The Archetypal Adventure
This classic myth is one of the most ancient adventure stories that exist. It chronicles Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece and the restoration of his family’s throne. This archetypal adventure sets the example for the plot of almost all modern stories, and it may even model what it means to be human: to live, to be challenged, to endure, and to make the world a better place.
Perhaps, it is easiest for modern readers to think of the ancient Greek myths as epic soap operas or superhero sagas, always leaving more opportunities for a sequel to satisfy the audience’s thirst for bold adventures and fantastic places. Indeed the story of Jason and the Argonauts has been retold and elaborated upon many times.
Personally, I find it fascinating how this myth has embedded itself in our culture. I recommend you read What is an argonaut? to learn how this myth plays a role in your life. Next, I recommend you read the original Greek myth of Jason and the Argonauts or the illustrated kid’s version of Jason and the Argonauts.
What is an Argonaut?
The etymology of argonaut The word “argonaut” (Ancient Greek: Ἀργοναῦται) comes from an ancient tale sung of the strongest and bravest band of heroes ever assembled in Greek Mythology — Jason and the Argonauts (literally meaning sailors of the Argo).
What is a hero?
Is it true that the only people who achieve great things are the ones who take risks and reach for the impossible. Is that what it means to be a hero?
What is an adventure?
Words like adventure, hero and epic have become cliches that have lost their meaning. So unfortunately we can’t say: “I’m a a hero going on an epic adventure,” and be meaningful. So, what exactly is an adventure? And how do we make every day an adventure?
The story of Jason and the Argonauts
This classic myth chronicles Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece and the restoration of his family’s throne. An exciting story retold in modern English.
The story of Jason and the Argonauts for kids
The myth of Jason and the Argonauts and the quest for the Golden Fleece for kids with fun illustrations. Based on one of the first heroic adventures ever told.
The Metamorphoses, Book VII
Arguably, Jason’s wife, Medea is the true hero of the story. The story of Jason and the Argonauts is told from Medea’s point of view in Book VII of The Metamorphoses by the poet Ovid.
More adaptations of the myth
There are hundreds of adaptations of the myth of Jason and the Argonauts including the famous movie of 1963. Here we present the most famous.
Big News!!!
Visit Scott's new website
We’ve been making some big changes. Scott, founder of The Argonauts, has doubled down on his career as an artist, author, adventurer and launched a new website. He invites you to join his new adventures and the discussion about living a meaningful life at ScottStoll.com.
Meanwhile, we will be refocusing this website on the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, which is how our website is now indexed by the internet librarians, i.e. Google.
Visit our new kid-friendly website
Because we believe everything is an adventure, and all good adventures start with a dream, in 2018, we published our evidence-based workbook Dream It! and matching website Dreamaplay to teach kids (and adults) how to dream and how to turn those dreams into reality using our easy 3-step formula: 1) Dream it! 2) Map it! 3) Play it!
Dreamaplay.com is full of free, evidence-based resources for kids and their parents, teachers, homeschoolers and health care providers. It was over 4 years in the making and everything was tested in real-world classrooms.