Hades and the underworld of the dead. Legends and myths about the creation of the world

In those days, when the Earth was still young, and the Gods appeared to people, sirens splashed in the rivers and nymphs lived in the forests, the Lord ruled the world. The son of God and an earthly woman, he was immortal, and having conquered the peoples with fire and sword, he reigned supreme over their lands. He was handsome, an ageless demigod in command of his World.
Snow-white temples were erected in his honor, and his palace was beautiful on the top of the highest mountain, where in a deep cave the Lord could observe his possessions in the bowl of a magical lake. His life was easy and serene. In the distant past, there were bloody wars and there was not a person in the whole world who was not obedient to his will.
With one glance of his eyes, the color of the flame, he could execute or pardon, and the wave of his hand decided the fate of entire nations. His desire was law, and numerous servants faithfully caught any fleeting interest that flickered in his eyes. His clothes were sewn from the rarest Damir silk, which is softer than the touch of a child, he ate the fruits of the gardens of Aldonia, which bloomed in the edge of volcanoes, and he delighted his palate with the best wines of many years of aging. From different parts of the possessions, they brought him concubines and the most rebellious fell prostrate before his throne. But the look of the Lord was indifferent, the most exquisite dishes seemed tasteless to him, the seductive dances of half-naked beauties did not please him anymore. Boredom took possession of the immortal heart of the Lord of the World. Neither passionate houris nor timid virgins gave him pleasure, and indifferently accepting the caresses of beauties, he more and more often yearned, having had enough of such a life. Only sometimes in the heat of battle, his hot blood gurgled again, as before, but the fire in his eyes went out, he barely remembered that this was just a farce arranged to please him and, indifferently killing rivals, extinguished his rage with a goblet of Taly wine. The Lord listened absently to the reports of his messengers visiting the farthest corners of his possessions, indifferently accepted the gifts of merchants and lazily listened to the songs of the storytellers, nothing more touched his once burning heart with a living fire.
But one day, in a magical lake that showed him his possessions, the Lord of the World saw a maiden on a rocky shore near the sea, who sang in the moonlight a lingering song about freedom. It was the Queen of the Sea, the ruler of the elements beyond his control. Her skin was pale, green curls wrapped around her thin waist, and danger lurked in storm-colored eyes. Terrible legends circulated about the Sea Queen, the daughter of the water element, she was ruthless and destroyed ships and sent storms. The free wind was her brother, and the moon was her named sister.
Every night the Lord of the World began to come to the shore of his lake, and greedily looked at the image in the water surface, for the songs of the Queen conquered his heart, and her eyes were the color of a storm. He longed to see her in his bed and experience the love of a sea maiden, subjugated by no one. And the Lord sent an armada of his ships to the rocky shore, where the Queen sang at night with a strict order - to bring him a sea maiden, but not a single brigantine returned to the port, and only the ruler of the sea laughed menacingly, destroying his ships. The Lord did not give up, he covered precious stones that the prices on earth did not have, the whole seashore, but the Queen indifferently stepped on the brilliant fragments and only a thin string of pearls adorned her mother-of-pearl skin.
And the love for the sea maiden made its way deeper and deeper into the heart of the Lord and, consumed by longing, he himself came to the rock, where the Queen sang at night to take her chosen one to the palace on the highest mountain. She was waiting for him, dressed in the light of the moon, as if in clothes, and her storm-colored eyes looked into the very soul, but the Lord did not take his eyes off and, taking her by the hand, led him to his palace, for only she was worthy of sharing a bed with him, to become the only his wife. And she walked, impressed by the passion burning in his fiery gaze, and she was curious to know what a person's love is.
And THEIR night came, and the fire bubbled in his gaze, and her cold blood boiled in her veins, and his skin melted from the gaze of the storm-colored eyes. He did not remember himself, and his whole world was only her body for him, trembling with desire in his hands and flowing like a river of pleasure, exploding his brain with wild passion. And she, forgetting about the sea, melted in the hands of a man, and only with the edge of her consciousness drowning in bliss did she hear how a storm of terrible strength was born in the sea that had left her, that was the name of her daughter.
Scorched by the heat of a passionate night, the Lord of the World woke up happy, but he did not see his beloved next to him, only a salty mark on the skin, and the aroma of the sea, she left in his chambers. Since that night, the Lord did not find a place for himself, wandering in anguish along the seashore, he called her, but only the sound of the waves was his answer and the lonely rock by the sea did not hear more songs of the beautiful maiden.
Touching the sea, the Lord remembered the silk of her skin, heard laughter in the roar of the surf, and her image burned brighter than a torch in his mind. For the first time, a tear rolled down his cheek, and he looked at the horizon, melting in the sea haze, knowing that he was powerless before her freedom. Thousands of times sailing into the sea, he drowned and you did not die a thousand times. And chaos reigned in the world, the iron hand of the Lord of the foundations of the universe no longer squeezed and choked in bloody strife, the peoples who lived amicably and well-fed, his temples burned, poets cursed his name and he was called the Dark Lord, whose deeds are evil and chronicles were rewritten and his palace on top of the highest mountain was destroyed. And he still wandered by the sea, waiting for his beloved, and minutes were decades for him and worldly affairs did not touch him anymore.
You can still see him now - a man wandering at the edge of the sea, stroking the waves with his palms, a man with extinct eyes of an old man and love burning in an immortal heart, a man who exchanged the whole world for the love of a sea maiden who killed him.

Nikolai Kun

Deep underground reigns the implacable, grim brother of Zeus, Hades. His kingdom is full of darkness and horrors. The joyful rays of the bright sun never penetrate there. Bottomless abysses lead from the surface of the earth to the sad kingdom of Hades. Dark rivers flow in it. There flows the ever-chilling sacred river Styx by whose waters the gods themselves swear.

Cocytus and Acheron roll their waves there; the souls of the dead resound with their groaning, full of sorrow, their gloomy shores. In the underworld flow and giving oblivion of all earthly water source years. Through the gloomy fields of the kingdom of Hades, overgrown with pale flowers of asphodel, ethereal light shadows of the dead are worn. They complain about their joyless life without light and without desires. Their moans are quietly heard, barely perceptible, like the rustle of withered leaves driven by the autumn wind. There is no return to anyone from this realm of sorrow. three-headed infernal dog Kerber, on whose neck snakes move with a menacing hiss, guards the exit. harsh, old Charon, the carrier of the souls of the dead, not a single soul will be lucky through the gloomy waters of Acheron back to where the sun of life shines brightly. The souls of the dead in the gloomy kingdom of Hades are doomed to an eternal joyless existence.

In this kingdom, to which neither light, nor joy, nor sorrows of earthly life reach, the brother of Zeus, Hades, rules. He sits on a golden throne with his wife Persephone. He is served by implacable goddesses of vengeance Erinyes. Terrible, with scourges and snakes, they pursue the criminal; do not give him a moment's rest and torment him with remorse; nowhere can you hide from them, everywhere they find their prey. At the throne of Hades sit the judges of the kingdom of the dead - Minos And Rhadamanthus. Here, at the throne, the god of death Tanat with a sword in his hands, in a black cloak, with huge black wings. These wings blow with grave cold when Tanat flies to the bed of a dying man in order to cut a strand of hair from his head with his sword and tear out his soul. Next to Tanat and gloomy Kera. On their wings they rush, furious, across the battlefield. The Keres rejoice as they see the slain heroes fall one by one; with their blood-red lips they fall to the wounds, greedily drink the hot blood of the slain and tear out their souls from the body.

Here, at the throne of Hades, and beautiful, young god of sleep hypnos. He silently rushes on his wings above the ground with poppy heads in his hands and pours sleeping pills from his horn. He gently touches the eyes of people with his wonderful wand, quietly closes his eyelids and plunges mortals into a sweet dream. The god Hypnos is mighty, neither mortals, nor gods, nor even the Thunderer Zeus himself can resist him: and Hypnos closes his menacing eyes and plunges him into a deep sleep.

Worn in the gloomy kingdom of Hades and the gods of dreams. Among them there are gods who give prophetic and joyful dreams, but there are also gods of terrible, oppressive dreams that frighten and torment people. There are gods and false dreams, they mislead a person and often lead him to death.

The kingdom of the inexorable Hades is full of darkness and horrors. There roams in the darkness a terrible ghost Empusa with donkey legs; it, having lured people into a secluded place in the darkness of the night, drinks all the blood and devours their still trembling bodies. There roams the monstrous Lamia; she sneaks into the bedroom of happy mothers at night and steals their children to drink their blood. A great goddess rules over all ghosts and monsters Hecate. She has three bodies and three heads. On a moonless night, she wanders in deep darkness along the roads and at the graves with all her terrible retinue, surrounded by Stygian dogs. She sends horrors and heavy dreams to the earth and destroys people. Hekate is invoked as an assistant in witchcraft, but she is also the only helper against witchcraft for those who honor her and bring her at the crossroads, where three roads diverge, as a sacrifice of dogs.

Terrible is the kingdom of Hades, and it is hateful to people

Listen, it's not the wind

Shaking the tops of the trunks -

Of the past millennia

The call is heard.

And now the miracle trier

Sacred trembling beats,

You are a sparkling gray Pontus

You are sailing after the Argonauts.

But it's not prey that beckons you,

Not the shine of the golden fleece -

The greatness of the bygone world,

Living depth.

To go as far as Colchis, one had to have a ship different from the one used in those days, to sail from island to island without losing sight of the land. A ship was needed that could withstand the blows of the waves of the harsh Pontus. Jason found a craftsman who agreed to build a vessel the likes of which the Nereids had not yet carried on their white shoulders. By the name of this master - Arg - they supposedly called the ship "Argo".

