M5L3: Golden Fleece Timeline

Jason Helps "Hera" Cross a River

1 CE

Jason was on his way back to his homeland to claim what was once his after being sent away as a baby by his mother for protection. On his way there he helped an old woman cross the river that was actually Hera in disguise to test the type of hero he was. Some say he knew but others say she never revealed herself. This is when he came into Hera's good graces.

Meeting Pelias

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Pelias had known that someone missing a single show would show up to his kingdom and threaten his power. Jason had lost his shoe in helping Hera so when he arrived Pelias knew something was wrong, so he got to know him. He told Jason that he had to go retrieve the Golden Fleece to prove that he was king material. However, Pelias did this to get rid of Jason believing that this journey would kill him.

Journey for the Golden Fleece

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Jason was smart enough to send out a call for anyone wanting to help him on this journey and got replies from very famous heroes that would become a notable group of people. They traveled far and with the help of Hera they were able to gain a ship that was pretty much indestructible. They traveled far before meeting a king who they helped by chasing away Harpies that had been terrorizing him. To thank them for helping him he told them where they could find the golden fleece.

Finding the Fleece

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They were told that the fleece could be found with King Aeetes, so when they arrived he was not happy. However, his daughter was there to calm him and remind him that he was to host. His daughter Medea was made to fall in love with Jason when she saw him by Hera. The king had told Jason he would give him the fleece if he was able to tame two bulls and grow, plow, and harvest a field all in one day. He was able to do all of this and more with the help of Medua. She was a powerful sorceress.

The Harvested Dragons

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The seeds he had planted actually grew fully armed soldiers that began attacking them. Jason was lucky though as Medea was right there to tell him what to do. He ended up getting them to fight themselves instead of him and he made it out alive. The king claimed he would now give him the fleece but in the privacy, with just him and his daughter, he told her he had no intentions of giving him the fleece. Medea hatched a plan to retrieve the fleece.

Finally Getting the Fleece

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Medea offered Jason a tour of the secret grove where the fleece was being displayed. Once there they found out that the fleece was being guarded by a dragon but thanks to Medea she gave it a sleeping potion and they were able to steal it. They ended up taking the fleece and escaping, but when they got back home Jason ended up leaving Medea.

Conclusion

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In Greek Mythology, some characteristics of a hero are someone who is hard-working, compassionate, and respect. Also, someone who is morally pure and willing to do things for others. The heroes are typically working against some kind of force. They're also able to gather a group of people to work towards a goal. Throughout this story, Jason and his companions also stayed very respectful when arriving at the different places, and never used brute force to obtain anything they needed.