Early in the morning the Argonauts woke up. At the council they decided that Jason should go with the sons of Phrixus to King Eetus and ask him to give the fleece to the Argonauts, but if the proud king refuses, then only then resort to force.
Jason went with the staff of peace to the palace of Eet. The goddess Hera covered Jason and his companions with a thick cloud so that the inhabitants of Colchis would not offend the heroes. When the heroes approached Eeta's palace, the cloud parted and they saw Eeta's palace. This palace was majestic. Its walls were high with many towers reaching into the sky. Wide gates decorated with marble led to the palace. Rows of white columns sparkled in the sun, forming a portico.
Everything that was in the palace of Eeta, all the rich decoration, was made to him by Hephaestus in gratitude for the fact that Eeta’s father, the sun god Helios, rushed away Hephaestus, exhausted in the battle with the giants, from the Phlegrean fields in his golden chariot. Many palaces surrounded the courtyard. In the most luxurious one lived King Eet with his wife, in the other - his son Absyrtus; For its beauty, the Colchians nicknamed Absyrtus Phaeton (shining). In the remaining palaces lived the daughter of Eeta Halkiope, the wife of the deceased Phrixus, and the youngest daughter of Eeta Medea, the great sorceress, servant of the goddess Hecate.
When Jason and his companions entered the courtyard of the palace of Eeta, Medea came out of her palace. She went to visit Chalciope. Medea screamed in amazement when she saw the strangers. Chalkiope came out to her cry and saw her sons. Rejoicing at their return, Chalkiope ran up to them. She hugs and kisses her sons, whom she never thought of seeing again. Eet also came out to hear the noise. He invites strangers to his palace and orders a sumptuous feast to be prepared for his servants. While Jason was exchanging greetings with Eet, Eros descended from high Olympus on his golden wings. Hiding behind a column, he pulled the string of his bow and took out a golden arrow. Then, invisible to everyone, Eros stood behind Jason and shot his arrow straight into Medea’s heart. An arrow pierced her heart, and she immediately felt love for Jason.
Jason went with his companions to the palace of Eeta. There the king of Colchis invited them to recline at the banquet table. During the feast, Argos told Eetus about how he and his brothers were shipwrecked, how stormy waves threw them onto the island of Aretiada, and how the Argonauts found them there, dying of hunger. Argos also said why Jason and the heroes came to Colchis. As soon as Eet heard that Jason wanted to get the Golden Fleece, his eyes flashed with anger and he knitted his eyebrows menacingly. Eet does not believe that heroes sailed for the Golden Fleece, he thinks: perhaps the sons of Phrixus planned to seize power over all of Colchis and for that purpose brought Greek heroes with them? Eet showers Jason with reproaches, he wants to drive him out of the palace and threatens him with execution. Angry speeches were ready to fly from Telamon’s lips in response to the king’s threats, but Jason stopped him. He tries to calm Eetus, assures him that they sailed to Colchis only for the fleece, and promises the king to perform any service, to fulfill any assignment, if the king gives him the golden fleece as a reward. Eet thought. Finally, deciding to destroy Jason, he told him:
“Okay, you will receive the fleece, but first fulfill my next order: plow the field dedicated to Ares with my iron plow, and harness copper-legged, fire-breathing bulls to the plow; sow this field with the teeth of the dragon, and when warriors clad in armor grow from the teeth of the dragon, fight them and kill them. If you do this, you will receive a fleece.
Jason did not immediately answer Eet, but finally said:
“I agree, Eet, but you also fulfill this promise, because you know that I cannot refuse to fulfill my assignment, since by the will of fate I arrived here, in Colchis.”
Having said this, Jason left with his companions.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru