...threat, sent his son, Jason, to Centaur Cheiron. Meanwhile, Pelias was feared that someone would steal his power, just like he did. When Pelias could no longer contain his fear, he went to an oracle in Delphi. Oracle asked him to fear a man with one sandal. 20 years later, Hera, queen of the gods and goddesses, decided to revenge Pelias by returning Jason in his rightful spot. When Jason was walking towards Iolcus, across the river, Jason witnessed an old lady who was trying to cross the river. Being a philanthropist, Jason carried the elderly lady across the river. While walking across the river, Jason lost his sandal. When Jason arrived at Iolcus to...
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...------------------------------------------------- Top of Form Click a flag for a translation: Bottom of Form This is the title of a poem by Apollonius of Rhodes who lived in the third-century AD. The poem deals with a Greek king, Athamas and his two wives. His first wife, Nephele was afraid of her two children (especially Phrixus, one of the two children) being killed by Ino, the soon-to-be second wife. Nephele, herself, was killed by the king, and Athamas subsequently married his second wife, Princess Ino. She came from a great family; Ino was the daughter of King Thebes. Ino had an urge to kill Phrixus, the boy, so that her children (presumably from an earlier marriage) would inherit the Athamas' kingdom. Princess Ino had thought up an elaborate plan to do away with Prince Phrixus. To accomplish this plan, Princess Ino had to gather all of the corn seed on Athamas' farm and then parch the seeds so that the crop would not grow, a task which she accomplished. When the king became aware of the crop not growing, he sent a messenger to an oracle to ask what he should do. Princess Ino intercepted the messenger and persuaded, most likely through bribery, to say to the king that the crop would not grow unless the king offered up Prince Phrixus as a sacrifice. The people of the region in Greece, who feared starvation, convinced King Athamas to permit the death of Phrixus. At the time of the death of Phrixus and his sister, who was included in this sacrifice, each...
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...Impressed me Most in Greek Mythology – Jason Zhang Sijing 【Abstract】 This paper centers on my own opinions about Jason – a famous hero in Greece mythology. With the help of Medea, who had become his wife afterwards, Jason had led the heroes of Argonauts to get the Golden Fleece successfully. However, the story of he and she was not a romance but end up with a big tragedy. To me, Jason was not a hero as typical as others in Greek mythologies, he was just a man with all his weaknesses which led to his death. 【Key Words】 Greek mythology; hero; Jason; Medea; Argonauts 1. Introduction Among numbers of Greek mythological stories I have read, the one of Jason’s impressed me most. Jason was famous for his role as the leader of the Argonauts which consisted of almost all the famous heroes in Greek at that time. These heroes included some familiar names such as Heracles, Perseus, Theseus and many other unfamiliar ones. They were all gathered together for Jason’s quest to find the Golden Fleece, which was in order to get his throne back from his uncle Pelias. During this long adventure he fell in love with Medea, the sorceress and the princess of Colchis. Only with her help could Jason have done his work. Nevertheless, Jason betrayed Medea in the end, which turned his story into a big tragedy. In his story we are more likely to see a real man instead of a perfect hero. So, this essay is trying to focus on the differences between Jason and other classical heroes in Greek mythologies...
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...include the use of similes, digression, epithets and exceptional characters. The importance of these characters is reflected in the roles and traits that are assigned to them. This is because the plot is developed by the distinctive character traits displayed. In the poem Jason and Medea turn out to be the main characters whose roles are very crucial to the development of the plot. This write-up would therefore try to bring out the distinctive similarities and differences in character traits of Jason and Medea both in deeds and words of Apollonius Voyage of Argo. Typical of all mythical heroes, both Jason and Medea are of royal blood. Jason is a prince whose father, Aeson is the rightful king of Iolcus until the usurpation of his power by Pelias, Aeson’s half-brother a very power-hungry man who wishes to gain dominion over all of Thessaly. Jason is trained by a powerful master, Centaur far from home for the fear that Pelias might kill him and Jason only returns to Iolcus now to reclaim what is rightfully his, thus as a prince he did not get to enjoy a luxurious life. Medea however is a lady who enjoys the joys and luxury of being brought up by her father, Aeetes and therefore has no problems to worry over till Jason arrives in Colchis....
