The Golden Fleece paradox

The Caucasus were home to some of the world’s earliest and most proficient goldsmiths. Despite an association between this metal and the mountains that became so strong it was woven into mythology, gold artefacts more or less disappear from a large part of the region for a period of some seven centuries. Nathaniel Erb-Satullo investigates why.

The Caucasus mountains have had, for millennia, a legendary association with gold. Tucked between the Black and Caspian Seas, the region was on the edge of the Greco-Roman world, giving it an air of mystery only enhanced by its misty, snow-capped mountains and dense forests. According to the myths recounted by Greek and Roman writers, the legendary hero Jason was sent on an impossible quest to seek the Golden Fleece, a task so difficult his usurper uncle assumed he would never return.

left A depiction of Jason and the Golden Fleece on a 4th-century BC vessel from south Italy. The myth of Jason and the Argonauts was celebrated by the Greeks and the Romans. It is attested as early as the 8th century BC, but one of the most substantial surviving versions, the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes, dates to the 3rd century BC. How does the legendary wealth of Jason’s destination, Colchis, compare to archaeological finds from the region? — A depiction of Jason and the Golden Fleece on a 4th-century BC vessel from south Italy. The myth of Jason and the Argonauts was celebrated by the Greeks and the Romans. It is attested as early as the 8th century BC, but one of the most substantial surviving versions, the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes, dates to the 3rd century BC. How does the legendary wealth of Jason’s destination, Colchis, compare to archaeological finds from the region? PHOTO: Marie-Lan Nguyen.

Accompanied by the Argonauts and favoured by the gods, Jason travelled to Colchis, a kingdom on the edge of the Black Sea, to retrieve (or, rather, steal) the Golden Fleece. In his successful quest for the Fleece, he won glory and the love of the Colchian king’s daughter, Medea, but left a trail of mayhem that captured the imaginations of Classical authors and playwrights for centuries.

The Roman author Strabo and others even suggested that the Golden Fleece was inspired by real-life mining practices. The use of sheep fleeces to trap heavy gold particles by placing them in streams is a technique that was reported in the region even in recent ethnographic accounts. The story of Jason, the Argonauts, and the Golden Fleece is a myth, but, like many myths, it contains an element of truth.

Related Posts