by Neil Smith
The Harpies. Ancient sources usually describe the harpies as beautiful women with wings. It is not until the Middle-Ages that the harpies are re-imagined as the hideous bird-women that are more common in modern depictions. This artwork depicts them in the more modern style, which seems more appropriate to their role of tormentors and despoilers in the story of Jason.
These rocks were not anchored but clashed against each other, crushing anything caught between them. If the Argonauts tried to rush through blindly, moreover, they would surely die. Rather, they must send a dove through first, and if it made it, then the Argonauts must use all their strength on the oars to pull themselves through after the bird. Of course, if the bird got crushed, they would have to turn back and try again.
Phineas proceeded to tell the Argonauts what would come after they navigated safely through the rocks. Much of it was a travelogue of places and tribes they would encounter, and some that they should avoid, until they came to the end of their journey at the shady grove of Ares, where a massive and ever-vigilant serpent lay curled round the oak tree that held the Golden Fleece. The old man’s declaration stunned the Argonauts into silence as the dangers ahead sunk in to their imaginations. Jason was clearly dismayed, and asked Phineas how they would ever get back to Greece even if they managed to secure the Fleece. The prophet told him not to worry about that, because a goddess would show them the way, though they would return by a different route. Before he could say more, however, Zetes and Calaïs flew in to tell the men of their success against the Harpies.
The harpies by José Daniel Cabrera Peña.
The Argonauts celebrated their victory before Jason turned again to Phineas. He said that it was obvious that at least one god cared for Phineas, and that maybe that meant the old man could regain his sight. But Phineas waved him off, proclaiming that his eyes were useless, and, besides, what he wished for most was a swift death to relieve his suffering.
Jason and Phineas made small talk for a while in the pre-dawn light, and, when the sun rose, the local Thynian people came to hear the old man’s oracles. Phineas patiently dealt with each request throughout the rest of the day. When his friend Paraebius arrived, Phineas asked him to fetch two sheep fit for an evening feast. When it was time to prepare the fire for the sheep, Phineas called on Jason, Zetes, and Calaïs to perform the devotion to Apollo, god of prophecy. Their prayers complete, the crew settled down to their feast before turning in for the night.
They hoped to sail the next morning, but, while they slept, the Etesian winds began to blow, stranding the Argo. For days afterwards, Jason’s crew had little to do but watch the daily procession of Thynians seeking Phineas’s counsel. The winds eventually dropped, and the Argonauts were finally able to row out to sea, not forgetting to bring with them a white dove.
The Clashing Rocks
It did not take long for the Argo to reach the dreaded clashing rocks. A winding strait surrounded by cliffs marked the entrance to the channel where the rocks promised a violent welcome for unsuspecting travellers, but what truly heralded their location was the awful din created by the rocks constantly crashing together and then falling back. Euphemus grabbed the dove in anticipation, so that when they rounded the last bend he was ready to let the bird fly. The terrified Argonauts watched Euphemus release the dove, then their gaze followed the desperate bird as it flew into the widening chasm created as the rocks drew apart. Sensing movement, the rocks sprang forward again, casting a massive cloud of spray over the Argo.
The Argo heads for the Clashing Rocks. (Look and Learn)
Jason’s crew could only hear the roar of the surf surging in and out of the caves under the cliffs, and feel the current whip the Argo round. Amidst the disorientating violence of noise and movement, however, they could see clearly that although the rocks had stripped the dove’s tail feathers, the bird had made it through. The rocks drew apart once more: now was the time to strike. Tiphys called on the Argonauts to pull on their oars with everything they had.