The construction of the ship in the port of Thessaly Pagasah was watched by Athena herself, experienced in any skill. She suggested to the builder which pines to choose for the sides and masts, how to plan them, how to join the boards with seams and in what places to fasten them with nails. For the keel, Athena chose and brought an oak log from Dodona. It was not only stronger than copper, but also possessed the gift of speech. True, not everyone could understand this speech. When the Argo was ready and carefully pitched, a blue eye was drawn on the side near the bow so that the ship would not be blind and see its target.

After that, a cry sounded throughout Hellas, to which many heroes responded. Among them was the divine singer Orpheus, who knew how to enchant rocks and stop river flows with the sounds of cithara. The mighty twins Castor and Polydeuces, the seer Idmon, the grandson of Melampod, appeared. The swift-winged sons of Boreas, Zet and Kalaid, arrived. Hercules boarded the Argo with the handsome young Hylas. Athena herself brought Tithias, who had knowledge of the sea. She appointed him helmsman. In total, more than sixty heroes gathered.

When they began to decide who should be the leader, the name of Hercules was named first. But the mighty hero rejected this honor, believing that the leader should be the one who gathered everyone to the feat. And the power was transferred to Jason.

Accepting it with gratitude, Jason gave the command to launch the Argo into the water. Having thrown off their clothes, the heroes girded the ship with a tightly woven rope so that it would not fall apart when it was pushed along the ground. Then they dug under the keel and put smooth-hewn rollers in front of the bow and, leaning on the ship, dragged it to the sea. And the rollers groaned from the touch of the keel, black smoke swirled around them. The muscles on the arms and legs swelled up in the heroes. The heavier the ship on land, the more stable it is on the water. When the Argo finally rocked on the waves, the joyous cry of the heroes and all those who watched the launch was announced by the Pagasian Gulf, and its echo resounded in the mountains of Pelion.

Having refreshed themselves with wine and fried meat, the heroes settled down on the shore to rest. They slept hugging each other. And many that night dreamed of a fleece, blinding with a sunny brilliance.

departure

As soon as the gaze of the pink-fingered Eos touched the peaks of the ridge of Pelion, the Argonauts boarded the ship and took the places that the lot assigned them. Benches sagged under the weight of mighty bodies. The oars being adjusted in the oarlocks creaked. But even before they touched the water, there was a splash. It was at the sign of the ship's soothsayer Idmon that wine was poured into the sea as a sacrifice to the gods, who pacified the wind and waves. At once Typhius stood behind the stern oar. Orpheus, going to the bow of the ship, struck the strings. His marvelous voice filled the space.

Ancient Greek ship. Pompeian fresco

At a sign from Tithius, the oarsmen started the oars and jerked them violently towards themselves. The ship started off like an indomitable runner. The wine-colored sea rustled under the keel. Behind the stern, like a path through the green of the meadow, a white foamy trail stretched.

The Argo had already disappeared behind the cape, but the song of Orpheus still sounded in the ears of those who remained on the shore. It seemed that the Nereids sang along with the divine singer and Apollo himself struck the rays-strings of Helios stretched over the mountains.

When the Argo went out to sea, the heroes, not busy with oars, raised a high mast, installed it in a deep nest on the deck, and secured it on all sides with brackets and ropes. Then they adjusted the sails and, pulling the rope, unfurled them. The divine canvas fluttered under a fair wind, like the wings of Apollo's swan. The rowers lifted their oars and, attaching them to the sides, came out into the light. Welcoming the Argo as their brother, dolphins rose from the depths of the sea and rushed after him, now plunging, now emerging, like sheep and lambs run after the sounds of a flute along a high meadow not yet scorched by Helios.

Lemnos wives

The land of the Pelasgians merged with the fog, and the Pelion rocks were left behind when Lemnos appeared in the distance. The wind died down, and the Argonauts rowed up to the island. There was not a soul on the shore, but the sharp-eyed Linkei saw women's faces on the city wall. And Jason dressed up to look like a man worthy of hospitality.

On his mighty shoulders, he threw a crimson himation, a gift from Athena Pallas, woven by the most divine craftswoman. Numerous scenes were depicted on it with indescribable art: the Cyclopes forging lightning bolts of Zeus, the builders of Thebes Zeus and Amphion, the running of chariots, the contest between Pelops and King Enomai, which decided the fate of the kingdom and became the beginning Olympic Games, and many other stories from ancient legends, familiar to every Minyan since childhood.

As soon as Jason approached the city, the gates flung open, and the queen of Lemnos herself met the guest, surrounded by numerous wives. Jason noticed with surprise that there was not a single male person among those who met. In the royal halls, Queen Hypsipyla seated Jason in front of her on a chair, and he heard her story.

"Don't be surprised, Jason," said the queen. - We sent our husbands to the lands of the Thracians - after all, they loved the Thracian women, but they abhorred us. The boys left with them, not wishing to remain under their mother's roof. So now we run the city ourselves. But we do not value power, and if you want to stay, you will receive the mansion of my father Foant. On our most fertile of islands there is enough room for all, and for your companions the gates of the city and the doors of our houses are open.

The queen hid from the guest, fearing that he would immediately leave the city, the truth about the crime: the men of Lemnos were not expelled, but brutally killed along with all the old men and boys, including babies.

Not knowing this, the sailors willingly entered the city. Aphrodite tied them with bonds of love with those who, through their own fault, were deprived of male protection and affection. And now Colchis and her golden fleece have been forgotten. Hercules was the first to wake up and reminded that the goal of the heroes should be a feat, and not the enjoyment of the flesh, which draws to idleness and destroys in inaction. And shame seized the heroes. They immediately moved towards the sea. Having learned about the impending separation, the wives fled, like bees rushing noisily around blooming lilies, and the shore became like a buzzing meadow. How many words were said through tears! The heroes knew that they leave not only wives, but also children who will be born, if it pleases the gods.

Visiting Cyzik

For several days of navigation, the Argonauts reached bare rocks sticking out like dog heads, as if guarding the entrance to a narrow strait. Orpheus sang a sonorous song. He sang that the Argo was on the right track, for the sea that opened before him was called the Hellespont in honor of Gella, Frix's sister, who could not stay on the back of a ram and did not reach Colchis, and yet the gods immortalized her name. What glory awaits those who bring the Golden Fleece from there!

Meanwhile, the Argo entered the waters of the Propontis, and the heroes saw an island with a humpbacked mountain covered with forest, resembling the figure of a bear. At the foot of this mountain, called Dindim, lived the descendants of Poseidon, the dolions, and the six-armed giants, their enemies, occupied the top. The rumor about the hospitality of the Dolions spread along all the shores of the Inland Sea, and the Argonauts decided to visit them to find out about the difficulties ahead.

- Yes! Yes! Zet picked it up. - She promised on behalf of Zeus that the harpies would leave Phineus alone.

How can I thank you, my saviors! Phineas said, barely holding back tears. “Getting rid of the monsters should be celebrated. I have a lot of food in the cellars. Let's have a feast.

The Argonauts happily agreed. First of all, they cleaned the house of feathers and fetid droppings. Then they took the old man to the sea, washed him in the waves and gave him new clothes. Fired up the hearth. They slaughtered selected sheep brought with them to the Argo. They laid the tables and sat down at them, praying to the gods.

One of the two winged sons of Boreas threatens with a spear the harpies that fly over him, holding food and a vessel of wine taken from Phineus (painting on the vessel)

For the first time in months, Finey was able to get enough. When his strength returned to him, he pushed back the bowl and said:

- Listen to me, friends! I do not dare to reveal your fate to the end, but the gods have allowed you to warn of imminent dangers.

You will meet two blue-black cliffs, as if blocking the path to Colchis with their breasts. Waves always rise around them, boiling terribly. As soon as a ship, a boat or a bird swims or flies between them, they converge with wild fury. And here's some advice for you. Take a dove on your ship and keep it ready, for even birds can save mortals, if it is the will of the gods.

Finey spoke for a long time. He talked about the strange peoples inhabiting the shores, about the help of the gods, waiting for them in the midst of troubles, about the battle with the dragon. The Argonauts listened in silence, trying to remember every word.

Then, having built an altar on the shore and laid sacrifices on it, the heroes boarded the ship and took hold of the long oars.

blue rocks

The ship was moving, spreading white foam with its high prow. The hidden power of the sea reminded of itself when a wave hit the side, bringing down a fountain of spray on the deck. On the starboard side stretched the coast, now falling into the sea in bare stone folds, now covered with trees with green curly crowns.

From a distance came a roar, reminiscent of the blows of a giant hammer. And the heroes realized that the blue clashing rocks were approaching, about which Phineus had warned. Linkey with a dove in his hands came out on the nose. At Tiffius' command, the others went down to the benches to take up the oars, two by two.

Here they are, the Blue Rocks, surrounded by a foamy whirlpool. Separated from each other by no more than forty cubits, they collided from time to time, apparently because something was floating between them. Approaching, the heroes saw hundreds of crushed fish. And there was not a single one on the ship whose heart would not shrink from fear. After all, in front of them is not an enemy that can be overpowered, slain with a spear, but soulless stone masses that kill all living things.

The giant mountains are very close, so it seemed - you could reach them with an oar.

- Dove! Typhius ordered.

Thrown by a strong hand, the bird rushed between the rocks. They met with a terrible crash that deafened the heroes. But everyone saw that the dove slipped through and the rocks touched only her tail.

