InGreek mythology, theArgo (/ˈɑːrɡoʊ/ ⓘAR-goh;Ancient Greek:Ἀργώ,romanized: Argṓ) was the ship ofJason and theArgonauts. The ship was built with divine aid and carried the Argonauts on their quest for theGolden Fleece fromIolcos toColchis. After the journey, the ship was retired and dedicated toPoseidon, the divine ruler of the seas.
The ship has gone on to be used as a motif in a variety of sources beyond the originalmyth from books, films and more.
Most accounts name the ship after her builder,Argus. The adjectival form[1] isArgoan/ɑːrˈɡoʊən/,[2] from GreekἈργῶος through LatinArgōus.[3]
Diodorus Siculus records that some thought the name was derived from an ancient Greek word for "swift" to indicate that the ship was designed to move quickly.[4][5]Cicero, theRoman senator and orator, proposed that it was named after theArgives, a name for the Greek people ofArgos in thePeloponnese that was commonly used byHomer.
TheArgo was constructed by theshipwrightArgus, and its crew were specially protected by the goddessHera. The best source for the myth is theArgonautica byApollonius Rhodius. Argus was said to have planned or constructed the vessel with the help ofAthena. The ship was built for travel in the open sea and designed to move quickly with the assistance of a sail. Apollodorus stated the ship had fifty oars, all of which were manned by the Argonauts.[6] His description of the boat would place it as a forerunner or early version of a boat type that became known as apenteconter.
The boat was built with a variety of wood from around the region of Greece. InMedea,Euripides mentions the oars were made from pine trees aroundMount Pelion.[7]Catullus later mentioned the boat was made out of fir-wood.[8] Theprow of the ship was also made with a special piece of oak fromDodona, an area sacred toZeus. The oak was said to be able to speak with a human voice and could tell oracles.[9]
Catullus wrote that theArgo was the first ship to travel on the sea.[10]Dionysius Scytobrachion called theArgo a well crafted vessel but did not consider her the first ship.[11] Some sources state that since people had not seen a ship before they described theArgo as a monster.[12]
TheArgo was built inThessaly around the area of Mount Pelion.[13] The Roman poetSextus Propertius, writing during the reign ofAugustus, said it departed from the port ofPagasae.[14]
It was Athena who taughtTiphys to attach the sails to the mast, since he was the steersman and would need to know the workings of the ship.[15] Other sources say he had previously been a sailor along with two other members, which is why he was chosen to steer the boat.[11] Lynceus was also said to have helped guide the ship because he had great sight during night and day.[12]
The ship carried enough supplies, such as vases holding water, for the collective crew and lasted four days before having to refuel.[16] Other items, such as a bronze tripod, were carried aboard.Herodotus claimed the bronze tripod was given toTriton after the Argonauts got lost in Lake Tritonis and needed assistance.[17] It was said the boat had to be carried over land for 12 days to get back on course.[18]
TheArgo was said to be loved by theNereids, who alongside Triton helped guide the ship at dangerous times in the Argonauts' journey.[19]
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After her successful journey,Argo was consecrated toPoseidon in theIsthmus of Corinth.Because the ship was a sacred item, having been made with the help of the gods, she was made into a monument as well as being dedicated to the gods.[13] Years later, a beam fell from the top of the ship and killedJason while he was asleep on the ground.[20] He was then translated into the sky and turned into theconstellationArgo Navis.[21]
The Argo was a well recognized motif in ancient Greece and has been used in plays, movies, books, philosophical writings and more. Several authors of antiquity (Apollonius Rhodius,Pliny,[22]Philostephanus) discussed the hypothetical shape of the ship. Generally she was imagined like a Greek warship, agalley, and authors hypothesized that she was the first ship of this type that had gone out on a voyage on the high seas.[21]Aristotle used the ship as an example to talk aboutostracism in Athens, specifically remarking that the ship leftHeracles behind because he was too heavy.[23]
The version of theArgo that appears in the 1963 filmJason and the Argonauts was modeled after a Greek warship, with shields lining the side of the boat. On either side of the boat are rowers, who are directed how to row through the drumbeat of a leader. A red sail with the head of the golden ram marks the goal of their journey. Besides its practical purposes, the ship is also decorated with ancient motifs, such as eyes on the front of the ship at the water level.The sacred oak of the ship is here represented as the head of a woman with partial extending wings making up the stern of the ship. The painted head is modeled on the goddess Hera in the movie (played byHonor Blackman) and has the ability to speak to Jason throughout the movie. Argus, the ship builder, said he was inspired to add that feature to the boat when creating it. Filmmakers gave this head thepractical effect of being able to open and close its eyes when speaking to Jason.[24]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728)."Argo".Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al. p. 132.