Aeetes in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Aeetes

23 passages from 7 ancient authors that tell of Aeetes, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. 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 Pasip... For the story in one place, read our article on Aeetes.

Hesiod (3)

Hesiod, Theogony 930–959Poseidon, Ares, Hermes, Dionysus and Heracles (930-959)Poseidon and Amphitrite have Triton, and Aphrodite bears Panic and Fear to Ares, and Harmonia, whom Cadmus marries. Maia bears Hermes, Semele bears Dionysus and Alcmene bears Heracles, who is finally wed to Hebe and lives among the gods. Hephaestus marries Aglaea, Dionysus marries Ariadne, and Perseis bears Circe and Aeetes to Helios, with Aeetes' daughter Medea at the end.
Hesiod, Theogony 960–1022Goddesses and mortal men; the end of the poem (960-1022)The Muses are asked to sing of the goddesses who lay with mortal men. Demeter bears Plutus to Iasion, Harmonia bears Ino, Semele, Agave, Autonoe and Polydorus to Cadmus, and Callirrhoe bears Geryon. The list continues with Eos and Tithonus, Aphrodite and Anchises, Thetis and Peleus, and ends with Circe and Calypso bearing sons to Odysseus before the poet turns to the company of women.
Hesiod, Fragments 5.1–6AegimiusThe Aegimius, attributed to Hesiod or to Cercops of Miletus, is cited for Thetis and her children and for Phrixus coming to the halls of Aeétes. It also gives the story of Io, whom Zeus changed into a cow and whom Hera set Argus to watch, until Hermes killed him.

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 1.9.23–28Jason and Medea: the Golden Fleece, the return and CorinthAt Colchis Aeetes sets Jason the tasks of yoking the fire-breathing bulls and sowing dragon's teeth, and Medea's drugs bring him through; she then helps him take the fleece. Medea kills her brother Apsyrtus to delay pursuit, and the Argo sails on to Circe, the Sirens, the Phaeacians, Crete (where Talos is killed) and Iolcus. Medea tricks the daughters of Pelias into boiling him, and when Jason marries Glauce at Corinth she destroys the bride and her father and kills her own sons. She flees to Athens and marries Aegeus, bears Medus, and finally returns to Colchis to restore Aeetes.

Pindar (1)

Pindar, Pythian Odes 4.143–299Pythian 4: for Arcesilas — the Argonauts and the golden fleeceJason offers Pelias the flocks and herds but asks for the sceptre and throne of his father Aeson, and Pelias answers softly, sending him to fetch the golden fleece and the spirit of Phrixus. Jason gathers the Argonauts, including Orpheus, Echion and Eurytus, who sail after his prayer to Zeus. At Colchis Aeëtes sets him a task, and with Medea's charms Jason wins the fleece, kills the serpent and carries Medea off, and the ode ends with a plea that Arcesilas recall the exile Damophilus.

Apollonius Rhodius (14)

Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 2.1030–1225The birds of Ares and the sons of PhrixusNear the island of Ares the heroes scare off the birds that shoot their feathers like arrows, by wearing helmets and clashing shields. On the island they find the four shipwrecked sons of Phrixus, who are Jason's kinsmen, and who tell them of Aeetes and the sleepless serpent. Argus agrees to guide the Argonauts to Colchis.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3.167–298Medea falls in love with JasonIn council Jason proposes to try Aeetes with words first and goes to the palace with the sons of Phrixus, Telamon and Augeias. Hera hides them in mist; Chalciope greets her sons, and Eros shoots Medea with an arrow as Jason stands among them, so that she is struck with love for him.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3.1163–1277Hecate's rites and the arming of Jason and AeetesJason tells the heroes Medea's counsel, and Telamon fetches the dragon's teeth from Aeetes. By night Jason sacrifices to Hecate, and in the morning Aeetes arms himself and goes to the field of the contest. Jason steeps his weapons in the charm, and Idas cannot break his spear.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.982–1123Medea appeals to Arete on DrepaneArgo comes to the Phaeacian island of Drepane, but a Colchian fleet follows. Medea begs Arete and the heroes for protection, and Arete urges Alcinous to protect her. Alcinous declares that, if she is already Jason's wife, he will not give her up, and Arete sends word to Jason.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3.1–166Hera and Athena ask Cypris to make Medea love JasonThe poet calls on Erato, and Hera and Athena decide to go to Cypris to ask her to make Aeetes' daughter Medea fall in love with Jason. Cypris finds her son Eros playing dice with Ganymede, and persuades him with the promise of a ball that once belonged to Zeus.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3.299–438The banquet and Aeetes' demandsAt the banquet Aeetes questions his grandsons, and Argus tells how his ship was wrecked and why the Argonauts have come. Aeetes grows angry and agrees to give up the Fleece only if Jason will yoke the fire-breathing bulls, plough the field of Ares and sow the dragon's teeth, and Jason accepts.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3.439–575The heroes decide to ask Medea for helpMedea, tormented by love, fears for the stranger's life. Argus tells Jason that Medea knows magic and should be asked for help, and after Peleus, Telamon and Idas offer to face the contest, an omen of a dove escaping a hawk, which Mopsus reads as the will of Cypris, persuades the heroes. Idas scorns the plan, and Argus is sent back to the city.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.212–349Aeetes' pursuit and the route homeAeetes learns of Medea's flight and sends the Colchian fleet in pursuit, and the Argonauts sacrifice to Hecate on the coast of Paphlagonia. Argus advises a different way home by the river Ister, and a heavenly sign confirms it, but Apsyrtus' fleet takes a shorter way. The Argonauts, meeting them at the Brygean islands, agree that Jason keeps the Fleece and Medea is held in trust until a king decides her fate.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3.576–743Aeetes' plot, Medea's dream and Chalciope's pleaAeetes plots to destroy the strangers, but Argus goes to his mother Chalciope, who wants to ask Medea for help. Medea dreams that she undertakes the contest herself and is taken away by the stranger; and when Chalciope begs her to help her sons, Medea agrees and promises to bring charms to the temple of Hecate at dawn.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3.1278–1407Jason yokes the fire-breathing bullsJason anoints himself, faces the bulls, yokes them and ploughs the field of Ares. He sows the dragon's teeth, throws a stone among the Earthborn men who spring up, and they kill each other. Aeetes goes back to the city in anger.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.1–91Medea's flight to the ArgoAeetes plots all night against the Argonauts, and Hera fills Medea with fear for what she has done. Medea says farewell to her room, steals out of the palace, and the moon watches her go. At the river she calls to Phrontis, and begs Jason to take her away and not to dishonour her.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.685–782Circe purifies Jason and MedeaAt Aeaea Circe, daughter of Helios, purifies Jason and Medea of the murder. When she learns the whole story she drives them from her house with reproaches. Hera sends Iris to fetch Thetis and to ask Hephaestus and Aeolus to help Argo.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 3.1026–1162Medea's charm and the lovers' partingMedea tells Jason how to use the charm: sacrifice to Hecate by night, anoint himself and his weapons, and throw a stone among the Earthborn men. They exchange promises to remember each other, Jason speaks of Iolcus and Ariadne, and Medea reproaches him before they part; she returns home in distress.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.92–211Jason takes the Golden FleeceJason swears to marry Medea, and they go to the grove of Ares, where Medea charms the sleepless serpent with her spells. Jason takes the Fleece from the oak, and the two return to the ship, where he tells the heroes they must set sail at once.

Diodorus Siculus (2)

Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.45.1–4.49.8The Argonauts II: Colchis, Medea and the golden fleeceThe historian explains the custom of the Colchi of killing strangers by the story of Aeëtes and his brother Perses, and gives the traditions about Medea and about Phrixus and the ram with the golden fleece. With Medea's help the Argonauts take the fleece; the king of the Colchi falls in the fighting, and the chiefs sail home by way of Byzantium and Troy.
Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Books 4 to 6 (the Greek myths) 4.54.1–4.56.8Jason and Medea at Corinth; the Argonauts' alleged return routeAfter ten years Jason takes Glauce, daughter of Creon, and Medea burns the palace and kills her children before escaping to Heracles at Thebes. The historian gives the later fortunes of Medea and her son Medus, remarks on the invented marvels of the tragic poets, and records the Argonauts' alleged return route by way of the Tanaïs and the ocean, with place-names in Italy and Libya that are said to prove it.

Ovid (1)

Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.1–158Jason and MedeaThe Argonauts, after freeing King Phineus from the Harpies, reach Colchis, and Jason demands the Golden Fleece from King Aeetes, who sets him impossible tasks. Medea, the king's daughter, falls in love with the stranger, torn between love and duty, and at last gives way, deciding to save him if he will swear to marry her. She gives him a charm to protect him against the fire-breathing bulls, and he yokes them, ploughs the field, sows the dragon's teeth, and kills the armed men that spring from them by throwing a stone among them. Medea then lulls the dragon to sleep, and Jason takes the fleece and sails away with her to Iolcus.

Pausanias (1)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 2.3.1–11Corinth: the agora, the spring Pirene and the children of MedeaPausanias continues through Corinth: the bronze Athena, the temple of Octavia, the portal with chariots of the Sun, and the spring Pirene with its link to Corinthian bronze. He lists images of Hermes, Poseidon and Palaemon, the baths and fountains, and the road to Sicyon with the Glauce basin and the tomb of Medea’s children. He recounts the varied stories of Medea, Jason and her children, drawn from the Naupactia, Eumelus and others.