- Oars! Typhius shouted furiously, not waiting for the rocks to take their former places.

The ship rushed at the speed of an arrow, but it seemed to the heroes that it was barely moving. There was a crackling again, this time from behind. Looking back, the heroes saw that the rocks had converged, tearing off the edge of the stern. But it was too early to rejoice. The whirlpool that arose from the impact of the rocks almost pulled the ship back into the space formed instantly.

Typhius, with a strong blow of the stern oar, missed a giant wave under the keel and shouted:

- Row with all your might!

The oars bent under the power of the arms, but the Argo did not move. And then a miracle happened! The heroes raised the oars and before they could lower them, the ship rushed forward, away from the rocks, as if someone's invisible hand had pushed it.

Looks like we've been saved! said Typhius, wiping his sweaty forehead.

- Turn around! Orpheus suddenly screamed.

The heroes turned their heads. A flock of birds flew between the rocks. They didn't move. The will of the gods predicted by Phineas was fulfilled: if at least one ship sails between these frenzied rocks, they are destined to stand still.

- That's it! Typhius said. - We are in an unknown sea, formidable, deserted. I heard from the old people that on its banks live tribes that do not know the laws of hospitality. Our path lies to the east. Let's stretch the sail wider and give the ship a breath of Zephyr.

At the mariandins

Sharp-eyed Linkey was the first to see the shore in the distance, and Typhius sent the Argo to him. The shore was empty, interrupted only by rivers that rushed muddy waters into Pontus.

Entering one of these rivers, the Argonauts found themselves in the land ruled by Mariandine, one of the sons of Phineus. Having learned about the help that the heroes provided to his father, the king met them with open arms. The feast was replaced by a feast, entertainment by entertainment. At one of the feasts, the king asked the soothsayer Idmon, who arrived on the Argo, to tell about the future of his descendants. Idmon, who knows the future, predicted that many years later ships would come to this shore and those who landed from them would erect a great city. Idmon did not convey everything he learned from Apollo. Fearing that the tsar would change mercy to anger, the seer did not tell that the aliens would enslave the people of the Mariandins.

The next morning, during a hunt, Idmon fell from the fangs of a boar, for the gods who open the future do not tolerate self-interest. The king of the Mariandins gave Idmon a magnificent funeral. Many years later, when the great city of Heraclea Pontica appeared at the place where the Argo stopped, the burial mound of Idmon became its acropolis.

On the day close to sailing, Typhius went to Hades from a sudden illness. He was buried, and at the stern oar stood the fearless-hearted Samian Ankey, adorned with a rare ability to drive ships. The votes of the majority of the Argonauts were given to him.

Fury of Zeus

For several days the wind drove the Argo east, and she rode through the waves as fast as a falcon through the air. Then the wings of the wind got tired, and the Argonauts had to take up the oars and row day and night, not meeting the river where they could enter.

One night, the noise of giant wings was heard over the ship. It was an eagle flying, sent by Zeus to torment the liver of Prometheus. In silence, the heroes watched after the feathered executioner, not daring, out of fear of his formidable master, to say anything in condemnation of the cruel and unjust reprisal against the titan chained to the rock. But mentally they wished the noble Prometheus fortitude in the face of adversity.

Soon the heroes saw an island, distant from the coast by a seething strait. Heading towards it, they found a narrow bay, brought the Argo into it and gave it under the protection of cliffs overgrown with a sparse forest.

It got dark, and immediately the wind blew, raising giant waves. The trees on the rocks were bent like reeds. The Argonauts lay down, clinging closer to each other and to the common mother - the earth. Somewhere nearby, thunder crashed, and Zeus' thunderbolt cut through the black sky. One of the heroes whispered: "Zeus not only hears speeches, but also understands the thoughts of mortals." Thunder struck again, as if confirming this thought.

- Look at the sea! Orpheus screamed.

Turning their heads, the heroes saw a ship lifted

wave and from its impact split into two halves.

- We landed just in time! Ankey said.

“Maybe not we, but the unfortunates on that ship, angered Zeus,” someone suggested.

The rain poured down like from a pithos, so none of the heroes closed their eyes all night. When it dawned and the sky cleared up, everyone saw a huge bird circling over the shore. She flapped her wings and dropped her heavy feather. Cutting through the air, it flew down and stuck into the shoulder of one of the heroes.

“Hurry to the ship for the shields!” Jason shouted. “This is the Isle of Ares that Phineus warned us about.

When the Argonauts were already on the ship, a whole flock of birds appeared in the sky.

- Cut the ropes! Ankey shouted.

- Do not rush! Jason stopped him. “Remember the advice of Phineas: you must not only land on the island of Ares, but also go through it.

Addressing the heroes, Jason shouted:

- Friends! Take your swords and shields, put on your copper helmets! As soon as we go down to the shore, at my sign, start shouting, at the same time hitting the shields with your swords.

The trick worked. The birds of Ares, frightened by the terrible noise, rose into the air and disappeared into the sky. After that, Jason ordered some of the heroes to remain at the ship, and led the rest into the depths of the island.

Not much time passed, and Jason and his companions returned. They were carrying four strangers with them, judging by their pitiful appearance - from a ship that had sunk in the night.

“If not for us,” Jason said, “these people would have died.

“Isn’t that why Phineas sent us here?” Ankey screamed.

- Who knows? Jason shrugged.

All who were on the island, along with Jason, sat on the oars, and the ship set sail. Jason and Orpheus took care of the sufferers. They bandaged their wounds, gave them dry clothes, laid them on warm skins.

The unfortunate came to their senses only in the evening. Barely standing on their feet, they went on deck and told the Argonauts who surrounded them about themselves and their misadventures. These were the sons of Phrixus and the king's daughter Halkiope. They set sail, fulfilling their father's dying covenant. Frix, who lived in Colchis for many years, considered it a foreign land and dreamed that his sons would return to Orchomenus and inherit the power of King Athamas.

So you are my relatives! - Jason exclaimed, rushing to the rescued. - My grandfather Krefey was the brother of Athamas. I myself am the son of Aeson, and I am going to Colchis. But you didn't give your names.

“I am Kitissor,” the narrator replied. “My brothers are called Frontis, Argos and Melas. Our father is Frix, and our mother is Halkiopa. We are the grandchildren of Helios. But let me ask you a question.

"I'm listening to you, Kitissor," Jason said.

– What leads you to Colchis?

It's a long story if told in order. But to say the main thing - we are sailing for the Golden Fleece.

- Oh Gods! exclaimed the son of Frix. - Do you know that you will deal with my grandfather Eet, son of Helios? He is equal in strength to Ares and reigns over innumerable tribes. But even if there were no Eet and the ferocious Colchians, how would you take the Golden Fleece? After all, it is guarded by a huge dragon that does not know sleep.

As the story progresses, the faces of the characters darken.

“Don't think,” continued Kitissor, “that I want to frighten you. It is not for him who goes into battle to entertain his soul with deceit. And if you decide to go on, then know that you can count on me and my brothers as on yourself.

- We have no way back! Jason said to cheers. “Athena didn’t build our ship for it to turn back. The help you promise us is priceless.

- Yes! Yes! - Ankey picked up, not letting go of the stern oar. - Priceless! After all, we do not know the pitfalls and shallows of this sea. The gods have sent us to the Isle of Ares to meet you. Now I'm sure of it. Stand, Kitissor, beside me at the helm. And when you get tired, your brothers will take over.

To the goal

And the Argo gained a special vigilance, which he lacked so much, despite the eye painted on the board. While one of the brothers, along with Ankey, was at the stern oar, the other three, sitting on a bundle of rope at the mast, talked about everything that could interest the Argonauts. Even earlier, the heroes saw wooden structures on the wooded shore, which they mistook for watchtowers. It turned out that these were Mossins - the dwellings of a certain barbarian tribe, which received the name "Mossineks" from them. One large family lived in the tower, along with domestic animals and birds. All the inhabitants of the towers were ruled by a king, who was also a judge. If his behavior did not suit the elders, the overlord was locked in one of the mossins and starved.

- Fools! - Jason noticed in the course of the story. - If it were in our land of minis, who would agree to reign!

Even more animated was the story of another barbarian tribe that lived behind the Mossineks. On the day when wives give birth, their husbands, prostrated on beds, groan, and they prepare ablutions for them, like women in childbirth. Women in labor produce children without any help.

Time passed imperceptibly behind the stories of the Argo guests. In the distance, the sheer steeps of the Caucasus appeared, which seemed close because of their enormous height.

“You have to be careful here!” Kitissor warned.

- Underwater rocks? the helmsman asked.

- Not! The ships of Eeta, who has a powerful fleet on these shores.

“But we still have to enter some harbor,” Jason said.

"We'll get past it," said Kitissor. “Let us enter Phasis at night, and, taking off the mast and sails, we will hide in the reeds of the shore.

At night, relying on the experienced sons of Phrixus, Ankay brought the ship into the widely overflowing Phasis. The mast was removed and laid on deck. The Argonauts went out on deck and listened to the silence of the night, broken from time to time by the croaking of frogs and the calls of some birds. And Jason and his relatives went overboard and moved to the shore.

On Olympus

While the Argo stood at the mouth of the Phasis, hiding from enemy eyes, Olympus lived its usual life. In the megaron of the gods, Zeus, leaning from the throne, said something in the ear of Hermes, and he nodded his head. Hephaestus, in the annex to the palace, tirelessly beat with a hammer, and time could be measured by blows. Aphrodite in her chambers lay languidly on a bed and, looking in the mirror, combed her marvelous hair. In the courtyard, Eros enthusiastically played money with Zeus's favorite Ganymede.

