Greek Myths XS: The Voyage of the Argonauts

What the “Lord of the Rings”-cycle is for modern readers, was the Argonauts’ quest in antiquity. It all starts with the flight of two children on the back of a golden ram. One dies, but the other finds refuge in Kolchos, and exhibits the ram’s fleece as a grateful reminder. Enter Iason, aspiring king of Iolkos, who’s promised the throne when he retrieves the fleece. He assembles a crew of heroes and commissions a magnificent ship: the Argo (meaning “swift”). The term “Argonaut” means “Argo-sailer”, hence “kosmonauts”, “astronauts”, “taikonauts” and so on. A group of the crew are adressed as “Minyans”, which has a familiar ring to it… The quest stands under the high protection of Hera, because she hates the residing king and therefore champions Iason. And of course, Athena is by their side, as she favours all things heroic. She ads a speaking figurehead to the ship, which proves a big help. The quest succeeds, but Iason will never become king, and after his death, the Argo gets its place at the night sky, as the constellation Argo Navis.

Athena puts the mast on the Argo, Construction of the Argo, relief,

British Museum, London, UK

Construction of the Argo, Relief, British Museum, London, UK

Did you know?

• Since the ancient Greeks favoured the ship as means of travel, they only undertook voyages during the summer months.

• The Argo was named after his builder, the famous Argos. Some make him the son of the boy who sat on the ram’s back, but that’s chronologically improbable.

• Some myths state the Argo was the first ship ever built. Others say the Egyptian Danaos had already invented ships. (Cfr.”Dysfunctional”). Athena/Minerva would have added a magical speaking piece of wood, from the oak groves of the oracle of Dodona.

• The novel “Jason and the Argonauts” by Apollonius of Rhodes is one of the “big five”, cfr. “Penguin Classics”.

• About Hera’s/Juno's dislike for the king of Iolkos: cfr. “The Enemy of my Enemy”.

• Iason/Jason would either have died by suicide after losing his children (cfr. “Darkness”), or would be killed on board of his ship, when a rotten beam fell upon his head.

• An “argonaut” is also a unique kind of octopus, which Aristotle called “nautilus”, hence the name of the submarine in Jules Verne’s “20 000 Miles beneath the Sea”.

• The term “Minyans” describes a group of people descending from the Beotian king Minyas. As a generic name for a group of crew members, it seems to have a strong connection with the contemporary term “minions”.

• About the ram with the golden fleece: cfr. “Contageous Optimism”, “A little Lamb”, “Head in the Clouds”, “Darkness”.

• Some notable members of the Argo’s crew:

  -       Orpheus, cfr. “Starstruck”

  -       Admetos/Admetus, cfr. “Till Death Do Us Part”

  -       Koronos, son of Kainis/Caeneus, cfr. “Same Difference”

  -       Mopsos/Mopsus, cfr. “Claim to Fame”

  -       Theseus, cfr. “Poseidon’s Bull”, “Paradoxes”, “A Mixed Marriage”, “Female Logic”, “The Wineskin”.

  -       Pirithoös, cfr. “Same Difference”

  -       Butes, lover of Aphrodite

  -       Tiphys, the helmsman

  -       Herakles/Hercules, cfr. “Third Time’s a Charm”

  -       Hylas, cfr. “On Golden Pond”

  -       Nauplius, cfr. “A Beacon of Light”

  -       Kastor/Castor and Polydeukes/Pollux, cfr. “Double the Energy”

  -       Lynkaios/Lyncaeus, who had perfect eyesight

  -       Ankaios, son of Lykourgos/Lycurgus, cfr. “Run to Her”

  -       Augeias/Augeas, cfr. “Spring Cleaning”

  -       Euphemos, the swiftest of all

  -       Meleager, cfr. “Roast Turkey”

  -       Zetes and Kalais/Calais, cfr. “Blind Tasting”

  -       Thersanor, son of Helios/Sol and Leukothoë, cfr. “Follow the Sun”, “Gold Frankincense and Myrrh”.

  -       Hippalkimos, son of Pelops and Hippodamia, cfr. “The Winner takes it All”.

  -       Asklepios/Asclepius, son of Apollo and Koronis/Coronis, cfr. “Romancing the Stone”, “Hygge”, “A Night at the Temple”, “Peony Power”, “A Bad Review”, “The Hippocratic Oath”, “Stakes and Snakes”.

  -       Philoktetes/Philoctetes, cfr. “Humanity”

  -       Atalante, cfr. “A Swiftie”