Pelias for killing his stepmother Sidero after she had sought refuge in Hera's temple.

Another oracle warned Pelias to be on his guard against a man with one shoe. Pelias was presiding over a sacrifice to Poseidon with several neighboring kings in attendance. Among the crowd stood a tall youth in leopard skin with only one sandal. Pelias recognized that Jason was his nephew. He could not kill him because prominent kings of the Aeolian family were present. Instead, he asked Jason: "What would you do if an oracle announced that one of your fellow-citizens were destined to kill you?" Jason replied that he would send him to go and fetch the Golden Fleece, not knowing that Hera had put those words in his mouth.

Jason learned later that Pelias was being haunted by the ghost of Phrixus. Phrixus had fled from Orchomenus riding on a divine ram to avoid being sacrificed and took refuge in Colchis where he was later denied proper burial. According to an oracle, Iolcus would never prosper unless his ghost was taken back in a ship, together with the golden ram's fleece. This fleece now hung from a tree in the grove of the Colchian Ares, guarded night and day by a dragon that never slept. Pelias swore before Zeus that he would give up the throne at Jason's return while expecting that Jason's attempt to steal the Golden Fleece would be a fatal enterprise. However, Hera acted in Jason's favour during the perilous journey.

The crew of the Argo

There is no definite list of the Argonauts. H.J. Rose explains this was because "an Argonautic ancestor was an addition to even the proudest of pedigrees." The following list is collated from several lists given in ancient sources.