Hera, secluded with Athena, excitedly explained to her:

- I do not know what to do?! "Argo" in Colchis. But how to deceive the cunning and vicious Eet? Poor Jason! How to help him?

I understand and sympathize with you! Athena said. - From which side to approach? I don't think...

- Wait! Hera interrupted. - Why not use the help of Aphrodite? Of course, she gave me so much grief. But for the sake of Jason and his companions, I am ready for anything. I heard Eet has a daughter, Medea. Love works wonders.

Athena shrugged her shoulders in disdain.

- I do not need it. But if you want, I can accompany you.

At the sight of the guests, Aphrodite hastily fastened her hair and showed the goddesses to the chairs.

- Sit down! You haven't been with me for a long time. What to show you? Here is the comb. What fine work... My husband is ready to make all day...

“While you’re showing off here, we’re in trouble,” Hera interrupted. “The Argo is already in the reeds on Phasis. Can't do without your help.

Aphrodite's face turned red. She was pleased that the stern and adamant Hera came to her first.

- I'm ready. If there is a need for my weak hands, you can count on them.

“We have no need for your hands,” Hera said, looking away, “neither weak nor strong. Give an order to your lad, so that he hit the daughter of Eet Medea with an arrow.

- Good! I will try to. Though it won't be easy for me. My son became disobedient and impudent. I'll go look for him.

The game was in full swing. Ganymede smeared tears on his pretty face, and Eros, the winner, with laughter, pressed golden grandmothers to his chest.

- Won again! Aphrodite scolded her son. “I cheated again and you are proud of a dishonest victory. Serve me for this!

- No rest from you, ma! Let's play!

- Not for nothing! You will get a toy that no one but Zeus had when he was a child and not the father of the gods.

Eros' eyes lit up.

Eet

Eeta's palace rose high to the sky. Its golden walls glittering under the gaze of Helios are bordered by two rows of high copper columns. The yard is planted with fragrant trees. Under the arch formed by flowering grapes, four springs beat. Milk, wine, fragrant oil and warm water pour out from the mouths of stone lions.

- This is not the work of human hands! Jason breathed.

- You're right! Kitissor confirmed. - These sources were built by Hephaestus himself after Helios lifted him, tired in the battle with the giants, onto his chariot.

“He also made for Helios copper-footed bulls that breathe fire,” added the second brother.

“And also a plow with an adamant share!” put in a third.

Where is the king's chambers? Jason asked.

"They're here," Kitissor explained. – And in that building, which is lower, lives the heir to the throne, Apsyrtus, born to Eet from a nymph. On the second floor are placed the royal daughters with maids.

- And here is our mother with her sister Medea! Kitissor shouted gleefully. Look, they've seen us!

Jason looked around and met the gaze of a beautiful maiden. She was slender and swarthy, with a proud step worthy of the granddaughter of Helios.

Halkiope, meanwhile, let out a cry of joy.

How thankful I am! she repeated, hugging her sons one by one. - Fate brought you back, seeing my tears and sadness. Is it necessary to seek happiness in a foreign land, leaving the mother alone?!

- Orchomenes is not a foreign land for us, - Kitissor objected, - but the fatherland of our parent, may the lords of Hades be favorable to him. I remember how homesick he was. Here, except for you and us children, nothing was sweet to him.

In the confusion, no one noticed Eros flying from the sky, did not hear the beating of his wings. Attached behind the column, Eros raised his bow, put an arrow on it and, pulling the bowstring, shot the arrow right into the heart of Medea. And immediately soared into the sky, like a bumblebee, anticipating new game with Ganymede and possession of the ball, a mother's gift.

The maiden, struck by the arrow of Eros, gasped, seized with burning madness. And she saw how beautiful the stranger was. Cheeks, against her will, turned pale, then covered with a blush. The hands are restless. She intertwined her fingers, then pressed them to her heart.

Meanwhile, in the chambers, efficient servants washed the sons of Halkiope and their saviors. hot water and they changed their clothes, and placed abundant food and drink on the table. When everyone lay down and began to amuse the soul with food, a gloomy Eet appeared.

The grandchildren rushed to their grandfather and vied with each other to tell him about their miraculous salvation on a desert island, where they were thrown by raging waves. Eet, listening, now and then turned a hard look at the saviors of his grandchildren. In everyone arriving in his country, the king used to see a spy or rival seeking to take possession of the diadem.

“What brings you to us, stranger? - Eet turned to Jason, guessing that he was the main one among the arrivals.

Jason did not hide either the purpose of his voyage or his origin, emphasizing that he needed the Golden Fleece to return legitimate power in Iolka.

The king did not believe a single word of Jason, deciding that the grandchildren had specially brought the aliens in order to take possession of his throne with their help.

Reading hostility in Eet's eyes, Jason began to convince the king that he and his friends needed nothing but the Golden Fleece, and that he was ready to fulfill any assignment in order to give glory to the king of Colchis and express his gratitude to him.

Eet listened to the hero and could not decide whether to immediately kill the alien or test his strength.

- Well! he said, leaning towards the second solution. - I have two copper-footed bulls, exhaling flames from their nostrils. Putting them under the yoke, I drive them through the field of Ares and plow all of it with a plow, and then from the helmet I sow dragon teeth, from which warriors in copper armor grow and kill each other. If your family really comes from the gods, you will not yield to me in power and will be able to repeat my feat. Only then will you earn the reward you seek.

Jason was in no hurry to answer, realizing that the condition of Eet was impossible, that it promised death.

- You create a lot of interference, king! he answered at last. But I accept your challenge. The gods do not argue with fate, should I, a mortal, fight it. Severe fate brought me to you, and if death is destined for me here, I will meet it with dignity.

– Go! The king chuckled. “And know that if you falter, if you retreat before the hot breath of the bulls, or if you run in fear from the copper-armored army, I will make sure that no one dares to encroach on my property in the future.

With a heavy heart, Jason left the royal palace and hurried along with his companions to the ship. And his voice kept ringing in Medea's ears, and her thoughts rushed after the hero.

Sign of Aphrodite

Almost at Phasis itself, Kitissor caught up with the heroes, and four of them boarded the ship. The heroes of Jason listened and were silent for a long time, not knowing what to do. It was clear to everyone that Eet's offer could not be refused. But how to avoid the trap? Which gods should be sacrificed? Whom to ask for advice?

Is there an oracle here? Orpheus was the first to break the silence. - The best of all - the mistress of Hera. After all, she patronizes Jason.

“Hera is not revered here,” said Kitissor, “and only the silver-legged Aphrodite can help us.”

- What do you mean? Jason asked. "Don't you think she'll arm us with her son's arrows?"

“You guessed it,” Kitissor said. - Enough and one of them, which Eros has already hit the target. While you, Jason, were waging a verbal duel with Eet, I watched his daughter, my cousin Medea, who did not take her eyes off you. I am sure that Aphrodite could not have done here, and this promises great benefit to all of us. Know that Hecate taught the maiden to brew potions from everything that the earth and Pontus produce. She comprehended the path of heavenly bodies and knows how to bring the dead back to life.

– What do you propose? Jason interrupted.

- Make a sacrifice to Aphrodite and, if the goddess accepts it, you stay where you are, and I go to the palace and talk to Medea.

As soon as the young man uttered these words, a dove appeared in the sky. A kite followed him. Flying up to Jason, the bird of Aphrodite hid in the clothes of the hero.

And everyone understood that Aphrodite herself spoke through the lips of a young man and that one can hope for the help of the royal daughter.

sun flower

Left alone, Medea opened a carved chest and took out a shell filled with a brownish ointment. Without looking away from her, the girl recalled that sunny day when, climbing the sheer cliffs, she suddenly saw what she was after, what she was looking for: a plant on a tall stem, resembling saffron with narrow leaves and flowers, but not bluish-violet, a fiery red flower. There was no such plant anywhere in the world, except for that part of the Caucasus, over which an eagle flew, tormenting the liver of Prometheus. Drops of blood flowed from the curved claws to the ground, and such flowers grew in the place where they fell. They were shunned by birds and animals. And the girl was also afraid to touch the flaming flower. Closing her eyes, she ran her knife across the stem. And at the same moment something moved above her, a groan was heard, echoed many times.

With the greatest difficulty, fearing to stumble and damage her precious booty, Medea went down into the valley and waited for night, fearing that someone in the city or in the palace might see her with a flower. A month later, when the flower had dried up, she crushed its petals in a mortar and mixed the powder with curative snake venom. Then she tried the effect of the ointment on herself. She smeared it on her arm up to her elbow and thrust it into the blazing hearth. She didn't feel hot. The ointment had an amazing ability to protect against burns. But will it be enough for the mighty body of Jason?

Medea in luxurious oriental robes and with a box of potions in her hands. Next to her is Amphitrite's horse.

Medea put the shell aside and suddenly felt perspiration on her forehead. I tested the effect of the ointment in the pure flame of the altar, she thought with horror, but Jason will be burned by the flames of the magic bulls. Will he not die a miserable death on the arable land of Ares?!”

Medea threw herself on the bed and called for a sleep obedient to her. But the dream resisted her will. The body was on fire. Despair gave way to dazzling joy, and joy to burning shame. Tears flowed uncontrollably. "What happened with me? - thought the girl, not finding a place for herself. “Who is this stranger to me who has come for his father’s treasure?” Let him die in the field of Ares, if fate so decreed. Not! Not! Let it go away from my eyes. But how can I live without it! Wouldn't it be better to take poison and put an end to the torment?"