Jason (Jason London) guides the Argo through the Clashing Rocks in this still from the 2000 made-for-television movie. (AF archive / Alamy)
The rowers took up Tiphys’s challenge and pulled, knowing their lives depended on it. Their anxiety turned into terror, however, when the tide proved too strong to overcome and began to drag the Argo back into the killing zone. When a huge wave rose up before them, the crew instinctively ducked, believing their end had come, but Tiphys masterfully eased the battered ship over the crest, and the Argonauts sighed with relief as the wave rolled away behind them. Then Euphemus stood and urged the rowers to put in more effort. The Argonauts redoubled their efforts, bending the oars almost to their breaking point, desperately trying to force their way past the closing rocks. Another wave struck the ship, holding it in the maelstrom amidst a tempest of noise and violence. Just when all seemed lost, however, Athena rose up out of the water and held the rocks back with her left hand while, with her right, she pushed the Argo forward over the deadly waves.
The ship only just made it into the calm waters beyond the clashing rocks, her exhausted crew slumping over their oars. Athena returned to Olympus, her work done, leaving behind the rocks fused together forever, as foretold in an oracle. No sailor would ever again have to go through the ordeal of the Argonauts.
One man remained unhappy: Jason. After the ship had sailed into safer waters, Tiphys turned to his captain to remind him that Phineas’s prophecies were coming true and that, with the divine aid of Athena, this quest would now go much more smoothly. Jason thought for a moment before baring his soul to Tiphys and the rest of the crew. He told them how he had made a mistake in accepting this mission, and that he was afraid, not only for himself but for every soul on board the ship. The Argonauts shouted encouragement in return, lifting Jason out of his despair until he asked for calm.
Euphemus releases the dove to fly between the Clashing Rocks. (Look and Learn)
This time he told them that their courage had set an example for him, and that from this moment he would no longer live in fear of what lay ahead. With harmony restored and the dreadful clashing rocks behind them, the Argonauts again took up their oars and pulled. On through the day and night they rowed until they came to the deserted island of Thynias.
Apollo and Lycus
It was a very weary crew indeed that pulled the Argo onto the beach at Thynias. Just as they did, however, a remarkable event occurred that galvanized them once more. Who saw him first was never made clear, but the Argonauts were completely taken aback by the sudden appearance of Apollo flying through the skies above them. The god was unmistakeable, with his long golden hair and silver bow, and, as he passed, the ground rumbled and quaked, and the surf surged up the beach. Jason’s crew bowed their heads, fearing to stare into the god’s eyes, and remained that way until Apollo disappeared over the horizon.
Orpheus broke their awestruck silence, telling his comrades that they must call this island the Isle of Apollo and make a suitable offering in his honour. The Argonauts immediately made an altar from the shingle, found a goat for the sacrifice, and sang and danced in celebration. When a fresh west wind blew up on their third morning on the Isle of Apollo, the crew made their ship ready and sailed away.
The Argo sped along all that day and on into the night, when, abruptly, the wind failed, compelling the Argonauts to take up their oars once more. By dawn, though, they came in sight of the Acherusian headland, and the relieved sailors pulled up in its shelter. Watching the ship sail in was the local king, Lycus, along with an excited crowd of people. The news of the Argonauts’ defeat of the hated Bebrycians had spread like wildfire, and Lycus ordered a feast prepared for the arriving heroes. He singled out Polydeuces for particular attention, but all of the Argonauts were mobbed and taken into the city to celebrate.
For their part, the Argonauts told of their adventures so far, the trials passed, and the sacrifices given in pursuit of the fabled Golden Fleece. Lycus listened intently before addres
sing Jason and his crew. The king began by grieving for the loss of Heracles, and acknowledging his debt to the Argonauts as a neighbour of the Bebrycians. To that end, he offered to build a temple that all could see, and he ordered his son Dascylus to join the crew and guide them to Colchis. The banquet lasted all night. At dawn, the Argonauts once more started to board their ship, full of hope and confidence as they prepared to set sail, but tragedy lurked nearby.
The Clashing Rocks. The Argonauts release a dove to fly between the Clashing Rocks, as suggested by Phineas. The Argonauts have the ship’s mast in place in order to check the wind, before they make their run between the rocks.