Crew	Sources						Appearance	Abode	Parentage and Notes
	Apollonius	Apollodorus	Valerius	Hyginus	Orphic	Lemprie
Beginning of Journey
Acastus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Pherae or Iolcus	son of Pelias and Anaxibia or Phylomache; he joined the Argonauts as a volunteer and at his own accord
Actor		✓		✓		✓	3	Pellene, Peloponnesus	son of Hippasus
Admetus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Pherae	son of Pheres and Periclymene; his flocks they say were pastured by Apollo
Aethalides	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Larissa, Thessaly	son of Hermes and Eupolemeia
Amphiaraus		✓		✓*		✓	3	Argos	son of Oicles and Hypermnestra; *he could fit the description of Hyginus ". . . Thestius’ daughter, an Argive." which could be interpreted as Amphiaraus, son of Oicles and Hypermnestra, Thestius' daughter and an Argive.
Amphidamas or Iphidamas	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Tegea, Arcadia	son of Aleus and Cleobule
Amphion	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Pellene, Peloponnesus	son of Hyperasius and Hypso or of Hippasus
Ancaeus	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Parthenia or Samos	son of Poseidon and Astypalaea or Althaea
Ancaeus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Tegea, Arcadia	son of Lycurgus and Eurynome or Cleophyle; he went clad in the skin of a Maenalian bear and wielded a huge two-edged battleaxe
Areius	✓				✓	✓	3	Argos	son of Bias and Pero
Argus	✓		✓		✓	✓	4	Argos	son of Arestor or Polybus and Argia or Danaus; builder of Argo
Argus		✓				✓	2	-	son of Phrixus; builder of Argo (might be conflated with Argus the builder by late mythographers because Argus, the son of Phrixus appeared in the later part of the story according to earlier accounts on the Argonauts' voyage). see Argus below.
Armenus						✓	1	Armenium, Thessaly	-
Ascalaphus		✓				✓	2	Orchomenus	son of Ares and Astyoche; later one of the Suitors of Helen and led the Orchomenians in the Trojan War.
Asclepius				✓		✓	2	Tricca	son of Apollo and Coronis or Arsinoe
Asterion or Asterius	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Peiresiae, Thessaly	son of Cometes and Antigona or of Hyperasius; he was probably conflated by Hyginus with Asterius below when saying Asterion as the son of Hyperasius.
Asterius or Asterion or Deucalion*	✓		✓*	✓	✓	✓	5	Pellene, Peloponnesus	son of Hyperasius and Hypso or of Hippasus; in the account of Valerius, Deucalion was the name of the brother of Amphion instead of Asterius.
Atalanta		✓				✓	2	Arcadia	daughter of Schoeneus or Iasus; Atalanta is included on the list by Pseudo-Apollodorus, but Apollonius claims that Jason forbade her because she was a woman and could cause strife in the otherwise all-male crew. Other sources state that she was asked, but refused.
Augeas	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	5	Pisa, Elis	son of Helios and Nausidame
Autolycus		✓				✓	2	Thessaly	son of Hermes
Azorus						✓	1	-	-
Buphagus						✓	1	-	-
Butes	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Athens (Cecropia)	son of Coronus
Calaïs	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Thrace	son of Boreas and Oreithyia
Caeneus		✓		✓		✓	3	Gyrton	son of Coronus
Canthus	✓		✓*	✓	✓	✓	5	Chalcis or Cerinthus, Euboea	son of Canethus or Abas; *name appeared in some notes of the book
Castor	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Sparta	son of Tyndareus or Zeus and Leda
Cepheus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Tegea, Arcadia	son of Aleus and Cleobule
Cius						✓	1	-	-
Clymenus			✓				1	Phylace, Thessaly	possibly son of Phylacus and Clymene as the brother of Iphiclus
Clytius	✓			✓		✓	3	Oechalia	son of Eurytus and Antiope
Coronus	✓			✓	✓	✓	4	Thessaly	son of Caeneus
Deucalion				✓		✓	2	Crete	son of Minos and Pasiphae
Echion	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Alope	son of Hermes and Antianeira or Laothoe
Eneus					✓		1		son of Caeneus
Erginus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Miletus, Caria	son of Poseidon
Eribotes	✓		✓	✓		✓	4	Opus	son of Teleon
Erytus or Eurytus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Alope	son of Hermes and Antianeira or Laothoe
Euphemus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Taenarus, Peloponesse	son of Poseidon and Europe
Euryalus		✓				✓	2	Argos	son of Mecisteus
Eurydamas	✓			✓	✓	✓	4	Ctimene, Dolopia	son of Ctimenus or of Irus and Demonassa
Eurymedon				✓			1	Phlius	son of Dionysus and Ariadne
Eurytion	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Opus	son of Irus and Demonassa or Actor
Glaucus						✓	1	-	-
Heracles	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Thebes	son of Zeus and Alcmena
Hippalcimus				✓			1	Pisa, Elis	son of Pelops and Hippodamia
Hylas	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		5	Oechalia or Argos	son of Theiodamas & Menodice
Ialmenus		✓				✓	2	Orchomenus	son of Ares and Astyoche
