A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

JASON. JASON. i53
son of Aeolus,'and who was on that account like- another,'or it would be easy for him to destroy
wise destined to die, was saved by his own rela- them. Jason now succeeded'in doing as he was
tives, who lamented over him as though he were bid by Aeetes, but the latter, nevertheless, refused
dead, and entrusted him to Cheiron to be educated. giving up the golden fleece, for he had formed the
(Pind. Nemr. iii. 94.) Pelias was now advised by secret plan of burning the ship Argo, and destroyan oracle to be on his guard against a man with ing the Argonauts. But Medeia prevented this,
only one shoe. Once when Pelias offered up a sa- and in the night she conducted her beloved to the
crifice to Poseidon, he invited among others Jason. fleece, sent the dragon to sleep, and having taken
The latter arrived with only one sandal, having possession of the fleece, she embarked with Jason
lost the other in crossing the river Anaurus, on the in the ship Argo. Her brother Absyrtus accombanks of which he lived as a peasant. Another panied them. According to some, Jason, previous
tradition represents Jason as coming in Magnesian to his departure, fought with Aeetes, and killed
costume from Mount Pelion. (Pind. Pyth. iv. 140; him, and Jason, who was wounded, was cured by
Apollod. i. 9. ~ 16.) Instead of the river Anaurus, Medeia. (Diod. iv. 4, 8.) But, according to the
others mention the Evenus or Enipeus, and it is common story, Aeetes pursued the fugitives, and as
added that Hera, being-in love with Jason, assumed he was' near overtaking them, Medeia killed her
the appearance of an old woman, and standing on brother Absyrtus, and scattered the parts of his
the bank of the river, requested him to carry her body into the sea as she fled. The collecting of
across, and that Jason in so doing lost one of his these scattered limbs detained Aeetes; Jason and
sandals. (Hygin. Fab. 13.) Others again relate Medeia thus escaped, and Aeetes buried the colthat Jason, uninvited by Pelias, came from Mount lected limbs of Absyrtus in a place which was
Pelion to Iolcus, found his aged father Aeson still hence called Tomi (pieces, from Tr *vw; Steph.
alive, and demanded the throne of Pelias, who had Byz. s. v. ToEJrs). The Argonauts were subseusurped' it, or had undertaken the government as quently purified by Circe from the murder of Abthe guardian of Jason. (Schol. ad Homn. Od. xii. syrtus. When they arrived in the island of the
70.) Pelias consented to surrender the throne, but Phaeacians, the Colchians who had been sent out
demanded of Jason to remove the curse which in their pursuit overtook them, and demanded the
rested on the family of the Aeolidae, by fetching surrender'of Medeia. Alcinous promised to give
the golden fleece, and soothing the spirit of Phrixus. her up, in case of her not being actually married
(Pind. Pyth. iv. 109, &c.; Diod. iv. 40.) The to Jason, and Arete, the wife of Alcinous, contrived
common story, however, goes on to say that on the to hurry the marriage, in order to avoid the nearrival of Jason at Iolcus, Pelias remembered the cessity of surrendering Medeia. At length Jason
oracle about the man with one shoe, and asked and Medeia arrived at Iolcus. According to Ovid
Jason what he would do if he were told by an (Met. vii. 162, &c.), Jason found his aged father
oracle that he should be killed by one of his sub- Aeson still alive, and Medeia made him young
jects? Jason, on the suggestion of Hera, who again; but according to the common tradition, Pehated Pelias, answered, that he would send him lias, not believing that the Argonauts would ever
out to fetch the golden fleece. Pelias accordingly return, had in the mean time resolved to kill Aeson.
ordered Jason to fetch, the golden fleece, which was But the latterbegged to be permitted to put an end
in the possession of king Aeetes in Colchis, and to his own life, drank the blood of a bull which
was guarded by an ever-watchful dragon. At the he sacrificed, and thus died. Jason's mother
request of Jason, Argus, a son of Phrixus or Ares- cursed Pelias for this crime, and made away with
tor, built the' ship Argo, and the principal heroes of herself.(Diod. iv. 50); and Pelias killed her surGreece being invited to join the expedition, Jason viving young son Promachus. After the perpetraand his companions embarked at Iolcus. They tion of these crimes Jason arrived, and delivered
first landed in Lemnos, which was governed by the fleece to Pelias. He then dedicated the ship
Hypsipyle, by whom Jason became the father of Argo to Poseidon'on the Isthmus, and called upon
Euneus and Nebrophohns (or, as others call him, Medeia to take vengeance on Pelias.' Medeia preDeiphilus, or Thoas; Hygin. Fab. 15; Hom. II. vailed on the daughters of Pelias to cut their father
vii. 468)., After many-adventures, Jason and his to pieces and boil them, pretending that thereby
companions arrived in Colchis, the kingdom of they would restore him to youth and vigour, as she
Aeetes. While Jason was meditating upon the had before changed a ram into a lamb, by boiling
manner in which he might fulfil the conditions the dissected parts of his body in a cauldron. But
under which Aeetes had promised to surrender the Pelias remained dead, and his son Acastus expelled
golden fleece, the sorceress Medeia, the daughter of Jason and Medeia from Iolcus. According to other
Aeetes and Idyia, fell in love with him, and from traditions, Jason, after having taken vengeance on
fear lest he should be killed by the' brazen-footed Pelias, spared the other members of the family,:and fire-breathing bulls whom Jason was to yoke and even raised Acastus to the throne. (Diod. iv.
to a plough, she promised to assist him, and sur- 52, &c.; Hygin. Fab. 24.) The earliest legends
render the fleece to him, if he would take an oath do not mention Jason's expulsion from Iolcus, for
that he would make her his wife, and take her to Hesiod (Theog. 982, &c.) simply relates that Jason
Greece. When Jason promised to do so, Medeia returned to Iolcus, and became by Medeia the fagave him an ointment, with which he was to anoint ther of Medeius, who was educated by Cheiron'on
his body, shield and spear, and which was to make the neighbouring Pelion. But according to the
him for one day invulnerable by fire and iron. She common account, Jason and Medeia went from
further informed him, that from the teeth of the Iolcus to Corinth, where they lived happy for a
-dragon which he was to sow in the field ploughed period of ten years, until Creon, king of Thebes,
with the above-mentioned bull, armed men would betrothed his daughter Glauce or Creusa to Jason,
rise against him, and she commanded him to throw and thus led him to desert Medeia. Medeia instones among them, adding, that as' they would voked the gods by whom Jason had sworn to be
fight about those stones, they would destroy one faithful to her, and sent to SGlauce a poisoned at