We continue with my series about gold in prehistory with one of the earliest of the golden myths: Jason and the golden fleece. Pelias usurped his brother Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos, to take the throne. He then had all Aeson’s descendents killed. Aeson’s son Jason, however, survived the massacre. When he was born, his mother had all her servants cry to fool Pelias into thinking he was still-born. She then smuggled Jason away to be reared by Chiron, “the wisest and justest of all the centaurs”. So did Jason’s education begin.
Meanwhile, an oracle warned Pelias “to fear the
