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Medea begs for help from Arete, wife of Alcinous (standing in robe) who is king of Drepane in Sicily. Behind are the Argonauts.
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 Iolcus from Jason's father. 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. Jason, Medea, and the fleece all board Jason's ship, the Argo. Soon after, Medea's father Aeetes follows in pursuit. On the way back to Iolcus, the Argonauts stop at Drepane, a city in Sicily, and are received by the king Alcinous. When Aeetes stops and demands the return of Medea, Alcinous gives an ultimatum - if Medea is already Jason's wife, then no. In this 1901 illustration Medea is seen begging for help from Arete, wife of Alcinous (standing in robe). Behind are the Argonauts.
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Photo credit: © Ivy Close Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
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Keywords: aeetes, aeson, alcinous, ancient, arete, argonauts, drepane, fleece, golden, greece, greek, iolcus, jason, king, legend, medea, myth, mythology, pelias, religion, sicily, world