by Neil Smith
The need for teamwork in this quest for the Golden Fleece was not reserved for those moments of glory where legends are made. Even the most seemingly mundane tasks needed many hands, and so the Argonauts had to come together immediately just to get their ship into the water. Argus took charge of this operation. They first strengthened the ship by stretching a rope down the sides, and then dug a trench down the beach, as wide as the hull. The crew next placed polished rollers into the trench and readied themselves to push the boat over the rollers and into the sea. When they were in position, Tiphys jumped on board to direct the launch. At his signal, the crew pushed with all their might, starting the Argo on its path. Once the ship had started to move, their task was to slow it down by pulling on the oars to keep it on a steady track. In that manner, the Argo slid into the sea, where her Argonauts fitted the oars and mast, and anchored the vessel.
Athena watches over the gathering of the Argonauts on this vase from the 5th Century BC. (The Art Archive / Alamy)
Satisfied once the Argo was safely secured, the Argonauts drew lots to determine their seating. The benches on either side of the ship each sat two, but the middle seats were assigned to Heracles and Ancaeus, who were the largest and strongest men. The Argonauts unanimously elected Tiphys to steer. With that done, it was now time to honour Apollo with prayer and celebration. The crew raised an altar, using the shingle from the beach, and placed logs of dried olive wood on top.
While that was going on, two bulls were brought down to the beach, along with barley meal and lustral water. Jason saw that everything was in order, and stepped forward to exhort Apollo to guide the voyage and raise soft breezes to speed them on their way. He cast the barley meal, then Ancaeus and Heracles each brought down a steer with a single blow. The rest of the crew carved up the bulls, removing the thigh bones so they could be covered in fat and placed on the altar. Jason lit the bones, with Idmon, beside him, paying close attention to the omens in the smoke. The omens were good, Idmon said; the crew would return with the Golden Fleece, but he, Idmon – like Mopsus – would not, as he was destined to die during the journey.
With dusk falling, the Argonauts spread leaves on the beach to sit on while they ate their feast, drank wine, and talked. Their banter and boasting soon grew lively but Jason sat alone to one side, lost in thought. One of the men, Idas, noticed Jason, and called out to him that he need not be afraid, because no venture failed with Idas as part of the team. He then greedily gulped down a full goblet of wine to the acclaim of some of the crew – but not Idmon, who reminded Idas what happens to those who would taunt the gods with bold prophecies. Idas, having none of it, retorted that if Idmon was so good at prophecy, then what was in store for him? Then two men shaped up to fight and the crew began to take sides, ignoring Jason’s urging that they stop. It was the musician Orpheus who had the last say in the matter. He raised his lyre and began to sing a song of the heavens and the sea, of mountains and rivers, and of how they all came to be. The Argonauts fell into silence, enraptured by the beautiful and soothing song even after Orpheus had stopped playing. The argument and the feast were over, and the Argonauts went to sleep on the beach, after saying a brief prayer to Zeus.
The Argo departs Iolcus. (North Wind Picture Archives / Alamy)
Tiphys woke first, just after dawn, and roused the rest of the Argonauts: it was time to set sail. The crew took their places, stowing their armour and weapons under the benches, where they could reach them easily in a crisis. The men at the back cast off the ropes that tied the Argo to the beach while others offered a brief sacrifice of wine to Poseidon. As for Jason, he would not look back, but only forward. He gave the signal; Orpheus began to pluck on his lyre, Tiphys grabbed the helm to steer, and the crew, as one, dipped their oars into the water and heaved. Smoothly, the ship sped out towards the harbour entrance. Once out into the deeper water, the Argonauts mounted the mast in its box and secured it with forestays. They next unfurled the large, square sail, which immediately caught the breeze and billowed out, pulling the ship past the headland and out into the sea.
A Gathering of Heroes. This image depicts all of the Argonauts gathering before they set off in the Argo. The exact crew of the Argo changes with nearly every telling of the tale. While some heroes, such as Heracles, Orpheus, Polydeuces and the Boreads appear in every version, others only appear in some. For example, Atalanta appears in most versions, but Apollonius says Jason would not take a woman on the quest. Other Greek heroes, such as Theseus and Bellerophon, are also sometimes including amongst the Argonauts.
Into the Storm
The first day’s sailing went well, and it was a satisfied Jason and crew that beached the ship at dusk beside the tomb of Dolops. The wind was beginning to turn, however, and the Argonauts found themselves stuck for two days with little to do but sacrifice some sheep to honour Dolops, and watch the anchored Argo ride the heavy swell. On the third morning, the wind switched round again, and the eager Argonauts set sail once more. So far, the great adventure had proved very uneventful, but that was about to change.
Boreas, god of the north wind, saw the square-sailed Argo ploughing its way through the sea and grew incensed at the audacity of Jason and his band of heroes in challenging his power. He gathered all his strength, drawing in the wind from all directions to unleash on the impertinent ship. The first inklings the Argonauts had of Boreas’s wrath was when the sky turned black as night and the waves began to rise. Then the wind struck. Boreas’s fury ripped the oars from the sailors’ hands, and twisted the ship’s head around so that the Argo turned broadside-on to the storm. Boreas tore the sail from its mast and dipped the yardarm into the water, much to the horror of the crewmen, many of whom now thought their last moments had arrived.