She jumped up and, running to the box with potions, began to look for a poison that gives instant death. But suddenly fear seized her. Hands shook. He was short of breath. The faces of dear friends surfaced in my memory, the meadow in spring flowers, the silhouette of distant mountains. She distinctly saw herself in the burial shroud, heard the feigned cries of mourners at the open grave.

Not! Not! She rushed to the door, mistaking Selena's pale light for dawn. The maids, ignorant of her worries, snuffled peacefully in the hallway.

Outside it was still dark, but it became light in her soul at the mere thought that soon she would feel the breath of a stranger, drink in the brilliance of his beauty.

- My grandfather Helios! she exclaimed, raising her hands. Why don't you drive your horses? Trees and grasses, birds, moths, whose life is so short, miss you. But most of all, I yearned. Do you remember how I plucked a magic flower on a steeper slope and you alone supported me with your eyes? Now in this flower, turned into an ointment, salvation for the one whose name is Jason. Blind his enemies, Helios! Throw them at his feet, as the beauty of a stranger threw me, forcing me to forget girlish shame, mother and father and brother.

At the Temple of Hecate

Taking a whip in her hand, Medea climbed onto the wagon, where the maids were already, and the mules rushed off. The path lay through the city, and everyone who saw the king's daughter at that early hour could not take their eyes off her. A headwind stirred her golden hair. The eyes radiated such dazzling joy, as if the road did not lead to the sanctuary of the goddess of darkness and sorcery Hekate, but to the temple of Hymen, pleasing to all the virgins.

The city is left behind. The wheels, having entered the soft earth, ceased to knock, and the triumphant anthem of the birds was heard, welcoming the rise of the golden-throned Helios. These sounds made Medea forget the fears of the night, filling her whole being with jubilation.

At the log building, half-buried from antiquity, Medea stopped the mules and went down to the stone-paved platform next to the altar.

Ordering the girls to unhitch the mules and take them to the meadow, she added:

- Fill your hearts with songs, and your eyes with meadow flowers.

With these words, she went to the silvery poplar, proudly throwing up a magnificent crown to the sky. The crows nestled in the branches were talking noisily, and Medea, who understood the language of the prophetic birds, listened to their chatter.

- Look! There, by the river, two. One visited our temple many times, and the other ... In his hands is a bow, no matter how he knocked down our crows.

“He hands the bow to your friend. He thought of something else.

The girl shuddered, realizing that the crows had seen Jason. And here he is, beautiful, like Sirius emerging from the Ocean, and just as destructive. Medea's heart sank, her cheeks lit up with a hot blush, weakness seized her knees. When Jason approached, she could neither open her mouth to answer him with a greeting, nor extend her hands to him. Palms stuck to thighs. Such is the sorcery of love, from which, no matter what the poets and sages say, there is no salvation, no cure.

Jason did not know this feeling. But, making sure that the royal daughter loves him, he rejoiced at the unexpected help of Aphrodite. Catching this joy that illuminated Jason's beautiful face, Medea did not understand its cause. But she was able to smile, and then speak - no, not about her love, but about business.

Passing the ointment to Jason, she touched his hand for the first time. He grabbed her hand gratefully and raised it to his lips. Crows croaked upstairs, gossiping as always, but Medea did not listen to their chatter, feeling only the hurried beating of her heart. And when Jason let go of her hand, she took him aside and whispered:

- After praying to Hecate, pour out the honey intended for her from the bowl on the ground and leave as soon as possible, without turning around, no matter what you hear. Otherwise you break the spell. When the dawn comes, having stripped yourself, rub yourself with ointment and become powerful, like the one from whose drop of blood the ointment is. Rub it on your shield. Going to the field of Ares, look for a bigger stone.

She went on explaining for a long time, and then, hesitating, she said:

Remember me if you manage to return to your father's house. And I will never forget you and will be proud that I helped you avoid certain death.

- I understand, - said the hero, - your ointment, intended for my salvation, is from the blood of Prometheus, who was born Iapetus in my country surrounded by mountains. With us, he founded the first cities and erected temples to the gods, he was our first king. My homeland is called Haemonia. Know, virgin, that in Iolka, Orchomenus and in other cities of Haemonia, where they did not hear the name of your parent, they will remember you as our savior. Now it's time for us to disperse so that the sunset of your radiant grandfather does not overtake us. It seems to me that he now sees us and wishes us a new meeting.

Trial

Having fulfilled the instructions of the sorceress, Jason hurried to the field of Ares, where Eet was impatiently waiting for him, surrounded by his retinue. Having checked whether the hero had a sword or dagger, the king handed him a vessel with dragon teeth and pointed to the edge of the field, where a plow with an adamant plowshare sparkling in the sun stood ready.

With only one shield, Jason moved across the field, dotted with deep pits from bull hooves. In the distance, where the field touched the wooded hill, wisps of smoke drifted across the ground, as if someone were burning the damp leaves after the winter season. Approaching, Jason made out a hole half covered with branches. What he took to be smoke was the steam coming from the bull's mouth. In the cave, the copper bulls of Helios spent the night.

Hearing Jason's footsteps, they burst out, dousing the hero with their breath. It didn't seem hot to him, though the animal's breasts gurgled like cauldrons of water hung over blazing fires. The hero grabbed the nearest of the bulls by the neck. The rest of the bulls turned at once, a dazzling flame escaped from the copper throat and covered Jason. It must have seemed to everyone from the side that the hero had burned down, but after a few moments he appeared alive and unharmed along with the bulls harnessed to the plow. The iron handles of the plow were red-hot, and Jason did not take his hands off them, as if he himself was not made of human flesh, but of metal.

When the field was covered with even furrows, Jason unharnessed the bulls, and they rushed headlong into their cave. It remained to sow the furrows with the dragon's teeth and wait for the warriors to grow up. The wait was short. The earth stirred. First, like the stalks of plants, copper spearheads flashed in the sun, then pointed copper helmets that covered faces, copper arms, torsos and legs in copper greaves. But they did not kill each other (this is the deception of Eet!), but they all rushed to Jason.

Jason would never have coped with the copper army, if not for the advice given by Medea. Grabbing a huge stone, the hero raised it above his head and threw it into the middle of the field. And immediately, with a roar, the copper-armored ones turned around and entered the fray, smashing and killing their own kind. The few survivors of this strange battle were killed by Jason himself.

With horror and surprise, Eet looked at the stranger who had done the impossible. Of course, he did not intend to fulfill the promise made to him, being sure that someone had revealed his carefully hidden secret of the treatment of copper warriors. Furiously returning to the palace, he decided to find out and punish the traitor.

From the expression on her parent's face, Medea guessed his suspicions and decided, without waiting for an explanation, to leave her father. Even from a distance, she saw the flame of a fire lit by strangers and flew towards it as if on wings.

The heroes noisily rejoiced at the victory of Jason and the imminent return to their homeland. Always true to their word, they had no idea that the king could break his promise. Hearing from the guest that they would have to extract the fleece against the royal will, they, however, did not lose heart.

It was decided that Jason would go with Medea, and the rest would sing songs loudly as if nothing had happened in order to deceive the vigilance of the spies, whom the king would certainly send.

In the valley of the dragon

Clouds covered Selena, and the Valley of the Dragon - that was the name of the place where Jason and Medea went - plunged into darkness. But, approaching the sacred tree, one could see something that emitted radiance, like a small night sun. It was a golden fleece, fastened on a high bough. For his sake, Jason and his companions traveled a path full of dangers and incredible adventures. Now it remained to take the long-awaited prey.

But it was not for nothing that the valley bore the name of the dragon. The monster was not preserved in the legends of the Colchians. It, outliving its fellows, walked around the tree day and night, ready to pounce on anyone who approached it. The bones of those who coveted the Golden Fleece formed a wide white band around the tree.

The episode depicted on the vessel is not known from literary sources. Half-dead Jason is in the mouth of the Colchis dragon. Athena, fully armed, looks at him compassionately. It seems that, following the advice of the goddess, the hero entered the belly of the monster in order to strike him from the inside, since the outside was protected by invulnerable scales.

For several moments, Jason, holding his breath, listened to the scratching of huge claws on the trampled earth and to the loud croaking that escaped from the dragon's chest. When he, squeezing his sword, took a step forward, the imperious hand of Medea fell on his shoulder.

- No need! she whispered. - The dragon will raise such a deafening roar that it will be heard by Prometheus at the top of the Caucasus.

Throwing up her hands in prayerful ecstasy, Medea called on the god of sleep Hypnos and, sensing his presence, poured out a magic potion from the captured clay jars, uttering incantations in a whisper.

The dragon stopped and twisted its flat head on its long, flexible neck.

For a moment, she froze and began to slowly bow. Huge, bloodshot eyes closed, and soon the carcass toppled over, crushing the bushes that grew beyond the white circle.

Without wasting a moment, Jason was on the back of the monster, tore off the golden fleece from the bough and, passing it under his belt, deftly jumped to the ground.

“I don't know what we would do without you. You are our savior.

“I don’t know how I lived before you appeared, as if descending from the sky,” the girl replied.

If so, then come with us! said Jason, embracing Medea. “I will bring you into the palace of Iolk as my wife.

And they ran with all their might to Phasis. From the city came the sounds of military trumpets. The king gathered an army, hoping to bring him to the river by dawn and destroy the foreigners.

The heroes were already on the ship. Hearing Eet's preparations for battle, they put out the fire and boarded the ship. As soon as Jason and Medea touched the deck, Ankey signaled to the rowers. The Argonauts raised the mast and fixed the sail.

