archaicwonder:Jason and the Golden Fleece - Greek Bronze Box Mirror, C. Second Half of the 4th Cent
archaicwonder:Jason and the Golden Fleece - Greek Bronze Box Mirror, C. Second Half of the 4th Century BCThis represents one of the great heroes of Greek mythology, Jason, famous for his role as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece: according to the epic poem, in order to regain the throne of his father (Aeson, dispossessed by his half-brother Pelias), Jason left for Colchis (a region located on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, centered on present-day western Georgia) with his companions; there, the king Aites (the Fleece was given to him by Phrixus) promised to give him the Fleece if he could perform three certain tasks. Jason succeeded in the challenges with the help of Medea (the daughter of Aites and Jason’s future wife), took the Fleece and went back to Thessaly, where he reacquired his father’s kingdom after killing his uncle, once again thanks to a trick by Medea.This relief, which illustrates an episode of this long legendary voyage, represents Jason standing as a young athlete, quickly moving to the left. Except for a cloak that flutters in the wind behind him, he is entirely nude. He is armed with a sword, hanging from his shoulder, and with a spear; as defensive weapons, he wears a helmet of the Attic type and a large, richly incised round shield. Between his feet lies the ram’s fleece, which, according to the myth, was guarded by a serpent/dragon, and that Jason is about to steal: the incised tree behind the arm of Jason would have represented the shrub in which the monster was hidden. -- source link
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