Worse was to come, however, as the south, west, and east winds joined in with Boreas to toss the Argo around like a child’s toy. The ship’s hull breached and began to break apart and water poured in over the sides. Then, just when it seemed that Jason’s quest was about to reach a sudden and dramatic end, Poseidon himself rose up in a fury of his own, having been urged to protect the Argo by Athena and Hera. He immediately calmed the sea and sent the storm rushing off to the south. The relieved Argonauts were saved, but also reminded once again of the power of their gods.
While it is impossible to determine the exact route of the Argo, this map gives a ‘best guess’ based primarily on the text of Apollonius. Over the years, many different routes have been theorized, including one that has the Argonauts going all of the way across mainland Europe, out into the Atlantic Ocean and back into the Mediterranean Sea through the Straights of Gibraltar.
Interlude on Lemnos
The rejuvenated Argonauts sailed on, with favourable winds billowing out the broad sail and pushing the Argo along. Past Meliboea they cruised, then Olympus, home of the gods; they cleared the headland of Canastra at night, and, as dawn broke, the Argo was well on its way to the isle of Lemnos. The breeze stayed fresh all that day, before dying down towards evening, leaving the crew to row the final leg into Lemnos harbour. Once in port, Jason sent Aethalides to the Queen of Lemnos, Hypsipyle, to ask her permission to come ashore. The impending visit of the Argonauts created a unique crisis on the island, however, because the inhabitants were all women and they hid a dark secret.
Sometime before the arrival of the Argo, the Lemnian women killed all the men on the island except one. The reason they did so was because the women were fed up with their men rejecting them, due to a curse imposed by Aphrodite, in favour of captive women brought home from their frequent raids. That sense of neglect grew into murderous rage until one night, the wives killed their husbands, the captives, and anyone on the island who might seek revenge. The one exception was the aging king of Lemnos, Thoas, whose daughter Hypsipyle threw him into an empty wooden chest and cast him adrift to suffer whatever fate had in store. Fortunately for the king, a passing fishing boat picked him up and dropped him off on the shore of the island of Oenoe.
> After carrying out their grim deed, the Lemnian women took fright at the thought of Thracians arriving and asking about their men, the consequences of which could prove terrible. When they spotted the Argo’s sail, the Lemnian women therefore donned their husbands’ armour, and ran down to the beach. There they met the friendly Aethalides much to their relief, but they still had the dilemma of the Argonauts finding out what they had done, so they withdrew to the city to discuss their options.
Hypsipyle opened the assembly. She wanted to provide the Argonauts with food and wine so that they would sail on without asking too many awkward questions. The Queen’s elderly nurse and seeress, Polyxo, foresaw a different problem from newly arrived warriors and their curiosity. By all means, she said, give the Argonauts food and wine, and, if they were lucky, their crimes would go unnoticed. But what would happen, she continued, when the women grew old and could neither defend themselves nor take care of the land? The answer was to trust the strangers and take them in as potential new husbands. The assembly agreed with Polyxo, urging Hypsipyle to send a messenger down to the ship and invite the Argonauts into the city.
The invitation delighted Jason and his crew, who made ready to leave the ship. Jason dressed for the occasion in a stunning purple cloak, given to him by the goddess Athena, which was richly embroidered with mythological scenes. He also picked up the spear given to him by Atalanta when she joined the crew. Jason then walked into the city surrounded by curious women. He ignored his crowd of apparent admirers, striding on until he came to the palace, where he sat in a throne opposite Hypsipyle. The Queen looked away under Jason’s direct gaze, but she was first to speak. She told Jason a story of how the Lemnian men had turned against their wives, favouring captive women instead, until finally the Lemnian women refused to allow the men to come ashore after yet another raid on the Thracians. The men, she continued, asked for all the male children then left to live in Thrace. Hypsipyle next offered Jason her father’s crown if he and his men stayed to father new sons.
Jason returned to the Argo to relate Hypsipyle’s request to his crew. The Argonauts were only too willing to help, and made their way to the city where the Lemnian women took them to their homes. Heracles and a few others stayed behind, however, and missed out on the dancing and banqueting going on in the town. The legendary warrior grew increasingly frustrated as the weeks passed and the search for the Golden Fleece stalled.
Statue of Jason holding the Golden Fleece. (Fabrizio Troiani / Alamy)
Finally, he felt he had waited long enough, and he gathered the Argonauts together to harangue them and remind them of their duty. The crewmen shuffled their feet in shame under Heracles’s admonishing gaze and looked around at each other rather than directly at the great hero. Suitably chastened, the Argonauts prepared to go back to their ship. The Lemnian women begged them to return, but even the queen herself could not stop the Argonauts leaving. She turned to Jason and pleaded for him to come back when he had finished his quest, so that she could be a proper mother to any child she might have as a result of their brief affair. Jason replied that if he did not return she was to send the child to Iolcus.
With that, Jason embarked followed by his Argonauts. Argus cast off the ropes, and the men pulled on their oars, leaving Lemnos in their wake. If any of the Argonauts thought they had left their troubles behind, though, they were about to receive a terrible shock.
