Argo | Mythical Ship

In Greek mythology, Argo (Ancient Greek Ἀργώ / Argṓ) was the name of the monera (galley) on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Pagases, the port of Iolcos, from where they embarked to find the Golden Fleece.

The most complete source on this myth is the account of the Argonautics by Apollonius of Rhodes. The pilot of the ship is called Tiphys and comes from Boeotia.

Presentation

The Argo was built, according to mythological variants, either by Argos, son of Arestor, or by Argos son of Phrixos, one of the two to whom it owes its name. Athena presided over its construction. The Argo had the gifts of speech and clairvoyance, because it was made of oak wood from the sacred wood of the oracle of Dodona. The Argo and its crew were protected by the goddess Hera.

The legend gave its name to the constellation of the ship Argo, today divided into three smaller constellations, the Sails, the Carina and the Stern.

Historical reconstruction

Fascinated by Jason's exploit in the epic of the Golden Fleece, explorer and historian Tim Severin reconstructed the same boat from ancient models and redid his voyage in 1984.