Phrixus and the Golden Ram
Phrixus and Helle escape on a miraculous golden ram, creating the Golden Fleece that will later become the object of Jason's quest.
The Story
Phrixus and Helle were a brother and sister whose lives were threatened within their own royal household.
According to the familiar tradition, a plot developed that placed the children in danger of sacrifice.
At the critical moment a miraculous ram with a golden fleece appeared.
The ram carried Phrixus and Helle away through the sky.
But during the journey Helle fell into the sea and drowned.
The body of water associated with her fall became known as the Hellespont.
Phrixus survived and eventually reached Colchis on the eastern edge of the Black Sea.
There he was welcomed by King Aeetes.
Phrixus sacrificed the golden ram and gave its extraordinary fleece to Aeetes.
The king placed the Golden Fleece in a sacred grove where it was guarded.
That fleece later became one of the most famous objects in Greek mythology.
Years afterward, Jason would be commanded to travel to Colchis and bring it back.
The Argonautic quest therefore begins before Jason is even born, in the escape of two endangered children and the strange journey of the golden ram.
Key Figures
Why It Matters
The story provides the origin of the Golden Fleece and links Greek heroic genealogy to distant Colchis, preparing the setting for Jason's expedition.
Traditions & Variations
The reasons Phrixus and Helle are threatened vary between sources. Ancient authors also differ in details of the ram's origin and the events following Phrixus' arrival in Colchis.