Page:Greek and Roman Mythology.djvu/138

 124 GREEK AND ROMAN MYTHOLOGY 2. THE ARGONAUTS 161. The myth of the Argonauts unites the legends of the Thessalian city lolcus and the Boeotian Orchomenus, both of which were inhabited by the old race of the Minyae, with those of Corinth, which from the earliest times had been closely connected with the far east by navigation ; and this union is so complete, probably under the influence of the Ionian epic poets, that the real basis of the myth can no longer be ascertained with cer- tainty, lolcus was the home of Jason, the leader of the Argonauts. He was the son of Aeson, but was under the guardianship of his uncle Pelias, and, like Achilles, Aesculapius, and Hercules, was brought up on the neigh- boring Pelion by the Centaur Chiron and instructed in medical science. During his absence Pelias, as Pindar sings in his fourth Pythian 'ode of victory/ had been given the following oracle : " That in every way he should keep careful guard against the man of one sandal, whenever from the steep pastures to the sunny land of renowned lol- cus he shall come, be he stranger or native " (vv. 75-78). As Jason on his return homeward had lost a shoe in crossing the river Anaurus, Pelias feared that by him he should be robbed of his power, and therefore sent him on an expedition to bring the golden fleece from Aea, the land of Aeetes, in the hope that the youth would perish in the attempt. Jason collected a large band of heroes, built the first large ship, the Argo (' the swift 7 ), under the protection of Hera overcame all the dangers threaten- ing him, and after his return ruled in lolcus, wedded to Medea, the daughter of Aeetes. 162. For Medea persuaded the daughters of Pelias to kill their own father, and promised to bring him to life