Thus prepared, he fearlessly approached the fire-breathing bulls, yoked
them unharmed, and ploughed the field, in whose furrows he then sowed
the dragons' teeth. Instantly from the latter sprang up a crop of armed
men, who turned their weapons against the hero. But Jason, who had been
further instructed by Medea, flung a great stone in their midst, upon
which they began to fight each other, and he easily subdued them all.

Jason had accomplished his task, but AEetes proved unfaithful to his
words. He not only withheld the prize, but took steps to kill the
Argonauts and burn their vessel. They were invited to a banquet, and
armed men were prepared to murder them during the night after the feast.
Fortunately, sleep overcame the treacherous king, and the adventurers
warned of their danger, made ready to fly. But not without the golden
fleece. This was guarded by a dragon, but Medea prepared a potion that
put this perilous sentinel to sleep, seized the fleece, and accompanied
Jason in his flight, taking with her on the Argo Absyrtus, her youthful
brother.

The Argonauts, seizing their oars, rowed with all haste from the dreaded
locality. AEetes, on awakening, learned with fury of the loss of the
fleece and his children, hastily collected an armed force, and pursued
with such energy that the flying vessel was soon nearly overtaken. The
safety of the adventurers was again due to Medea, who secured it by a
terrible stratagem. This was, to kill her young brother, cut his body to
pieces, and fling the bleeding fragments into the sea. AEetes, on
reaching the scene of this tragedy, recognized these as the remains of
his murdered son, and sorrowfully stopped to collect them for interment.
While he was thus engaged the Argonauts escaped.

But such a wicked deed was not suffered to go unpunished. Jupiter beheld
it with deep indignation, and in requital condemned the Argonauts to a
long and perilous voyage, full of hardship and adventure. They were
forced to sail over all the watery world of waters, so far as then
known. Up the river Phasis they rowed until it entered the ocean which
flows round the earth. This vast sea or stream was then followed to the
source of the Nile, down which great river they made their way into the
land of Egypt.

Here, for some reason unknown, they did not follow the Nile to the
Mediterranean, but were forced to take the ship Argo on their shoulders
and carry it by a long overland journey to Lake Trito