The Golden Fleece
The Golden Fleece was the skin of a large gold ram that on that Frixos and Ellie, children of the king of Orchomenos Athamania, rescued by the bad stepmother Ino, who wanted to destroy. The ram passing over cities, seas and rivers, brought them in the East. In a narrow sea, however, Ellie looked down, zalistike, fell and drowned. Since the strait that was named and called Hellespont.
The ram stopped at Colchis, where reigned King Aeëtes. Frixos to thank him for the hospitality offered him, gave him the skin of a ram, which the king hung in a tree and instructed in a Sleepless dragon to guard.
But what was this Golden Fleece, and what relationship they had with it Frixos and Aeëtes Yes! He was an original, strange story, a human drama, with many emotional swings that heroes are tortured two children from the heartlessness of their stepmother.
Once the king of Boeotia Athamas married the goddess Nephele, by whom he has two cute children, Frixos and Ellie. But later, the errant husband left Nephele and married Ino daughter of Cadmus, a wayward and wicked woman. Near the stepmother of the child's life was unbearable. Deep aversion to them to show daily, suppressing and torturing them with the most cruel and inhumane way.
The heart of stone not never been touched by the entreaties nor the tears of those innocent children. Had they believed stood a barrier to family happiness. So he decided to get rid of. Waiting for the right opportunity, not slow in coming.
Once he fell hunger (famine) in Boeotia. And that's why Ino ordered secretly put into the oven and roast all the seeds of grain which they intended to spread that year. The result was not to grow the crops. Athamas sent envoys to Delphi to ask what to do n 'avert evil. But Ino bribed the messengers, ordering to say that supposedly the oracle instructed children to sacrifice Nefeli.
This evil woman has, finally, to convince Athamas that if the sacrifice, the evil would stop and the gods will bring back the country of the previous boom of the earth and happiness. And he, too stupid and was dutifully fell easily into the net shrewd woman, the thought and refused to sacrifice his children. But Zeus, awake, watching the events at the palace of loveless father who was a spineless game in the hands of his wife and, like a king who was, should have the courage and will to govern wisely the people.
The father of gods and men could not see gross injustices against helpless beings, such as t-innocent children. So immediately sent the real mother of children, Nephele, with the winged ram that had golden fleece. Once the cruel stepmother was ready to drown the children, their mothers' t snap, put the ram on the Temple of Zeus, who had human speech, and escaped. Flew across the Aegean Sea.
As passed over the narrow sea, which connects the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean, the children enjoyed, enjoying the beautiful scenery they saw. From prison to suddenly found in the free world, of torture in relaxation offering the parent always love and affection from the wrong people in the justice of God. The ram flew where I wanted · knew his way. The children were left in this wonderful journey without thinking about anything, open to all their senses in order to enjoy the wise matching of lush yards of ologalanis sea and golden sun, flickering and diving from above the mirror akymanto Sea.
But, it is true, all that is human; they have limits and local time. So the joy of children did not last long. Why is the girl in a moment lost his balance, fell into the sea and there his last breath. The sea, which has just enjoyed a passion, was the wet grave. So this narrow sea, which fell Ellie was named Hellespont, that Sea, Sea of Ellis. Frixos felt deep sorrow for the unfortunate loss of his sister.
Who could go against the Fates goddesses who govern and determine all that is human? The life of the girl was predetermined, as well as the conditions and manner of death. Would escape from the hands of unsympathetic stepmother, but enough to end her life within the deep blue sea. However, mortal humans can not easily n 'severed beloved person to easily and tend f blows of fate. So you Frixos, the depths of his soul, he felt a great frustration, loneliness endless. Everything about him suddenly became meaningless without meaning. For a moment it occurred to his mind the idea to leave himself, and he fall into the deep blue sea, along the journey to the underworld and his beloved brother monakrivi.
But the ram, who understood his thoughts and sensed his intentions, he spoke with 'human speech. The divine animal courage and gave the lad courage, optimism about life. "The gods of arranging everything," she said. "We all have a mission on earth; this mission we must succeed."
Thus, continuing the journey Frixos, arrived in Colchis, in the distant country of the Caucasus, where his son reigned Sun Aeëtes, brother of Pasiphae (king of Crete) and the sorceress Circe. In that country of Aeetes rays of the sun rested and again awakened in the relentless hunt of the day and at night. The Aeëtes sincerely welcomed and hosted Frixos. He later gave his daughter Halkiopi woman. So the name was because he had "a bronze face. But the ram was intended from the beginning for sacrifice. So Frixos offered it to Fyxio Zeus was the protector of the escapees and the Golden Fleece (fleece) surrendered to the father in law, to the store. The Aeëtes hanging in an oak tree in the temple of Mars and put security guards of a dragon, a giant snake, who always remained vigilant and not allow anyone to pass. Was capable wraps a big ship with all its crew.