Idas	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Messenia	son of Aphareus and Arene
Idmon	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Argos	son of Apollo or Abas or by Cyrene or Antianeira or of Asteria or of Ampycus
Iolaus				✓		✓	2	Argos	son of Iphicles and Automedusa
Iphiclus	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Phylace, Thessaly	son of Phylacus and Clymene
Iphiclus	✓	✓		✓		✓	4	Aetolia	son of Thestius and Leucippe
Iphis or Iphitos			✓				1	Mycenae	son of Sthenelus
Iphis						✓	1	Argos	son of Alector
Iphitos	✓			✓		✓	3	Oechalia	son of Eurytus and Antiope
Iphitos	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Phocis or Peloponnesse	son of Naubolus or Hippasus
Jason	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Iolcus	son of Aeson
Laërtes		✓				✓	2	son of Arcesius and Chalcomedusa	father of Odysseus
Laocoon	✓			✓		✓	3	Calydon	son of Porthaon and half-brother of Oeneus; tutor of Meleager
Leitus		✓				✓	2	Boeotia	son of Alector (Alectryon) and Polybule or of Lacritus and Cleobule
Leodocus or Laodocus	✓		✓		✓	✓	4	Argos	son of Bias and Pero
Lynceus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Messenia	son of Aphareus and Arene
Meleager	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Calydon	son of Oeneus and Althaea
Menoetius	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Opus	son of Actor
Mopsus	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Tiraresia	son of Ampyx and Chloris or Aregonis
Nauplius	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Nauplia	son of Clytoneus or of Poseidon and Amymone
Neleus				✓		✓	2	Pylos	son of Poseidon or Hippocoon
Nestor			✓			✓	2	Pylos	son of Neleus and Chloris
Oileus	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Narycea, Opus	son of Hodoedocus (Leodocus) and Agrianome
Orpheus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Bistonian Pieria, Thrace	son of Calliope and Oeagrus
Palaemon or Palaimonius	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	5	Olenus, Aulis or Calydon	son of Hephaestus or Lernus or Aetolus
Peleus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Phthia	son of Aeacus and Endeis. Father of Achilles
Peneleos		✓				✓	2	Boeotia	son of Hippalmus and Asterope
Periclymenus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Pylos	son of Chloris and Neleus, son of Poseidon
Phalerus	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Athens, Attica	son of Alcon
Phanus		✓				✓	2	-	son of Dionysus and Ariadne
Philoctetes			✓	✓		✓	3	Meliboea	son of Poeas
Phlias	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	5	Araethyrea, Phlius	son of Dionysus and Ariadne
Phocus				✓		✓	2	Magnesia	son of Caeneus and brother of Priasus
Pirithous				✓		✓	2	Larissa	son of Ixion or Zeus by Dia
Poeas		✓				✓	2	Meliboea	son of Thaumacus and father of Philoctetes
Pollux	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Sparta	son of Zeus and Leda
Polyphemus	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Larisa	son of Elatus and Hippea; one of the Lapiths
Priasus				✓		✓	2	Magnesia	son of Caeneus and Phocus
Staphylus		✓				✓	2	Phlius	son of Dionysus and Ariadne
Talaus	✓		✓		✓	✓	4	Argos	son of Bias and Pero
Telamon	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Salamis	son of Aeacus and Endeis. Father of Ajax the Great and Teucer
Theseus		✓		✓		✓	3	Troezen	son of Poseidon or Aegeus by Aethra; slayer of the Minotaur; Apollonius claims that Theseus and Pirithous were trapped in underworld by Hades at the time and could not join. Theseus being on the list is inconsistent with accounts of his life usually including him encountering Medea at an early stage of his adventures, yet many years after the Argonauts completed their adventure (Medea, by that time, was not only abandoned by Jason, but also bore a child from Aegeus).
Tiphys	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	6	Thespia, Boeotia or Elis	son of Hagnias or of Phorbas and Hyrmine
Tydeus			✓				1	Calydon	son of Oeneus and father of Diomedes
Zetes	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		5	Thrace	son of Boreas and Oreithyia
*thersanon				✓			1	Andros	son of Helios and Leucothoe
TOTAL
During or After the Journey
Argus				✓			1	Colchis	sons of Phrixus and Chalciope; They joined the crew only after being rescued by the Argonauts: the four had been stranded on a desert island not far from Colchis, from where they initially sailed with an intent to reach their father's homeland. However, Argus is not to be confused with the other Argus, son of Arestor or Polybus, constructor and eponym of the ship Argo and member of the crew from the beginning.
Cytissorus				✓			1
Melas				✓			1
Phrontis				✓			1
Autolycus	✓		✓	✓			3	Thessaly	sons of Deimachus
Demoleon or Deileon	✓		✓	✓			3
Phlogius	✓		✓	✓			3
Phronius				✓			1
Medea	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓		5	Colchis	daughter of Aeetes; joined when the Fleece was recovered

