Padraic Colum

The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles Padraic Colum

Jason is born the son of King Aeson. His destiny is to rule Iolcus, the land that his father's brother, King Pelias, has taken from him. When Jason comes of age, he returns to Iolcus. But the king is not yet willing to give up his throne. So he cunningly persuades Jason to accept a dare to bring back the famous Golden Fleece of Colchis. Jason accepts the challenge, unaware that he is being conned into a dangerous and perhaps fatal journey far, far from the land he loves. Along with Heracles and Theseus, Perseus and Atalanta and, of course, the sorceress Medea, Jason travels on a wondrous journey in the ship Argo to strange lands populated by even stranger inhabitants. While they travel, Orpheus, the famous Greek storyteller, sings songs about the gods and goddesses and the creation of heaven and earth. This is the story of Jason, the Argonauts, and their quest for the Golden Fleece.