Britannica AI Icon

Quick Summary

The Argo was a legendary ship in Greek mythology, famously captained by Jason. The ship carried fifty heroes, known as the Argonauts, on a quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the distant land of Colchis. This perilous journey was undertaken at the behest of Jason's uncle, Pelias, who had usurped the throne of Iolcos and promised to relinquish it if Jason succeeded in this seemingly impossible task. The quest involved overcoming numerous challenges, including navigating treacherous waters, battling mythical creatures, and outsmarting kings. The story of the Argonauts and their voyage aboard the Argo is a central myth in Greek literature, with the fullest account found in the Argonautica by Apollonius of Rhodes.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. Argonaut
  2. Jason

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.