Several more names are discoverable from other sources:

• Amyrus, eponym of a Thessalian city, is given by Stephanus of Byzantium as "one of the Argonauts"; he is otherwise said to have been a son of Poseidon and to have given his name to the river Amyrus.
• Azorus was the helmsman of Argo according to Hesychius of Alexandria; he could be the same as the Azorus mentioned by Stephanus as founder of the city Azorus in Pelagonia.
• Philammon, son of Apollo was also reported one of the Argonauts.

The Journey

The Argo, by Konstantinos Volanakis (1837–1907).

Jason, along with his other 49 crew-mates, sailed off from Iolcus to Colchis to fetch the golden fleece. They first stopped at Lemnos.

When the Argonauts came to the island of Lemnos, they learned that all the males had been murdered. For the Lemnian women, having learned that their husbands had taken Thracian wives, resolved to kill all men on Lemnos. The women deposed King Thoas, and he should have died along with the other men, but his daughter Hypsipyle, who became queen after him, secretly spared her father. When the Argonauts arrived, Hypsipyle fell in love with their captain Jason and had children with him. But later, when the other women learned that Hypsipyle had spared her father, they sold her as a slave and killed Thoas. (Hypsipyle reappeared years later, when the Argives marching against Thebes learned from her the way to a spring in Nemea, where she served as nurse of the king's son.) The Argonauts consorted with the Lemnian women, and their descendants were called Minyans, since some among them had previously emigrated from Minyan Orchomenus to Iolcus. (Later, these Minyans were driven out from the island, and came to Lacedaemon). Hypsipyle`son, Euneus, later became king of Lemnos. To purify the island from blood guilt, he ordered that all Leminan hearth-fires be put off for nine days and a new fire be brought on a ship from Apollo`s altar in Delos.

The Argonauts made their second stop at Bear Mountain, an island shaped like a bear; the locals, called the Doliones, all descended from Poseidon. Their king Cyzicus, who had just got married, decided to have a huge party with the Argonauts. At the party the king tried to tell Jason to not go to the eastern side of the island, but he got distracted by Heracles, and forgot to tell Jason.

Adaptations of the myth

Literature

• The Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes, a 3rd-century BC Greek epic poem.
• The Argonautica by Gaius Valerius Flaccus, a 1st-century AD Latin epic poem.
• The Life and Death of Jason (1867) by William Morris
• Hercules, My Shipmate (1945) by Robert Graves
• The Greek Myths (1955) by Robert Graves
• Jason and Medeia (1975) by John Gardner, a modern, epic poem in English.
• Despoiled Shore Medea Material Landscape with Argonauts (1982) - a play in the synthetic fragment form by Heiner Müller

The Argonauts (2015) by Maggie Nelson

Film and television

• "ARGONAUT". 1961 33ft. TROJAN Yacht used by Mr. Lloyd Bridges as Mike Nelson in TVs Sea Hunt. Name was derived from the epic Greek tale of "Jason and the Argonauts" by Sea Hunt creator Ivan Tors and Producer Fredrick Ziv.
• Jason and the Argonauts (1963) - film directed by Don Chaffey
• The Argonauts (1971) - Soviet cartoon
• Das Goldene Ding ("The Golden Thing", 1972) German movie directed by Edgar Reitz
• Underworld (1977) - Doctor Who serial loosely based on the story of Jason and the Argonauts
• The Merry Chronicle of the Dangerous Journey (Весёлая хроника опасного путешествия) - a 1986 Soviet musical.
• Jason and the Argonauts (2000) - Hallmark made-for-TV movie
• Atlantis (2013) - television show developed by the BBC

See also

• Argo Navis
• Argonaut Mine
• Jason for more details on the quest for the Golden Fleece
• Toronto Argonauts, a Canadian Football League Team
• Argonaut Rowing Club, a rowing club based out of Toronto
• University of West Florida; the mascot of the University

References

• Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica I, 23–227
• Pseudo-Apollodorus, Bibliotheca I, ix, 16.
• Ken Inglis, This is the ABC: The Australian Broadcasting Commission 1932–1983, 2006

Further reading

• J.R. Bacon, The Voyage of the Argonauts. (London: Methuen, 1925).
• Cannella, Francesca (2015). "″The Heroes of the Fabulous History and the Inventions Ennobled by Them″: The Myth of the Argonauts between Visual Sources and Literary inventio". Music in Art: International Journal for Music Iconography. 40 (1–2): 191–202. ISSN 1522-7464.

• Dimitris Michalopoulos and Antonis Milanos, The Evolution of the Hellenic Mercantile Marine through the Ages, The Piraeus: Institute of Hellenic Maritime History, 2014 (ISBN 9786188059900)

External links

• Jason and the Argonauts, extensive site by Jason Colavito
• Definition of an "argonaut" and the history of how this myth has become embedded in Western culture.