![](http://www.alamy.com/thumbs/6/5A9BA030-B216-4B15-B43B-CB5A74996B27/E6JCY1.jpg)
Shown here is the Order of the Golden Fleece collar as it was around 1400.
Shown here is the Order of the Golden Fleece collar as it was around 1400. According to Greek mythology, a ram with golden fleece carried the siblings Phrixus and Helle, the children of the king of Boeotia Athamas and his wife Nephele, the goddess of the clouds. When Ino, the children's stepmother, tried to have both killed, Nephele rescued them by putting them on a golden ram that could fly. Helle fell off on the journey, and the Hellespont (present-day Dardanalles, was named for here. Phrixus made it to Colchis, where the fleece was hung on a tree and guarded by a dragon. Jason managed to snatch the Golden Fleece. The Order of the Golden Fleece is a chivalry order that was founded in Bruges by Philip III, duke of Burgundy, in 1430 to celebrate his marrying Princess Isabella of Portugal. It became one of the most prestigious orders in Europe. The illustration dates to 1882.
Size: 5099px × 3513px
Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1400s, burgundy, chivalry, duke, fleece, golden, greek, helle, iii, isabella, jason, legend, medea, medieval, myth, mythology, order, philip, phrixus, portugal, princess