Disaster Strikes
Idmon the soothsayer was as keen as anyone to get back on board the Argo. However as he rushed along the riverbank towards the ship, he did not see a huge white boar cooling itself in the mud. The boar, however, saw Idmon. The enraged animal rushed out of the reeds and crashed into the startled young prophet. One of its dagger-like tusks tore through bone and muscle, dropping Idmon to the muddy ground. The Argonauts ran to the sound of Idmon’s screams and came upon the dreadful scene. Peleus drove the boar back with his spear, but the animal turned and charged again, only for Idas to impale it on his spear. The rest of the crew picked up Idmon and carried him back to the Argo, where he died in their arms. The Argonauts and King Lycus grieved for three days, then buried Idmon in a specially raised barrow.
Calamity struck again almost immediately, when Tiphys suddenly fell ill and died. The Argonauts buried their navigator beside the young seer, and made their way down to the shore, where they sat in desolate silence at this latest cruel turn of events. Most of the crew thought their quest was now at an end, and they rapidly lost hope at ever returning to Greece. The goddess Hera took note of the crew’s despair, however, and breathed courage into Ancaeus. He stood and addressed his comrades, pointing out that he came on this voyage not as a warrior but as a seaman, and, besides, any of them could pilot the ship with the required skill.
The Argo by José Daniel Cabrera Peña.
Peleus stood up too to exhort the Argonauts, but Jason was less easily moved. He asked which of them was a skilled steersman, because he could not see one, and he feared they were stuck facing a wretched fate. Ancaeus would not listen to Jason’s pessimism, and offered to take on the steering duties himself, to which the rest of the Argonauts, including Jason, agreed. They all rallied round and prepared to sail.
The Birds of Ares
It was dawn on the twelfth day before the Argonauts finally left Lycus’s kingdom. They took up their oars until clear of the river mouth, then shook out the sail, which caught the wind and spread. The Argo bucked and ploughed through the waves. As they passed the headland that contained the grave of Sthenelus – a former comrade of Heracles – they saw his ghost wearing a gleaming four-peaked helmet with a blood-red crest. The Argonauts sat in awe at the sight until Mopsus insisted that they land and honour Sthenelus. Jason ordered the ship to shore, where they quickly tied her up and set off for the gravesite. Once there, they offered libations and sacrificed sheep. Orpheus dedicated his lyre, giving his name to the headland, Lyra.
The wind blew strong again when the Argo resumed its voyage, carrying it across the sea like a bird in flight. They passed the stream of Parthenius, then Sesamus, Erythini, Crobialus, Cromna, and Cytorus. The Argo sailed on day and night along the Assyrian coast towards the land of the Amazons, a fearsome tribe of women warriors. Finally, when the seas became too rough and dangerous, Jason ordered the Argo into shore for shelter, even though the local tribes might prove hostile. The breeze soon rose again, however, and they set sail quickly to avoid any potential fight.
After another day of favourable winds, the Argo reached Chaldia, where the inhabitants, the Chalybes, eschewed farming for working the iron deposits that littered the land. The little ship then rounded the next headland, sailing past the land of the Tibareni, whose men took to their beds when their women gave birth. The Mossynoeci, who lived further along the coast, were even more bizarre; whatever was private in everyone else’s culture was public in their world, and vice-versa, so that even sex was a public spectacle. Jason and the Argonauts were therefore happy to sail past the Mossynoeci too.
The Argonauts made good time until they reached the island of Ares. Here the breeze dropped just as night began to fall, stranding the Argo out to sea. The sailors reached for their oars, paying little attention to a single bird flying above them, though some watched as it shook its wings until a feather fell out. The feather dropped like a lead weight and pierced Oileus’s shoulder, causing him to drop his oar. Eribotes pulled out the feather and tended to the wound, but just then another bird appeared and dived towards the ship. Clytius felled this new attacker with an arrow of his own.
Amphidamas shouted a warning that arrows would not help if a flock of such birds attacked, and that they needed a better plan if they were to get safely to the beach. He told the crew that even Heracles could not fight birds with arrows; rather, he used a bronze rattle to frighten them away. Amphidamas suggested something similar for the Argonauts. He told them to put on their war helmets and protect the ship with shields and spears, then row until the birds came. When they did, the Argonauts were to shout as loud as they could and bang on their shields. The sight and sound of the Argonauts, added Amphidamas, would scare the birds away.
