LP0077 -III ARGONAUTS- Introduction to the Argonauts, from The Library of Apollodorus

Legendary Passages #0077 -III ARGONAUTS- Introduction to the Argonauts, from The Library of Apollodorus. Previously, Ino conspired to sacrifice her stepson Phrixus, but he escaped on the back of a flying golden ram. Another version of that tale is told here, as well as the backgrounds and genealogies of many Argonauts, including Jason. Aeolus had sons Sisyphus and Athamas, who was father of Phrixus and husband of Nephele, Ino, and Themisto; and they all came to bad ends. Salmoneus impersonated Zeus and got thunderbolted, but his daughter Tyro married King Cretheus of Iolcus, and had sons Amythaon, Pheres, and Aeson, father of Jason. Tyro had also by Poseidon sons Neleus and Pelias. Pelias became king after Cretheus, and made an enemy of Hera by killing his own step-mother on the altar of the goddess. This will come back to haunt him later, as we shall see. http://www.theoi.com/Text/Apollodorus1.html#9 Introduction to the Argonauts, a Legendary Passage from, PSEUDO-APOLLODORUS, BIBLIOTHECA, or THE LIBRARY, BOOK 1 Section 9, translated by J. G. FRAZER. [1.9.1] - [1.9.16] Of the sons of Aeolus, Athamas ruled over Boeotia and begat a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle by Nephele. And he married a second wife, Ino, by whom he had Learchus and Melicertes. But Ino plotted against the children of Nephele and persuaded the women to parch the wheat; and having got the wheat they did so without the knowledge of the men. But the earth, being sown with parched wheat, did not yield its annual crops; so Athamas sent to Delphi to inquire how he might be delivered from the dearth. Now Ino persuaded the messengers to say it was foretold that the infertility would cease if Phrixus were sacrificed to Zeus. When Athamas heard that, he was forced by the inhabitants of the land to bring Phrixus to the altar. But Nephele caught him and her daughter up and gave them a ram with a golden fleece, which she had received from Hermes, and borne through the sky by the ram they crossed land and sea. But when they were over the sea which lies betwixt Sigeum and the Chersonese, Helle slipped into the deep and was drowned, and the sea was called Hellespont after her. But Phrixus came to the Colchians, whose king was Aeetes, son of the Sun and of Perseis, and brother of Circe and Pasiphae, whom Minos married. He received Phrixus and gave him one of his daughters, Chalciope. And Phrixus sacrificed the ram with the golden fleece to Zeus the god of Escape, and the fleece he gave to Aeetes, who nailed it to an oak in a grove of Ares. And Phrixus had children by Chalciope, to wit, Argus, Melas, Phrontis, and Cytisorus. But afterwards Athamas was bereft also of the children of Ino through the wrath of Hera; for he went mad and shot Learchus with an arrow, and Ino cast herself and Melicertes into the sea. Being banished from Boeotia, Athamas inquired of the god where he should dwell, and on receiving an oracle that he should dwell in whatever place he should be entertained by wild beasts, he traversed a great extent of country till he fell in with wolves that were devouring pieces of sheep; but when they saw him they abandoned their prey and fled. So Athamas settled in that country and named it Athamantia after himself; and he married Themisto, daughter of Hypseus, and begat Leucon, Erythrius, Schoeneus, and Ptous. And Sisyphus, son of Aeolus, founded Ephyra, which is now called Corinth, and married Merope, daughter of Atlas. They had a son Glaucus, who had by Eurymede a son Bellerophon, who slew the fire breathing Chimera. But Sisyphus is punished in Hades by rolling a stone with his hands and head in the effort to heave it over the top; but push it as he will, it rebounds backward. This punishment he endures for the sake of Aegina, daughter of Asopus; for when Zeus had secretly carried her off, Sisyphus is said to have betrayed the secret to Asopus, who was looking for her. Deion reigned over Phocis and married Diomede, daughter of Xuthus; and there were born to hi