The Monstrous Sacrifice
With Lemnos receding into the distance behind them, the Argonauts prepared for their voyage through the Hellespont. Good breezes brought the Argo quickly to the coast of Segeum, where the Argonauts drew in for the night. Heracles and Telamon set out to walk along the shore while the crew pitched their tents and lit fires for their meals. They had not gone far when they heard the lament of a young woman, pleading for her life. The two Argonauts ran down the shore to a small village, where Heracles spotted a shackled woman on a crag. He shouted up to her, asking why she was in this predicament. She replied that she had been drawn by lot as a sacrifice to a sea monster that terrorized the area. She begged Heracles for help, but even as she did so a terrible roar rang out, and the monster emerged from the sea.
The serpentine creature’s coils flowed along behind the upraised neck upon which its fearsome head jutted forward, displaying three rows of razor sharp fangs. On the monster came, driven by a howling wind and raging sea towards its sacrificial meal. Telamon glanced sidelong at Heracles, who was already incanting a prayer to the gods, and readying his weapons. Heracles leaped on to a rock between the monster and its target and loosed his bow, sending arrow after arrow into the raised neck of the beast. Still the monster ploughed on, ignoring the pinpricks on its thick hide. Heracles jumped into the water in a fury, smashing the monster with a rock, then following up with his war club to deliver the final crushing blows.
Telamon ran to fetch the rest of the Argonauts, who stared in amazement at the sea turned red with the monster’s blood. Heracles, meanwhile, climbed up to free the young sacrifice that would no longer be needed. Below, the local inhabitants rejoiced, but the Argonauts did not tarry for long as they had to be on their way.
The Mount of Bears
Liberated from Lemnos and still agog from Heracles’s killing of the monster, the Argonauts put their backs into rowing across the empty sea. At sunset, a south wind caught the sail, providing the men with relief and pushing the little ship into the Hellespont. On they sailed, through day and night, tacking their way up the narrow body of water until they broke through into the wider Propontis, the modern day Sea of Marmara. Their next stop would be an island known to locals as the Mount of Bears.
Heracles (better known in the modern world as Hercules) took a break from his labours to join the crew of the Argo.
The sight that greeted Jason’s crew as they sailed towards the island was one of fields blanketing the slopes of a prominent mountain and flowing down to a very shallow isthmus. It was a peaceful scene but one that belied the dangers ahead, because the inhabitants of the island, the Doliones, faced a fearsome enemy that lived on the high ground. They were the Gegenees, a fierce tribe of six-armed giants. The Doliones and their king, Cyzicus, lived on the plain around the isthmus under the protection of Poseidon, who kept the Gegenees at bay. When they saw the Argo’s square sail rising over the horizon, the Doliones rushed down to the shore to greet the strangers.
Cyzicus was still a young man, newly married, and that placed upon him the duty of protecting his people. But he had heard a prophecy that a band of heroes would arrive, and that when they did, he was to meet them with friendship, not war. The king therefore ordered a banquet for his guests, and mingled with them, asking who they were and from where they had sailed. He found out quickly about the quest for the Golden Fleece, and he told the Argonauts in return about the peoples and places in the vicinity, but he did not know any more than local knowledge. The feast continued well into the night, but Jason was determined to climb the mountain in the morning and scout the horizons.
When dawn broke, he took some men and trailed up the mountain along a narrow track, not knowing that they were under hostile surveillance. Once at the top, their first action was to order the ship brought round to anchor in the harbour at Chytus, on the other side of the island. The watching Gegenees seized this opportune moment, however, to launch their attack on the ship.
The Gegenees raced down the mountainside to intercept the Argo from the crags around the harbour entrance. They hurled rocks down from their vantage point, but they had reckoned without Heracles, who had remained behind with some crewmen to guard the ship and steer it into safe harbour. He picked up his massive war bow and unleashed a storm of arrows, each one finding a target amongst the Gegenees. Meanwhile, Jason and his force of Argonauts sprinted down the mountain, unleashing a barrage of arrows and spears into the now-trapped Gegenees until all of them fell dead. Once the fighting was over, Jason ordered the Gegenees’ corpses to be laid in rows along the beach, with their bod
ies half in the water so that both the fish and birds could feed on them.
The Argo painted by Konstantinos Volanakis.
BRONZE AGE SHIPS AND SEAFARING
Not all Bronze Age ships received the direct blessings of a goddess as Jason’s Argo did, but in all other aspects his ship was typical for the age. The Mycenaean Greeks were the pre-eminent seafarers during the time that Jason’s voyage probably took place. Their warships, in particular, were suited for close-to-shore navigation and raiding into estuaries and up rivers. The Argo was such a vessel, at about ninety feet long and ten feet wide, with room for twenty-five rowers on each side, each occupying only three feet of space.
The only decking were two little areas fore and aft, connected by a walkway down the centre; therefore, the crew had to stow their equipment under their benches. Both the front and rear of the vessel were curved, though a horizontal beam projected from the front at sea level; this was to aid stability and make it easier to beach the ship when required.
