BOOK II

arms and quickly lowered the mast at the stay by the forestays, and they
rowed the ship with their oars and made fast to the bank with ropes
stretched to the shore. And they leaped out far eager to touch the land of
Colchis. Here were the ox-stalls where Jason later would yoke the fire-
breathing bulls to plow the field of Ares. Here too was the grove sacred
to the war god, where hung the Golden Fleece guarded by a sleepless
dragon, into which task Jason would be thrust as part of his quest.

By the goddess Hera’s designs, they met Medea, Aeetes’ daughter,
who would be instrumental in helping them obtain the Golden Fleece. It
was in this land that they faced the challenges set by King Aeetes – to yoke
the fierce bulls, sow the dragon’s teeth, and face the warriors that sprang
from the earth where the teeth fell.

These trials were undertaken by Jason, with Medea’s aid – her magical
herbs shielding him from fire and steel, enabling him to yoke the bulls,
sow the field, and defeat the warriors that rose from it. Through guile,
courage, and assistance from the gods, Jason and the Argonauts succeeded
in their tasks. But it was Medea’s enchantments that lulled the guardian
dragon to sleep, allowing Jason to claim the Golden Fleece.

Their departure from Colchis was a race against pursuit, aided by
Medea’s cunning and further feats of bravery. The journey homeward was
marked by perils, interventions of deities, and the tragic loss of heroes.
Yet, it also wove tales of heroism, love, betrayal, and the interplay
between human endeavor and divine will.

Each landing and departure, every challenge met, bound the heroes of the
Argos in a shared fate, making their voyage a lasting legend in the
tapestry of Greek mythology – a quest not just for the Golden Fleece but
for glory, knowledge, and the testing of human limits against the whims of
gods and the ferocity of untamed lands. Through storms they sailed,
navigating the whims of gods and the dangers of uncharted waters,
ultimately returning to Hellas, forever changed by their journey – the
quest for the Golden Fleece a testament to the heroism, desperation, and
the boundless pursuit of honor in the face of insurmountable odds.