Introduction
Argo Navis is an ancient constellation mentioned in Greek myths, described to be the ship used by Jason and the Argonauts. It is one of the 48 ancient constellations once listed by astronomer Ptolemy nearly 2,000 years ago, being one of the largest constellations in the sky. In 18th century, Argo Navis was thought to be too big as a single one, and was approved to be split into four smaller constellatoins: Carina (ship's hull), Vela (the sails), Pupplis (the deck), and Pyxis (the compass).Argo Navis appeared in Greek legends as the ship of the Argonautes - team of explorers searching for the legendary golden fleece. The ship was regarded to be the first huge vessel created by human in navigation to the unknown oceans.
Legend of Golden Fleece
The ship is related to one of the most well-known Greek Myths - Jason and the Argonauts. The story begin in the kingdom of Iolcus, while Jason's grandfather, Cretheus is the king and founder. When he pass away, the kingdom ois seized by his brother Pelias from Cretheus's son Aeson. Whole family of Aeson is under strict monitor by the army controlled by Pelias. To avoid the threat from Pelias over his family, Pelias secretly send his son Jason to Chiron, the hermit of Centaurs.
Jason and the Argonauts
A few years later, when Pelias ask for advice from the gods, he is told to pay attention to a man with sandel on one side. In a ceremony to worship Poseidon, Pelias come across the grown up Jason, who is exactly the same as in the prediction he had got from the gods. Jason demands to return of his rightful throne. Pelias understood Jason was a real threat to him but he could not get rid of him in public. So he replied to Jason that he should first accomplish a difficult task to prove he has the ability to be the king.. The task is to retrieve the Golden Fleece, kept beyond the edge of the known world in a land called Colchis (modern-day Georgia in Southwest Asia). If he succeed, he will be powerful enough to be the king of Iolcus. In order to reclaim his throne, Jason agrees to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Jason gathers a group of 50 heroes as his crews (so called Argonauts) and set off for the challenge.Begin of the voyage
Their first stop is the Island of Lemnos, inhabitated only by women. Jason and the Argonauts do not realize in the beginning that the women have murdered their husbands, and they will seduce every new comers to the island, just for the purpose of repopulate the island.The Argonaunts have many more adventures in other islands, before they finally arrived Constantinople, towards the Straits of Bosphorus, a passageway between the Sea of Marmara, the Aegean Sea and their destination - the Black Sea. To the ancient Greeks, this was the edge of the known world. The Straits are extremely dangerous due to the currents created by the flow of water from the Black Sea.
Triumph of Jason
When Jason finally arrives in Colchis he asks King Aietes to return the golden fleece to him as it belonged to his ancestor. Aietes is reluctantly to do so, so he require Jason to finish series of tasks first, which he is confident that these tasks are impossible to be accomplished. But surprisingly, his daughter Medea fall in love with Jason, she offers to assist Jason if he will marry her. He agrees. Medea is a powerful sorceress and Jason finally success in retrieving the Golden Fleece.
