Aeetes was the king of the island of Colchis in Greek mythology, son of Helios, the sun god, and Perseis, an Oceanid. His sisters were Circe and Pasiphae. In the myth of Phrixus and Helle, the twins that escaped from the wrath of their stepmother, Aeetes welcomed Phrixus when he arrived in Colchis and protected him; in fact, he later married Aeetes’ daughter, Chalciope, and Phrixus gave the famous Golden Fleece to the king as a gift. The Golden Fleece became the item of desire for Jason and the Argonauts, and after successfully completing the tasks that Aeetes asked, they managed to take it for themselves.

See Also: Helios, Perseis, Phrixus, Helle, Jason, Argonauts