Help, wind! Jason shouted, stretching out his hands to the rising sun.

The oars struck the black water. The Argo, as if sensing danger, flew like a stone fired from a sling. Even before dawn, the ship left the river for the open sea.

Return trip

And again Ankey stood at the helm. Again the dark waves of Pontus beat against the side of the ship, again the sails flapped deafeningly, again, but already on the port side, the coast stretched. "Argo" did not go to Colchis for the Golden Fleece, but returned with precious booty. The elated laughter of women was heard on deck.

And no one on the ship, even the soothsayer Mops, did not know that the flotilla of Eeta, sent in pursuit of the fugitives, having passed not along the coast familiar to the Argonauts, but directly, was already on the opposite bank of Pontus, near the mouth of the great river Istra. When the Argo approached Istra, it became clear that both sides of the river and the island were occupied by ships and an innumerable army of Colchians.

The Argonauts understood that they could not defeat such an army, and they became gloomy. After consulting, they decided to enter into negotiations with the Colchians in order to give them the royal daughter in exchange for an unhindered return to their homeland.

One can imagine Medea's indignation when she learned of their decision.

“I never thought,” she cried, “that men can be such cowards. Give me, your savior, to be punished by my father? Where is your conscience?

– What should we do? Jason was confused. - We have no other choice! Father will forgive you, but not us.

“Enter negotiations,” Medea advised, “but not in order to negotiate concessions. We must lure my brother Apsyrtus. I see that he brought the fleet.

- What will it give? Ankey asked.

“We must kill him, cut the body into pieces and throw it into the sea. Until they catch them, we will go far.

The heroes did not immediately agree with this monstrous plan. Angry voices were heard:

“Better to die on your own than to live with the stigma of traitors!”

Let her kill her brother herself!

- I will do it! - Medea said firmly and, turning to Jason, added: - And you will help me!

After a terrible crime, the Argonauts managed to get away from the chase. But the all-seeing Zeus turned away from them. A piece of Dodona oak, embedded in the stern of the Argo, on behalf of the Thunderer, announced to the Argonauts that they would not return to Iolk if they were not cleansed of the crime by the sorceress Kirka, daughter of Helios, sister of Eet.

I had to change the route. To get to the Kirk, it is necessary to climb north along Eridanus, which meets with Rodan, and go down along Rodan to the lakes that connect with the Tyrrhenian Sea. Having rounded a huge bay, the shores of which were inhabited by Ligures, the Argo made its first stop at the island of Ephalia, over which the smoke of copper smelters rose day and night. Having repaired the oars and filled with water, the Argonauts sailed south, to the island of the sorceress Kirka, who can turn people into animals. Having landed, Jason ordered no one to go down to the shore, and he himself with Medea went into the depths of the island. At the sight of people, the animals that filled the forest ran up to them, accompanied them to the palace. At another time, Medea might have talked to some pig or dog to ask about her human past, but now there was no time for that.

Kirka received Medea and her companion as welcome guests. After all, the girl turned to the sorceress in her native Colchic language, immediately saying that she was her niece, the granddaughter of Helios. Then she, like a woman to a woman, told the story of her love, told about the flight from Colchis and the persecution by the Colchian fleet. But, having reached the murder of her brother, she burst into tears and could no longer speak.

Kirk realized that she had great criminals in front of her. This did not prevent her from cleaning Jason and Medea from spilled blood. But she ordered them to leave the island immediately so as not to defile his land.

On behalf of Hera, Thetis took care of the Argo. Before the Argonauts, a sea of ​​sirens, the destroyers of sailors, opened up. Orpheus saved the heroes from a terrible danger, singing one of the most beautiful songs. After listening to him, they did not pay attention to the calls of the sirens. Only Booth threw himself into the sea, but did not reach the rock of the Sirens thanks to Aphrodite and became the founder of the city of Lilybae in Trinacria.

Sailing between Scylla and Charybdis, the ship reached the country of the feacs. After all the dangers and worries, it was pleasant, leaving the ship's benches, to get off on the island of the feacs and arrive at the palace of the hospitable king Alcinous. But soon the sails of the huge fleet of Eet appeared. The envoys of the king demanded the extradition of Medea, threatening otherwise to take her by force.

And then Medea fell to the knees of the wife of Alcinous, begging her for salvation. They decided to call on the help of Hymen. That same night, a marriage ceremony took place in the palace, and the next morning Alkinoi announced to the king’s envoys who came to the palace for an answer that Medea was Jason’s wife and her father had lost power over her.

in Libya

Since then, mortals no longer threatened the Argonauts. But more than once they had to experience the wrath of the celestials. In the Ionian Sea, when it was already a stone's throw from the Peloponnese, Boreas blew furiously. Picking up the Argo like a piece of wood, he drove the ship through the raging sea for nine days and nights until he threw it onto a deserted sandy shore.

The heroes landed and wandered for a long time in search of people who would help free the ship from sandy captivity. There was no one around except for the noisy sea crows circling over the Argo. Even Medea did not understand the language of the birds of this land.

Having lost hope of anyone's help, the Argonauts sank in despair on the sand, covering their heads from the scorching sun with the edges of their clothes. Jason had already dozed off when he suddenly felt that someone was fiddling with the edge of the himation. Throwing it back, he saw three dark-haired maidens with goatskins on their shoulders. One of them, bending down, advised not to indulge in despondency, but to pay respect to the mother, who carried everyone in her womb. “Carry her as she carries you! finished the girl. "Follow Amphitrite's horse."

The maidens disappeared suddenly, just as they appeared. Jason immediately woke up his friends and told them about the vision. The heroes racked their brains for a long time, trying to figure out which mother and which horse the nymph was talking about.

But suddenly a huge white horse with a golden mane swam out of the sea. Having jumped ashore, he rushed in the same direction in which Boreas was driving the Argo.

- I guessed! Jason exclaimed, slapping his forehead with his hand. - The nymph called our mother "Argo". After all, he carried us in the womb. Let's pick it up and carry it in the direction indicated by the horse.

The fact that Jason correctly understood the will of the gods became clear from the ease with which the heroes pulled the ship out of the sand and put it on their shoulders.

Twelve days and the same number of nights lasted the passage through the Libyan desert. Hot sand burned his feet. Thirst parched the throat. The headache was unbearable. Dry lips cracked. Strange visions weighed down the brain. Every now and then on the horizon showed hills covered with trees, flowing rivers, but as soon as you approached the desired shore, it was dissolved in the swaying air. But worst of all were the snakes. It seemed as if some hostile god had gathered them from all over Libya to prevent the heroes from reaching their goal.

It is unlikely that anyone would have survived among this horde of reptiles, if not for Medea. Going first, she fascinated the snakes with body movements and speech, forcing them to crawl to the sides and raise their heads, as if welcoming the aliens. They had to walk along a corridor formed by thousands of snakes.

And yet the soothsayer Pug stepped on one gaping reptile. She stung him in the leg. Saying goodbye to friends, the hero, who became famous in the battle with the centaurs and the Calydonian hunt, said that he was destined to die from a snake bite and no one, not even Medea herself, could prevent this death.

The next morning, the wanderers saw a flowing river from a distance. It was not a deceptive vision, but a real river with banks overgrown with reeds, with animals going to the watering place. Having taken off the ship from their shoulders, the travelers went down to the river and drank, scooping up the divine moisture with their palms.

The river led the Argonauts to a large lake. For the first time in many days, they lowered the Argo not on the sand, but into its native element and rested their shoulders. The heroes heard about this lake back in their homeland and knew that it was called Tritonida. No mortal has yet been able to see him. No one knows whether it connects to the sea, and if there is a way, whether it is accessible to the Argo.

They decided to make a sacrifice to the god of the lake. A copper tripod was thrown into the waves, which made its way from Iolk. As soon as the victim disappeared under the water, a monster with a mouth strewn with sharp teeth rose up from there, waving a green head.

In horror, the Argonauts recoiled from the side. Triton, stretching out his scaled paw, croaked:

- There is access to the sea. My lake is connected to it by a narrow strait. Row after me, and I will drag you along the strait.

The heroes took up the oars, and when they reached the passage, they threw a rope overboard, wrapping its end around the mast. Triton grabbed the rope with his teeth and pulled the ship. The strait was so narrow that the oars rested against its banks.

In the open sea, Triton, waving his dolphin tail, plunged into the abyss. The Argonauts greeted their native element with a joyful cry, forgetting how much trouble it brought them. Having landed on the shore, they erected altars in honor of their saviors - Poseidon and his son Triton. Having rested on land, in the morning they boarded the Argo and sailed, pursued by Zephyr.

Ten days lasted sailing on the densely curly sea. The sailors knew no worries. Poseidon guarded the Argo from storms, pitfalls and shallows. And yet he failed to prevent the obstacles that stood in the way of the heroes.

Copper monster of Crete

Heading for Mount Dikte, the Argo entered a quiet bay. They are about to land on the shore and immerse their thirst-chapped lips in the icy jets of the stream. But suddenly, as if from the sky, huge stones fell.

- Talos! cried Ankey, pointing to the cliff.

The huge body of the giant could be mistaken for a pine both in growth and in copper color. For a long time there was no Europe in Crete, which Zeus instructed Talos to protect, and the copper monster continued to bypass the island, preventing the landing of sailors.

The Argonauts knew that Talos was indestructible, but in one place of his body, at the ankle, instead of copper, there was a thin skin. If you enter this place, lead-colored blood will flow from its single vein. But who at such a distance will be able to hit him with an arrow ?!

