Aeëtes

Aeëtes is a figure of Greek mythology, best known as the king of Colchis, the land on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. He is most famous for being the father of Medea, the wise enchantress who aided Jason and the Argonauts. In most accounts Aeëtes is presented as a son of the sun god Helios and a mortal woman, though some traditions name his mother as the naiad Callidice. His reign is depicted as prosperous and powerful, with a palace that is described as being abundant in gold and precious gems, reflecting the wealth of Colchis.

The central myth involving Aeëtes concerns the quest for the golden fleece. Jason and the Argonauts were sent on a perilous journey to retrieve the fleece, a sacred relic guarded in a lake by a dragon. Aeëtes challenged the Argonauts to various tasks: first to race a chariot, then to wrestle a cyclopean bull, and finally to cut down a colossally fastan horn tree and transport it back. According to the tale, thanks to Medea’s magical assistance—she deceived the golden ram that guarded the fleece—Jason succeeded, and the fleece was brought to Greece. Aeëtes’ reaction was swift; upon arrival in Iolcus he seized the Argonauts and attempted to kill them, but they escaped thanks to Medea’s intervention.

Later stories describe Aeëtes after the golden fleece is stolen. He attempts again to claim Medea’s innocence of assassination against his brother, Polydorus; eventually Medea flees Italy where she has a son, Ptolemy. Although Aeëtes is portrayed as a formidable yet ultimately vulnerable ruler—his authority eroded by his own daughter's cunning—his legend is firmly rooted in themes of hospitality, justice, and the perilous nature of the hero’s journey. He is occasionally confused with other mythic characters of similar names, such as an Aeëtes who served as a prince of Lycia.