The golden fleece was defended by bulls, whose hoofs were brass, and
whose breath was fire, and by a never-sleeping dragon that planted
itself at the foot of the tree upon which the fleece was suspended.
Jason was prepared for his undertaking by Medea, the daughter of the
king of the country, herself an accomplished magician, and furnished
with philtres, drugs and enchantments. Thus equipped, he tamed the
bulls, put a yoke on their necks, and caused them to plough two acres
of the stiffest land. He killed the dragon, and, to complete the
adventure, drew the monster's teeth, sowed them in the ground, and saw
an army of soldiers spring from the seed. The army hastened forward to
attack him; but he threw a large stone into the midst of their ranks,
when they immediately turned from him, and, falling on each other,
were all killed with their mutual weapons.
The adventure being accomplished, Medea set out with Jason on his
return to Thessaly. On their arrival, they found Aeson, the father of
Jason, and Pelias, his uncle, who had usurped the throne, both old and
decrepid. Jason applied to Medea, and asked her whether among her
charms she had none to make an old man young again. She replied she
had: she drew the impoverished and watery blood from the body of Aeson;
she infused the juice of certain potent herbs into his veins; and he
rose from the operation as fresh and vigorous a man as his son.
The daughters of Pelias professed a perfect willingness to abdicate
the throne of Iolchos; but, before they retired, they requested Medea
to do the same kindness for their father which she had already done
for Aeson. She said she would. She told them the method was to cut the
old man in pieces, and boil him in a kettle with an infusion of
certain herbs, and he would come out as smooth and active as a child.
The daughters of Pelias a little scrupled the operation. Medea, seeing
this, begged they would not think she was deceiving them. If however
they doubted, she desired they would bring her the oldest ram from
their flocks, and they should see the experiment. Medea cut up the
ram, cast in certain herbs, and the old bell-wether came out as
beautiful and innocent a he-lamb as was ever beheld. The daughters of
Pelias were satisfied. They divided their father in pieces; but he was
never restored either to health or life.
From Iolchos, upon some insurrection of the people, Medea and Jason
fled to Corinth. Here they lived ten years in much harmony. At the end
of that time Jason grew tired of his wife, and fell in love with
Glauce, daughter of the king of Corinth. Medea was greatly exasperated
with his infidelity, and, among other enormities, slew with her own
hand the two children she had borne him before his face, Jason
hastened to punish her barbarity; but Medea mounted a chariot drawn by
fiery dragons, fled through the air to Athens, and escaped.
At Athens she married Aegeus, king of that city. Aegeus by a former wife
had a son, named Theseus, who for some reason had been brought up
obscure, unknown and in exile. At a suitable time he returned home to
his father with the intention to avow his parentage. But Medea was
beforehand with him. She put a poisoned goblet into the hands of Aegeus
at an entertainment he gave to Theseus, with the intent that he should
deliver it to his son. At the critical moment Aegeus cast his eyes on
the sword of Theseus, which he recognised as that which he had
delivered with his son, when a child, and had directed that it should
be brought by him, when a man, as a token of the mystery of his birth.
The goblet was cast away; the father and son rushed into each other's
arms; and Medea fled from Athens in her chariot drawn by dragons
through the air, as she had years before fled from Corinth.