On Jason's way to Colchis, he sees an old woman trying to cross a stream—she was Hera, the wife of the all-powerful Zeus.

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In ancient Greek mythology, the Greek hero Jason sought the Golden Fleece in Colchis to bring it back to his uncle Pelias, who had usurped the throne of Ioclus (in Thessaly in Greece) from Jason's father. Jason's mother had smuggled him out of the kingdom but later the gods told Jason to go to the kingdom of Iolcus. On his way he sees an old woman trying to cross a stream. She turns out to be Hera, the wife of the all-powerful Zeus (Juno and Jupiter to the Romans) - pictured in this 1885 illustration revealing herself to Jason. In carrying her across the river, Jason loses a sandal. His uncle Pelias had been warned to beware a stranger wearing one shoe. Pelias seeing the stranger with one sandal recognized the prophecy and sent Jason to fetch the Golden Fleece, believing he would die trying to do so. With the aid of Medea, the daughter of Aeetes, the king of Colchis, Jason snatched the fleece. Medea fell in love with Jason and left Colchis with him and returned to Iolcus.

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Size: 3411px × 5340px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No

Keywords: ancient, colchis, fleece, goddess, golden, greece, greek, hera, iolcus, jason, juno, kingdom, legend, medea, myth, mythology, pelias