Ankey was already turning the helm when Medea's voice was heard behind him:

Having made her way along the flooring between the benches where the Argonauts sat at the oars, to the bow, near which Jason was, Medea glared at Talos and began to sing. Her voice filled the space, flowing from her lips like poison. The wind died down, the grass froze. Medea summoned spirits that hovered invisibly among the living in the form of a dog.

Talos suddenly staggered. So a pine tree growing on a cliff, whose roots are exposed by the winds, sways for a long time with a creak, and suddenly, lifeless, falls into the sea with a noise.

The heroes spent the whole night in Crete near the cave, which was considered the birthplace of Zeus. However, according to others, he was born in another cave, on Mount Ida.

As soon as the chariot of dawn appeared, the Argonauts erected an altar in honor of Athena of the Minoans, took water and boarded the ship in order to leave the island before the sea began to rough. Their path lay to Aegina.

Back in Iolka

The jagged silhouette of Pelion, familiar to everyone to the heart, aroused stormy joy on deck. Obstacles behind! A little more, and it will be possible to set foot on solid ground, to hug loved ones. They must have lost all hope of meeting!

But no! They are remembered! The harbor was filled with people who recognized from afar, if not sailors, then a ship, the equal of which the sea had not yet held in its arms. The closer the shore, the more pronounced the excitement of those who meet. Hands are thrown up in greeting. Petasas flew into the air. "Argo" turned around and touched the port side of the pier. And before they had time to drop the ship's ropes to the tarred pillars, Jason jumped ashore. In his hands is a skin, as if embroidered with gold rings. He unfolded it and threw it over his head. The agora and all the streets up to the acropolis, where the royal palace rises, resounded with thunderous cries: “Golden Fleece! The Golden Fleece!"

Now the whole team is on the beach. They run up to the sailors, kiss, squeeze in their arms. Jason is looking impatiently for his father and brothers. Someone from the crowd says: “Don't wait! Pelias killed them." No, this is not how Jason imagined his return to Iolk! He dreamed of introducing his father and brothers to his young wife, to introduce her to the palace.

The couple settled in the house of one of the Argonauts. The first days there was no release from visitors. Everyone wanted to find out about distant Pontus, about the dangers that await sailors on its distant shores, about the prices of timber and slaves. Jason explained with a smile that he had never visited the agora and had not asked the price of a single product, that in his thoughts there was one golden fleece.

Soon other guests arrived. They went to Medea. A rumor spread in the city that Medea was a sorceress and could restore youth. Old rams and hunting dogs were dragged to her to turn them into lambs and puppies. And of course, the rumor about these miracles did not bypass the palace. The daughters of Pelias brought an old goat on a rope.

Medea (left) utters the last words of the spell, and a rejuvenated ram jumps out of the cauldron. One of Pelias's daughters (on the right) excitedly extends her hand

Medea, who was working in the yard, kindled firewood under a copper cauldron. Shouting incomprehensible words, she threw herbs brought from Colchis into the boiling water. When steam poured out of the cauldron, a fragrance spread, which, probably, is saturated with the Caucasus. Bypassing the cauldron with a dance, Medea threw into it parts of the goat she had cut. Not much time passed, and a charming white goat jumped out of the cauldron into the hands of the sorceress.

Jason, wandering around the city, saw how the daughters of his enemy were carrying a goat, jubilantly showing it to everyone they met.

Returning home, Jason said unhappily to Medea:

“If I were you, I wouldn’t reward these fools with a kid.” Why take away his four-legged friend from the old goat Pelias?

“Do you think,” Medea smiled, “the daughters of Pelius need a kid?”

Jason remembered what Medea had said in the harbor and understood her cunning. And in fact, one of the daughters of Pelias soon appeared and promised Medea a lot of gold and jewelry if she would restore the youth to the king. Medea bargained for a long time, the promised reward increased many times before she finally agreed.

The very next day, after the question of the price had been settled, Pelias, who was shaking with old age, was brought in.

The sorceress slowly kindled firewood under the cauldron, threw herbs into the water, and offered the daughters themselves to cut the old man, explaining that this was necessary for success. Somehow they coped with this and themselves threw the father's arms, legs, head and parts of the body into the cauldron. But no matter how much they waited for the baby or the boy Pelias to jump out of the cauldron, this did not happen - Medea threw the wrong herbs into the water.

He learned about the failure with the rejuvenation of Pelias, his son Acastus. He could not accuse the stranger of murder, for the old man was slaughtered by his sisters, Peliades. But the magic that led to death was a sufficient reason for the expulsion of Medea, and with her Jason from Iolk.

Revenge of Medea

For a long time, exiles, rejected by everyone, wandered through the lands of the Pelasgians and Achaeans. There was only one husband who accepted the fugitives. It was the king of Aether Creon, who was not afraid of the charms of Medea. The couple found their home in Ether. Here they had twins, conceived during their wanderings, and then another son.

Ten years passed, and Creon began to notice that Jason was growing cold towards Medea. Once, during a friendly visit to the palace, a young princess Glauca appeared on his way. Jason was captivated by her beauty and, without hesitation, invited Medea to leave Ether with her children.

Medea's grief was terrible. She, who loved Jason and bore him sons, could not understand how he decided on such a betrayal. At the top of her voice, she screamed and called the gods to witness that Jason had sworn to be faithful to her. Refusing food, day and night, Medea gave herself to be torn to pieces by the torments of memory. The nurse tried to bring her children to her, hoping that this would bring peace, but Medea seethed with anger, seeing in them the offspring of a traitor.

Once, in desperation, she went out to the women of Aether to pour out her soul to them. Talking about herself, she painted a bitter female lot, not much different from a slave. The news that a foreign woman is rebelling women has reached royal palace. Creon hurried to Medea and announced his will to her: she must immediately leave Ether. Depicting ostentatious humility, Medea begged the king to give her a day to pack.

Medea's plan of revenge was thought out to the end. Having met with Jason, she humbly asked him to convince Creon to leave his sons in Ether. To enlist the support of the bride, she gave her an expensive robe and a golden crown as a gift. Not realizing that they are saturated with poison, Glauca puts them on and dies in terrible agony. Creon also died, trying to tear off the robe that stuck to the body of his daughter. Wanting to bring Jason even more grief, Medea kills the children and is carried away into the sky in a chariot drawn by winged dragons.

Not long after that Jason lived in Ether. Haggard and aged beyond recognition, he left the city that brought him so much torment. He was seen wandering in the mountains. The shepherds gave him milk to drink, mistaking him for a beggar. Going out to the sea, he ate slippery mollusks or crayfish washed ashore. One day he found himself at a half-buried ship. Lights flared in his cloudy eyes. He recognized the Argo, a wreck just as useless as himself. A distant youth came to life in a shocked memory. He heard the flapping of sails, the crackling of colliding rocks, the voices of friends, and saw hopeful faces. Where are they now? Have they gone to the realm of shadows, or, like him, are they living out their lives, remembering the impudent youth that flashed in the wine-colored Pontus, like a foamy trace of their ship?

Boreas blew sharply from the sea. Chillly wrapped in a himation, Jason sank down next to his old friend on the wet sand. A storm that broke out at night destroyed the ship and buried the old man under its wreckage. So the hero was punished by the gods, who used the witchcraft art of a foreigner and failed to oppose her male will.

The story of Zeus, the supreme god of Greek mythology.
Many believed in Zeus as the only and main god even before the advent of Christianity, and the most terrible natural disasters were explained by his anger.
Heaven in Greek mythology personified a very important part of the world, and the one who controls the sky is the owner of everything and everyone. Zeus was revered in every possible way, as a fair steward of both people and gods.

Among the gods, Zeus occupied the highest level of the hierarchy, that is, in fact, he was a king among the gods.

As the lord of heaven, Zeus could control lightning and thunder. It was lightning that became a symbol of the power and might of Zeus. This explains another name of Zeus - the Thunderer, so the Greeks tried to explain such a natural phenomenon as lightning.

The myth of the birth of Zeus

The first mention of Zeus was found in the notes of the ancient Greek author Hesiod (Hesiod lived in the 7th century BC), he wrote the book of theogony (for the Greeks, this book was something like the book of Genesis.)
According to legend, Zeus was not a god from the very beginning, but the myth of the birth of Zeus, begin with Zeus challenging his father, Kronos. Kronos was very powerful, he commanded the most powerful of the deities - the Titans. (The Titans were considered the very first deities who populated the earth, but they were not particularly smart, aggressive, they only wanted to take and consume.) When Kronos decides to extend his family, he is forced to enter into a relationship with his sister from the Titan family - Reya.

Initially, all the gods are relatives, and therefore incest in myths is quite common.

Kronos and his wife Rhea have the next generation of gods. In the future, this generation will be called the Olympians. They include Hades, Poseidon and Zeus.

Kronos initially did not want to have children, because he did not want to give the status of the supreme ruler. He was afraid that his son would be stronger and better, that, in the end, he would overthrow him. For fear of losing everything, Kronos decided to act drastically. Immediately after birth, he swallowed his children alive. Of course, the children could not die (since they were immortal gods), but they no longer posed a threat to Kronos.

At the time, cannibalism ancient greece was something out of the ordinary, this act was considered the lot of savages.

Rhea was horrified, Kronos had already swallowed five of her children, and now she is pregnant again. To keep her children free, Rhea comes up with a plan. She runs away to a secret hideout and gives birth to a son there. It is this son who will become the king of the gods - Zeus. But Kronos was already waiting for his wife at home to devour the newly born child. Therefore, Rhea wraps a stone in a diaper and carries it to Kronos. Immediately Kronos swallows the bundle of nothing, not guessing.