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...particular epithet, a particular attribute or set of attributes is summoned to the performance. According to Theodore Klein, critics of Apollonius single out the pallid and ineffectual personality of Jason as the primary reason for the “aesthetic failure” of the Argonautica. He obtains the object of his quest, the golden fleece, in the end, but only via the help of a witch. He does finally return home to Greece, but only after having dishonorably slain Apsyrtus. Jason’s weakness is epitomized by the epithet amechanos, which may be translated “embarrass” or “incertitude.” The table below presents a few epithets of Homeric heroes: Achilles “Son of Peleus” “Swift-footed” “Breaking through men” “Lion-hearted” “Like to the gods” Aeneas “Son of Anchises” “Counselor of the Trojans” “Lord of the Trojans” “Father” “Loyal/Pious” Agamemnon “Son of Atreus” “Wide-ruling” “The Lord Marshal” “Powerful” “Shepherd of the People” “Brilliant” The unprepossessing figure of Jason is further sunk in relief against the more dominating personalities of the heroes in his crew. The timorous captain often finds himself deferring to the decisions of Heracles and other great heroes of classical lore. Whither Jason? Some have argued that the kind of heroism which the Argonautica highlights is collective heroism; that a more democratic conception lends to a group-centered rather than individual notion of arete...
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...John Anhcondo 02/02/13 G4 Dante’s Inferno: Jason Jason and the Argonauts, a hero of Greek mythology, punished for the sins of a seducer in the eighth circle of hell. He is to march for all eternity and be whipped by demons supervising himself and the other sinner in Dante’s Inferno. One might ask is this punishment too severe, whether it’s for the seduction and abandonment of two women, or even poetic justice for his sins. Jason of Iolcus in Thessaly, the son of the former king of Iolcus, Aeson, was one of the heroes taught by the centaur Chiron. As a young man Jason went to the court of his uncle Pelias to reclaim the throne his father had given his uncle with the condition that Jason would become king when he came of age. King Pelias, warned by an oracle that a man with one sandal would cause him to lose the throne, was alarmed when he saw Jason because, while crossing a river, Jason had lost one of his sandals. To stave off the oracle's predicted ill fortune, Pelias sent Jason on what was presumed to be a suicide mission, which was to fetch the Golden Fleece from Colchis. Jason succeeded in the seemingly impossible quest, with the help of his many heroic friends, known collectively as the Argonauts, and by charming the king's daughter Medea, a witch/sorceress. (It should also be noted that before he met Medea he had slept with a woman of The Isle of Lemnos, and left her with child When he left Colchis, Jason was obligated to take Medea with him because she had betrayed...
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...Lyra represents the lyre of Orpheus, the musician and poet in Greek mythology who was killed by the Bacchantes. When he died, his lyre was thrown into a river. Zeus sent an eagle to get the lyre and placed both of them in the sky. Orpheus was the son of the Thracian King Oeagrus and the muse Calliope. When he was young, god Apollo gave him a golden lyre and taught him to play it, and his mother taught him to write verses. Orpheus was known for his ability to charm even stones with his music, for his attempts to save his wife Eurydice from the underworld, and for being the harpist and companion of Jason and the Argonauts. Without Orpheus and his music, the Argonauts would not have been able to make it past the Sirens, whose song enticed sailors to come to them, which usually resulted in sailors crashing their ships into the islands on which the Sirens lived. When the Argonauts approached the islands, Orpheus drew his lyre and played music that drowned out the Sirens’ calls....
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...Through his adventures with the Argonauts, Jason had all the makings to die as an epic hero considering the favor two goddesses showered over him and the help of his exalted contemporaries but in spite of such backing, a glorious ending was denied to Jason after scorning a woman. As stated in the lecture, Jason is very much the archetypical hero-he adventures far and wide killing monsters, attempts to get a nearly unattainable object and it is not in his nature to remain monogamous. Medea, a woman whom he promised fidelity, is powerful in her own right as a femme fatale and scorned woman, as she has the power to help Jason as well as bring upon his demise. Their relationship was built upon transgressions in order to continue their adventures. By the end of their...
