Jason | Greek Hero

Jason (Greek: Ἰάσων, transl.: Iásōn), in Greek mythology, was a hero from Thessaly, the son of Esam.

His father, Aeson, was the son of Creteus and Tyre. And his mother, was Polyimede, daughter of Autolithic. Jason was raised by the centaur Chiron.

The throne of Iolco passed from his grandfather Creteus to his uncle Pelias, who was the son of Tyre and Posidon. Fearing the prophecy that he would be killed by Jason, King Pelias sends the hero, as a condition of restoring the throne to him, on an impossible mission:

to bring the Golden Velocus from distant Colchis. In Argos, Jason builds the ship Argo and gathers a crew of heroes, known as the Argonauts, to accompany him.

After several adventures, including the first passage through the Simplegades (the Bosphorus), the Argonauts arrive in Colchis, thinking they are somewhere at the end of the Black Sea.

King Aeetes of Colchis requires Jason to perform several tasks in order to obtain the Velocus, including plowing a field with fire-spitting bulls, sowing the teeth of a dragon, fighting the army that sprouts from the sown teeth, and, finally, passing by the dragon that guards the Velocus itself.

With the Velocus in his hands, Jason flees with Medea, daughter of Aeetes, and faces various adventures on his way home. Medea plots the death of King Pelias, fulfilling the ancient prophecy.

He then retires to Corinth, after ten years of marriage, repudiated Medea to marry Creusa, or Glauce, daughter of Creon, king of Corinth. Medea, in revenge, killed Creusa and her own children whom she had by Jason.

Many years later, Jason is killed by a piece of wood from Argo. In another version, Thessalus, the eldest son of Jason and Medea, escaped being killed and later succeeded Acastus as king of Iolco.