King Pelias

A quick introduction to the man that stole Jason’s crown

In Greek mythology, Pelias was the king of Iolcus, a city in ancient Greece, and the half-brother of Jason’s father, Aeson. He was the one who sent Jason on the quest for the Golden Fleece. While he was not a crewmember of the Argonauts, he was a central figure in the story.

Pelias came to power in Iolcus by overthrowing his half-brother Aeson and taking the throne for himself. However, he was afraid that Aeson’s son, Jason, would one day seek revenge and try to reclaim the throne, so he came up with a plan to get rid of him.

Pelias told Jason that he would give him the throne of Iolcus if he brought back the Golden Fleece, a magical object that was guarded by a dragon. Jason accepted the challenge and set out on a journey with a group of heroes known as the Argonauts to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

While Jason was away, Pelias plotted against him, hoping to prevent him from returning and reclaiming the throne. However, Jason was ultimately successful in his quest and returned with the Golden Fleece.

However, when Jason and Medea returned, Pelias still refused to give up his throne. Medea conspired to have Pelias’ own daughters (the Peliades) kill him. But now, Jason was an accessory to a terrible crime. He did not inherit the crown and was banished.

But other versions of the myth have a happier ending, Jason was able to defeat Pelias and reclaimed the throne of Iolcus, bringing the myth of Jason and the Argonauts to a close.