Medea helps Jason steal the Golden Fleece

Returning to the palace, Eet convened a council of the noblest inhabitants of Colchis. Long after midnight, the king consulted with them about how to destroy the Argonauts. Eet guessed that only with the help of Medea could Jason perform a feat. Medea felt that a great danger was threatening both her and Jason. She could not find peace in her magnificent palaces. Sleep fled from her eyes. She got up at night from her bed and quietly left the palace of Eet. By paths known only to her, she goes to the shore of the Phasis, where a bright fire is burning, lit by the Argonauts. Approaching the fire, she called Jason and her youngest son Frix, Frontis. Medea told Jason what evil forebodings were troubling her, and persuaded him to go with her immediately for the rune. Jason put on his armor and went to the sacred grove of Ares. Everything was shrouded in darkness, only in the grove the fleece hanging on the sacred tree sparkled with golden luster. When Medea and Jason entered the grove, a terrible dragon rose up, spewing flames. Medea summoned the mighty god of sleep Hypnos. Terrible spells she whispers and pours magic potions on the ground. The dragon fell to the ground, he still raises his weakened head, but Medea sprinkled him with a sleeping potion, his mouth closed, his eyes glittering with fire closed, and, overcome by sleep, he stretched out at the tree on which the golden fleece hung. Jason took off the fleece, he was in a hurry to get back to the Argo as soon as possible.

Jason and Medea steal the golden fleece
Jason and Medea steal the golden Fleece.
(Drawing on a vase)

The heroes crowded around Jason and Medea in surprise, examining the golden fleece. But there was no time to delay, it was necessary to leave Colchis before Eet found out about the abduction of the rune. Jason cut off the ropes with which the Argo was tied to the shore, the heroes grabbed the oars, and, like an arrow, the Argo rushed down the stream of the Phasis, to the sea. Here is the sea. Heroes lean on the oars, the Argo rushes like a bird through the waves, Colchis goes on and on.

Early in the morning, Eet learned about the abduction of the Golden Fleece and that Medea had fled with the Argonauts. In a frenzied rage came Eet. He called the Colchians to the seashore. But the Argo is already far away, it is not visible among the waves of the sea. Eet ordered the Colchians to gather in pursuit.

He threatens them with death if they do not overtake the Argonauts. The Colchians lowered the ships and, with the son of Aetas Absirt at the head, set off in pursuit of the Argonauts.