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...The story of Jason and the Golden Fleece, otherwise known as Jason and the Argonauts, is known as one of the oldest myths concerning a hero and his quest. The basis of the story is that Jason’s father is killed by his uncle Pelias, and in order to reclaim the throne that is rightfully his, Jason is asked to seek out an item that Pelias believes will never be found. In the end, Jason is able to recover the Fleece, but at the cost of a promise he made to a sorceress. The sorceress, Medea, helped Jason to defeat a trial that her father set up for him in order to gain the Golden Fleece into his possession. This in turn leads Jason and Medea, to be driven out of their home after he finally does return to his land and gains his throne from his errant uncle. He and Medea are thus exiled to an island far from his home and are allowed the option to someday return home to their kingdom. Once again, to gain power, he agrees to marry another, breaking his promise to his first wife who goes insane and kills all of Jason’s children and his new wife. Depressed, Jason returns to his family’s home where he is subsequently killed by a rotted beam from his ship, the Argo. (Wood, 2005) There are many lessons to be learned from this ancient myth. One can learn the price of broken promises, betrayal, greed, and pride throughout the story. Pride led Jason to seek out the Golden Fleece, an object told itself in tales and was believed to be nothing more than a story. That same pride, while initially...
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...Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη, Aphroditē) Goddess of love, beauty and desire. She was married to Hephaestus, but she had many lovers, including Ares, Adonis and Anchises. She was depicted as a beautiful woman and often naked. Her symbols include roses and other flowers, the scallop shell, and myrtlewreath. Her sacred animals are doves and sparrows. The Roman version of Aphrodite was Venus. Apollo (Ἀπόλλων, Apóllōn) God of light, healing, music, poetry, plague, prophecy, and more. He is the son of Zeus and Leto, and the twin brother of Artemis. Apollo was associated with the Sun; while Artemis was the Moon. Both use a bow and arrow. In the earliest myths, Apollo fights with his half-brother Hermes. In sculpture, Apollo was depicted as a handsome young man with long hair and a perfect physique. His attributes include the laurel wreath and lyre. He often appears in the company of the Muses. Animals sacred to Apollo include roe deer, swans, cicadas, hawks, ravens, crows, foxes, mice and snakes. Ares (Ἄρης, Árēs) God of war and bloodshed. He was the son of Zeus and Hera. He was depicted as a young man, either naked with a helmet and spear or sword, or as an armed warrior. Ares generally represents the chaos of war in contrast to Athena, who represented strategy and skill. Ares' sacred animals are the vulture, venomous snakes, dogs and boars. The Roman version of Ares is Mars. Artemis (Ἄρτεμις, Ártemis) Goddess of hunting, wilderness, animals and childbirth. In later times she became...
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...Greeks and Romans HUM 100 August 2nd, 2011 Greeks and Romans Greeks and Romans The Greeks and Romans are two civilizations that are constantly compared thought out history. People tend to compare their beliefs, views on life, politics, religion just to name a few. The Greeks and Romans were two very powerful entities throughout history. Rich in history, science and the arts. One constant comparison between the Greeks and Romans are their gods. Although they each have different names for their gods, they are quite similar. Greeks views on the individual or the individual and society were that they understood themselves to belong to a common Greek genos their first and foremost loyalty was to their city and country and didn’t see anything wrong with fighting with other Greek city states. The most famous of these was the Peloponnesian war. Which was a civil war between Sparta and Athens. Many variations of this great civil war have been told. From history books to movies, cartoons and children’s storybooks. Through these movies, cartoons and children’s story books gods and heroes have been highlighted and praised. Same way the Greeks praised their gods and heroes. This was called the Heroic Age. Some scholars believe that certain Greek heroes and gods were based on a real men and women living in that time. One hero that stands out would be Hercules. Throughout his complicated mythology perhaps Hercules really existed as a chieftain of the kingdom...