The Argonauts followed Amphidamas’s advice to the letter. They quickly donned their gleaming bronze helmets, the blood-red crests shaking in the breeze. Half of the crew began to row towards the beach while the rest locked their shields to form a roof over the Argo. When all was set, they began shouting at the top of their lungs. They saw no birds yet, but as the ship reached shore, the warriors banged on their shields and a dark cloud of birds rose, showering the Argo with feathers before retreating over the nearby mountains. The Argonauts, having avoided any further casualties, settled down on the beach for the night, but the advent of morning held a further surprise.
Shipwreck of the sons of Phrixus. (Look and Learn)
The Sons of Phrixus
Far away from the island of Ares and the drama unfolding over the Argonauts, the four sons of Phrixus had earlier boarded a Colchian ship bound for Greece. That night, a storm struck from the north when they were passing the island, wrecking their ship and throwing the brothers into the sea. They clung to a beam until, drenched and shaking all over, they washed up on the island. The storm had died down by first light and soon the brothers found themselves walking towards a band of fearsome warriors coming down the beach to investigate.
The shipwrecked brothers pleaded with the strangers to provide some clothes and supplies. At that, Jason stepped forward from the group to offer them help, but he was curious as to how the men came to be there. One, Argos, introduced himself and his brothers – Cytissorus, Phrontis, and Melas – as the sons of Phrixus, who had fled with the fabled Golden Fleece to Colchis. Jason replied excitedly that the brothers were kin to him on his father’s side, and welcomed them as friends. The other Argonauts could hardly believe their ears at this news, and rushed to get clothes and food for the men. The crew and the brothers then built an altar of pebbles to Ares, and sacrificed a sheep in his honour.
During their celebration feast, an ebullient Jason turned to the brothers, offering them a place on his crew. He also told them where he was heading, and asked them to act as guides. Far from the gratitude Jason expected, however, the brothers looked at him in horror. Surely, they asked, Jason did not expect the king of Colchis, Aeëtes, to willingly hand over the Golden Fleece? Argos pointed out to the Argonauts that they may be great warriors but Aeëtes ruled with an iron fist, and had many soldiers at his disposal. Moreover, the Fleece lay under the protection of a massive and ever-vigilant serpent.
The Argonauts visibly paled at the image Argos conjured of the trials that awaited them, but Peleus answered that the Argonauts were a match for anyone, and doubted that the Colchian tribes would inter
fere in their righteous quest. The Argonauts now nodded their heads in agreement with Peleus. The matter settled, and having finished their meal, they turned in for the night. A breeze greeted the dawn, and Jason’s crew, along with the brothers, boarded the Argo and sailed away from the island of Ares, their destination: Colchis.
Colchis
The Argo sailed on, aided by a stiff wind, past the island of Philyra and the lands of the Becheiri, Sapeires, and Byzeres. The Argonauts saw the Caucasus Mountains, and the enormous eagle that was assigned by the gods to repeatedly eat Prometheus’s liver as punishment for his stealing the gift of fire. Not long after the eagle soared out of view, the disturbed sailors heard Prometheus’s screams echo across the waves.
That night, the Argo, under the expert guidance of Argos, sailed into the estuary of the River Phasis. The Argonauts quickly stowed the sail and mast, and rowed into the fast-flowing mouth of the wide river. On their left they could see the mountains and the Colchian city of Aea, while, on their right, the Plain of Ares stretched away towards the sacred grove in which dwelt the serpent guarding the Fleece.
Jason poured out libations of honey and wine to the gods and the souls of dead heroes, asking them to look favourably on his intrusion into their domain. But it was Ancaeus who spoke to remind the crew that this was the time to decide on the best strategy for securing the Fleece. Argos therefore directed the Argo into a shady backwater where they could rest before undertaking the most vital and dangerous part of their mission.