Jason and the Argonauts: The Origins and History of the Ancient Greeks' Most Famous Mythological Hero

*Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts of the myth *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading “Beginning with thee, O Phoebus, I will recount the famous deeds of men of old, who, at the behest of King Pelias, down through the mouth of Pontus and between the Cyanean rocks, sped well-benched Argo in quest of the golden fleece.” - Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica The story of Jason and his crew of Argonauts is one of the best-known and most beloved myths of all time. Blockbuster movies have been made about it, and legendary explorer and historian Tim Severin even constructed a replica of the Argo in 1984 and succeeded in sailing it to Colchis (modern-day Georgia). In the ancient world too, this myth was told and retold time and again. The best source of the myth available to the modern reader (generally considered to be Apollonius Rhodius’s Argonautica) comes from the Hellenistic Period (ca. 323-31 BCE), which is very late in terms of most sources available fo