Appearing in Greek myths before the Trojan War, Jason faced the task of finding the Golden Fleece and by his side, was an assembled group of heroes called the Argonauts. The warriors were named after the ship that they traveled on , the Argo. In this article, you will learn of a band of heroes that went by the name of the Argonauts, as well as their place in Greek myths.
The number of Argonauts that accompanied Jason on his quest for the Golden Fleece varies. Traditional accounts say that there were 50, while the typical total is found between 40 and 55. Out of all the heroes, there were some that stuck out more than others. To get an idea of some of the heroes that helped Jason during his journey, consider the following Argonauts:
The Boreads
With the ability to fly, the sons of Boreas, the North Wind, were part of the crew that helped Jason with his quest. Since their father was the north wind, they too had supernatural gifts. Some were fast as the wind while others could fly with wings on their feet or back. Their abilities had a knack for changing according to the myth.
As Argonauts, the sons played an important role in the rescue of Phineas from the harpies. They were successful in driving away the monsters, but were unable to kill the harpies. They obeyed the request of the goddess of the rainbow, Iris, who promised that Phineas would not have any problems with the harpies again. Phineas was pleased with the efforts of the Argonauts and in return, he told them how to pass the Symplegades , also known as the Clashing Rocks.
The sons died when Heracles on Tenos in revenge for their role in convincing the Argonauts to leave him behind as they searched for Hylas.
Heracles
Heracles was the son of Zeus and Alcmene, and related to Perseus. He is considered one of the greatest of Greek heroes and served as the epitome of masculinity. Heracles had a reputation for defeating monsters and upholding the Olympian’s order. The ancient Romans referred to him as Hercules. Some of the characteristics associated with Heracles include courage, extreme strength, and a sexual attraction that caught the eye of both men and women.
When compared to other heroes, he was not the cleverest, but he possessed wits that got him out of sticky situations when strength alone could not help. In ancient Greek myths, Heracles is mentioned with the giant Antaeus and the tricking of Atlas to place the sky back on his shoulders. Heracles also completed many adventures of his own before joining the Argonauts, such as capturing the Cretan Bull, killing the Nemean lion, and stealing the Girdle of Hippolyte.
As an Argonaut, Herecles became an Argonaut to help search for the Golden Fleece. Along with the other heroes, they rescued heroines, conquered Troy, and assisted the gods in a fight with the Gigantes.