Rhea decides to hide his son on the island of Crete in a secret cave. (Afterwards, this cave will become a sanctuary for the worship of Zeus.) But it is hard to hide someone from Kronos himself, every time little Zeus cried, the people who guarded him beat special shields that hung along the walls of the cave. The sound of these shields did not allow Kronos to hear the cry of his son.

The myth of the birth of Zeus says that the little god lived in a cave until maturity. Growing up, Zeus undergoes training, gaining wisdom and strength - he becomes a real man. All this is done to achieve his goal, which Zeus set for himself - to overthrow his cruel father and seize power over the world.

Brief myth of Zeus - the overthrow of Kronos

Zeus knows that the stakes are very high, if he wins, he will become the supreme ruler of the world, and if he loses, he will fall into Tartarus forever.

(Tartarus is the lower level of the kingdom of Hades, it was here that the damned fell, i.e. those who somehow offended the gods.)

Kronos sat on Mount Olympus.

Mount Olympus in ancient Greek mythology was the home of the gods. However, it does exist in reality. This is the most high point in Greece, the mountain rises almost 3 kilometers above sea level. The Greeks themselves really believed that the gods lived on this mountain.

It is at the top of Mount Olympus that Zeus devises a plan to reclaim the throne from his father Kronos and his mighty Titans. Zeus decides to free his brothers, who were swallowed by Kronos, and enlist their help. During this time, the brothers of Zeus, being in the stomach of Kronos, also matured and gained the power of the gods. Zeus brewed a poisonous potion to free his brothers. Entering the chambers of Kronos, Zeus pours poison into his cup. After drinking it, Kronos begins to feel bad, he soon spews out a stone that Rhea gave him instead of Zeus.

According to legend, this stone formed the basis of the most revered place in ancient Greece - the Delphic temple, the haven of the oracle. Delphi is a sanctuary where people from all over Greece came to bow and ask for help from the gods. This stone, which Kronos cast out of himself, is still located in the very center of the Delphic temple to this day.

According to legend, after the stone, Kronos regurgitated five children eaten earlier. Zeus, as a good ruler, had an excellent mind and skills to inspire and convince others. Thanks to these skills, he was able to unite his relatives and create a coalition. But even together, they lacked the strength to fight the Titans.

Then Zeus remembered the forgotten by Kronos, the Cyclopes and the hundred-armed Hekatonkheires. Kronos was afraid of their power, and therefore hid them in tartar.
Zeus understood that with their help, victory would be his. Having descended into Tartarus, he finds the Hekatonkheires and speaks with them on an equal footing and with respect, he asks them for help to overthrow his father. Touched by this reverence, the Hekatoncheirs agreed to help the young Zeus.

After Zeus also freed the Cyclopes. In return, they gave Zeus the power to command lightning and thunder.

The forces are determined, the battle itself will take place in Thessaly, a plain lying between the mountains of Othris and Olympus.
A grandiose battle begins, Zeus with lightning in his hands, his brothers, the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheirs fight with the most powerful deities - the Titans.

(Traces of grandiose battles are still found in the Thessalian valley.)

Soon the decisive moment comes, the battle between father and son. From the top of Mount Olympus, Zeus strikes his father's army with strong lightning strikes. Hundred-armed Hecatoncheires broke off huge pieces of mountains and threw them at the titans. The ground under their feet cracked, and the sounds of battle were heard throughout the world.

Scientists have found that ancient world at that time, experienced a real disaster. On the territory of the island of Santorini, about 3 thousand liters. A massive volcanic eruption happened. Its power can be compared to five tens of thousands of Hiroshima bombs. An eruption of such power destroyed most Greek world, and the survivors could explain this catastrophe as the wrath of the gods.

The battle of the gods continues, and Zeus begins to win. But the Titans had something to do. From the depths of Tartarus they summon Typhon.

Typhon is a terrifying monster of incredible size.

The battle between Zeus and Typhon was not long, the monster cannot withstand such powerful lightning strikes and falls back into Tartarus along with the remaining titans. There they will spend eternity.

The victory of Zeus made him the ruler of the world and the king among the other gods. However, calmness and peace were not long, soon Zeus has a new enemy in the face of a loved one.

Zeus and his wife Metis

The myths of ancient Greece say that the Greek gods are not at all sinless, everyone has both strengths and weaknesses, and the gods are no exception.

One of the weakest sides of Zeus was his love of love and passion for women. According to legend, Zeus turned into various animals, people, husbands of women. All this was done in order to seduce young beauties and enter into a relationship with them.

The first to attract the attention of Zeus was the young goddess Metis. Soon Zeus took her as his wife.

Metis is the wife of Zeus, according to legend, she is incredibly beautiful, and her name itself means “wise” in translation.

But his feelings are overshadowed by a terrible prophecy, which should deprive him of power. Zeus was predicted that his wife would bear him a child who would take the throne from him. Like his father, Zeus was afraid of his future heir. But Zeus did not want to be like his father, he swore that this time everything would be different. To keep his vow, he swallows his wife. And again, love lost to the lust for power.

While Metis was in captivity, Zev could use all of her intellectual abilities. Zeus became smarter, wiser and more cunning than he was before.

Zeus and Hera - the new wife of Zeus

Since Metis was gone, Zeus needed a new wife. Like his father, Zeus decides to take a wife from his own family. She became his sister - the goddess Hera.
Hera was not like the others, she was very powerful. It can be said that Zeus and Hera were more equal.
But Hera was also rather jealous. Zeus continued to increase the number of his beloved.
The myth of Zeus says that among his mistresses were both mortals and goddesses. Each relationship between Zeus and his mistresses ended in pregnancy. They gave birth to over a hundred children from Zeus.

Such promiscuity of Zeus could be explained by the secret desire of the Greeks themselves. Dreaming of many girls, they thought that the almighty god would certainly not miss such an opportunity.

Soon, more and more cities of ancient Greece wanted to intermarry with the god himself. They announced that in their city there is a girl pregnant from Zeus himself. As a result of this, the founders of local ruling dynasties were born. The cities themselves began to be named in honor of the born children of Zeus: Athens, Thebes, Magnesia, Macedonia.

but , not happy with her husband's love affairs. Hera did not like the fact that she was humiliated in front of other gods, one day she could not stand it and swore that she would take revenge on Zeus for his many betrayals.

Gathering the rest of the Olympians, Hera incites them to raise a rebellion against Zeus. She said that it was unfair that Zeus was in charge and if all the Olympians united, they could overthrow him.
The Olympians gather and put Zeus in chains while he was sleeping. Waking up, Zeus finds himself chained. He did not expect such meanness from relatives whom he had previously saved.

Zeus was always afraid of such a rebellion, because no mortal could challenge him. But united, the Olympian gods could well overthrow him.

Soon, help came to the bound Zeus in the form of old allies - the Hekatonkheires. Hearing that Zeus is in trouble, they come to Zeus for help. They break the binding chains, and the Olympians scatter in fear.

Having survived this conspiracy, Zeus begins to take revenge. He hung his wife Hera on golden chains, between heaven and earth. Son Apollo and brother Poseidon were sentenced to hard labor (they had to build the impregnable walls of Troy.)

The ancient Greeks could not explain the emergence of Troy (it was impossible to build a building of this level at that time), and the myth explained its occurrence.

The wrath of Zeus and the Flood

According to legend, all those who rebelled against Zeus received a well-deserved punishment, but the wrath of God also fell on people. The Flood is attributed to the wrath of Zeus.

In ancient Greece, people were very afraid of the wrath of Zeus. After all, doing a bad deed, Zeus could hit them with his lightning.
Hesiod wrote that if it were not for the fear of Zeus, then people would turn into animals, and the weak would obey the strong. Thus, Zeus brought order and justice to the world.

When natural disasters occurred in the world, the Greeks believed that Zeus sent them to punish the villains. Often at the same time, stories were invented about what so angered the god.

According to legend, Zeus fell into a rage if people ate their own kind. Once he saw how people eat their own kind, Zeus fell into a rage and vowed to destroy all mankind with the help of a global flood.

For nine days and nights, heavy rain pours down, flooding the whole earth. The water reaches the top of Mount Parnassus, which towered two and a half kilometers. People are dying all over the earth. When the rain finally stopped, only two mortals remained. They survived because they built the ark.

These stories are surprisingly intertwined, the parallel with the Old Testament is more than obvious. Thus, it can be said that different nations the world explained so terrible a natural phenomenon differently.

The overthrow of Zeus - the arrival of Christianity

The myth of Zeus says that he was able to cope with the revolt of the Olympians, but could not cope with another rival, Jesus Christ.
In the 1st century AD, the teachings of Jesus Christ will spread throughout the world, overthrowing the power of the supreme Greek deity.
Christianity gave people hope. Hope for salvation after death. People began to believe that after death they will have eternal life. That's why Christianity had so many followers.
The power of Zeus over people with the spread of a new religion in the Mediterranean countries gradually faded away. The people who revered him, in the end, themselves rejected him.

In ancient Greece, only the force of fate was more powerful than Zeus. Even myself supreme god could not resist fate. No matter how much he wants to change or avoid her, he still obeys her will.

Before the advent of Christianity the myth of Zeus ruled the entire Greek world for thousands of years. Zeus was the most formidable, and revered among all the Olympian gods. He is one of the few deities who left a big mark on the history of mankind: Hercules, Hades, Medusa - stories about them open a window into a long-forgotten world.