with a violent collision,
and so swiftly that even a bird could scarce fly through the opening in
safety. When the Argo reached the dangerous spot, at the suggestion of
Phineus, a dove was let loose. It flew with all speed through the
opening, but the rocks clashed together so quickly behind it that it
lost a few feathers of its tail. Now was their opportunity. The rowers
dashed their ready oars into the water, shot forward with rapid speed,
and passed safely through, only losing the ornaments at the stern of
their ship. Their escape, however, they owed to the goddess Minerva,
whose strong hand held the rocks asunder during the brief interval of
their passage. It had been decreed by the gods that if any ship escaped
these dreadful rocks they should forever cease to move. The escape of
the Argo fulfilled this decree, and the Symplegades have ever since
remained immovable.

Onward went the daring voyagers, passing in their journey Mount
Caucasus, on whose bare rock Prometheus, for the crime of giving fire to
mankind, was chained, while an eagle devoured his liver. The adventurers
saw this dread eagle and heard the groans of the sufferer himself.
Helpless to release him whom the gods had condemned, they rowed rapidly
away.

Finally Colchis was reached, a land then ruled over by King AEetes, from
whom the heroes demanded the golden fleece, stating that they had been
sent thither by the gods themselves. AEetes heard their request with
anger, and told them that if they wanted the fleece they could have it
on one condition only. He possessed two fierce and tameless bulls, with
brazen feet and fire-breathing nostrils. These had been the gift of the
god Vulcan. Jason was told that if he wished to prove his descent from
the gods and their sanction of his voyage, he must harness these
terrible animals, plough with them a large field, and sow it with
dragons' teeth.

Perilous as this task seemed, each of the heroes was eager to undertake
it, but Jason, as the leader of the expedition, took it upon himself.
Fortune favored him in the desperate undertaking. Medea, the daughter of
AEetes, who knew all the arts of magic, had seen the handsome youth and
fallen in love with him at sight. She now came to his aid with all her
magic. Gathering an herb which had grown where the blood of Prometheus
had fallen, she prepared from it a magical ointment which, when rubbed
on Jason's body, made him invulnerable either to fire or weapons of war.