Aeetes

Also known as: lordly Aeetes · Family: Colchian · Role: king of the Colchians · First appears: Book I 2

Aeetes, king of the Colchians, was regarded as the son of Helios. Augeias greatly desired to behold the Colchian land and Aeetes himself, while Ariadne was his kinswoman through his father. At Aea, Aeetes received Phrixus into his palace and gave him his daughter Chalciope in marriage “with gladness of heart”; he was thus Phrixus’s patron and elder-kin by marriage. Asterodeia bore him Apsyrtus before he made Eidyia, daughter of Tethys and Oceanus, his wife, and Circe was his sister.

In Book III, Hephaestus fashioned for Aeetes the bronze fire-breathing bulls and adamant plough in payment to Helios, while Ares had given him the corslet he wore after Mimas was slain. When Argus son of Phrixus revealed Jason’s mission, Aeetes rejected the visitors as conspirators and ordered them away: “Begone from my sight, felons, straightway, ye and your tricks, from the land.” He set Jason the contests of yoking the bulls and overcoming the earthborn men, promising the fleece only on their completion, and threatened to kill him, burn the Argo and destroy its crew. He gave Telamon and Aethalides the dragon’s teeth for the contest, then armed himself and drove from the city to witness it; meanwhile, he was warned by Helios to beware the treachery of his own offspring.

After Medea fled with Jason, Aeetes ordered his people to seize her and bring her back so that he might take vengeance. The Minyae and Colchians later agreed that the fleece had been justly won, but disputed Medea’s fate, and at Drepane the Colchians demanded her return or threatened war. Alcinous upheld the completed marriage despite “Aeetes’ grievous wrath,” leaving Aeetes and Medea enemies.