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...worship her with a cult. Aphrodite’s power was revealed in her actions toward both her faithful followers and those who incited her anger. Aphrodite was a very old goddess from other lands, surrounded by the active Greek gods, she was forced in the weaken role. Many statues of Aphrodite were also created. The most celebrated statue was carved by Praxiteles. Aphrodite’s statue has never been found by archaeologists. Do you know what the most famous known carving is? Well, it is called, Aphrodite of Melos. In other words, Venus de Milo, which stands for “Louvre in Paris.” Aphrodite was very kind in using her powers to help her followers. She had her son, Eros, strike Medea with one of his arrows so that she would fall in love with Jason of the Argonauts. Aphrodite cared for the orphaned daughters of Panderos and arranged for their marriages. Aphrodite used her powers to destroy those who tried to prevent the natural...
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...else in the box along with the disease and problems; it was Hope. The one thing needed to combat all of the horrors that were released is Hope. The story teaches that no matter how bad things get, there is always something to fight for, and that is a much more important lesson to pass onto children, something Hawthorne does well. 6. The Heroes; Greek Fairy Tales: Kingsley, Charles, and Vera Bock. The Heroes; Greek Fairy Tales. New York: Macmillan, 1954. Print. Greek Heroes inspire readers in many ways and Kingsley, writing the book for his children, sought to inspire them to achieve higher goals with integrity. With the fable surrounding Jason and the Argonauts, there are numerous challenges and trials the team must face together in order to achieve fame. The value of team work is threaded throughout the stories. The dark tale of Jason who captures the Golden Fleece only to let his fame consume him is representative of the ancient Greek’s willingness to acknowledge that not all stories have a happy ending. Kingsley’s book offers an opportunity to demonstrate that even god like beings are flawed and there are aspects of our world that are outside of an individual’s control. Teaching moments arise as the heroic characters overcome treachery while the villains give into to arrogance and self-praise. 7. Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods, Goddesses, Heroes & Monsters: Napoli, Donna Jo, and Christina Balit. Treasury of Greek Mythology: Classic Stories of Gods...
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...there were many heroes such as Theseus, Perseus, Jason, Achilles, Odysseus, and Hercules who were celebrated for their divine powers and superhuman strengths. When Giglamesh was wandering around and learning what it meant to put his personal egotism aside for the good of others, was he in fact a hero, or was he just simply growing intellectually within himself? All heroes are famous for the extraordinary selfless acts that they perform for the sake of others. The Minotaur that lived in a labyrinth on the island of Crete was defeated by Theseus after the population of Athens was forced to send fourteen children to be eaten by the Minotaur each year to appease him (Infoplease, 2012). Perseus, who was the son of Zeus and Danae, killed the Gorgan Medusa who caused the people who looked directly at her to turn to stone (Infoplease, 2012). In addition, the most fearless and strongest warrior in the Greek war against the Trojans was Achilles, who became invulnerable everywhere in his body except for his heel that his mother held him by when she dipped him in the River Styx (Infoplease, 2012). Odysseus, who is better known as Ulysses, was the King of Ithaca and also a celebrated warrior who assisted the Greeks in the Trojan War. Because of his cleverness and courage, he saved himself and his men from monsters such as the Cyclops (Infoplease, 2012). Unlike the others who were truly the heroes of their time, Jason led the Argonauts in the quest for the Golden Fleece. His uncle...
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...1821 Mexico gained independence from Spain and "Alta California" became a Mexican province rather than a Spanish colony. A new era began in California as ranch life flourished and American trappers began to enter the territory. The Mexican government secularized the missions in 1834 and they were eventually abandoned. In June 1846 a party of settlers occupied Sonoma Plaza and proclaimed a Republic of California and raised the bear flag in rebellion. Known as the Bear Flag Revolt, this insurrection represented one of the first aggressive actions that divided California from Mexico. In 1848 gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill and dramatically altered the course of California's history as miners rushed into the area. On September 9, 1850, California became a state. The Gold Rush brought thousands of immigrants, both foreign and domestic, to California. This and later mass migrations, combined with the state's natural riches, assured Calfornia's success as it developed its diversified agriculture and industry, fisheries, forestry, and mining industries, aircraft plants and shipyards, tourism and recreation, the film industry, and the technological sector epitomized by Silicon Valley (highlighted in another National Register itinerary: Santa Clara County: California's Historic Silicon Valley). More than 90,000 people made their way to California in the two years following the first discovery and more than 300,000 by 1854 — or one of about every 90 people then living in the United...
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