JAP′ETUS, son of Cœlus and Terra, husband of Clymene. He was looked
upon by the Greeks as the father of mankind. See Iapetos.
JA′SON was son of Æson, king of Iolcos; he was brought up by the
centaur Chiron. His uncle Æta sent him to fetch the Golden Fleece from
Colchis (see Argonauts). He went in the ship Argo with forty-nine
companions, the flower of Greek youth. With the help of Juno they got
safe to Colchis, but the King Ætes promised to restore the Golden
Fleece only on condition that the Argonauts performed certain services.
Jason was to tame the wild fiery bulls, and to make them plough the
field of Mars; to sow in the ground the teeth of a serpent, from which
would spring armed men who would fight against him who ploughed the
field of Mars; to kill the fiery dragon which guarded the tree on which
the Golden Fleece was hung. The fate of Jason and the rest of the
Argonauts seemed certain; but Medea, the king’s daughter, fell in love
with Jason, and with the help of charms which she gave him he overcame
all the difficulties which the king had put in his way. He took away
the Golden Fleece and Medea also. The king sent his son Absyrtus to
overtake the fugitives, but Medea killed him, and strewed his limbs in
his father’s path, so that he might be delayed in collecting them, and
this enabled Jason and Medea to escape. After a time Jason got tired of
Medea, and married Glauce, which cruelty Medea revenged by killing her
children before their father’s eyes. Jason was accidentally killed by a
beam of the ship Argo falling on him.
JOCAS′TA (otherwise Epicasta), wife of Laius, King of Thebes, who in
after life married her own son, Œdipus, not knowing who he was, and, on
discovering the fatal mistake, hanged herself.
JOVE. A very general name of Jupiter.
“From the great father of the gods above
My muse begins, for all is full of Jove.”