{"id":7198,"date":"2025-09-19T16:35:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T12:35:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/?p=7198"},"modified":"2025-09-23T13:53:42","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T09:53:42","slug":"kolhida-ot-realnoj-istorii-do-mifa-o-zolotom-rune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/kolhida-ot-realnoj-istorii-do-mifa-o-zolotom-rune\/","title":{"rendered":"Colchis: From Real History to the Myth of the Golden Fleece"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We have all heard the legend of <strong>Jason<\/strong> and the Argonauts, who set off to a distant land in search of the <strong>Golden Fleece<\/strong>. There, on the edge of the world of that time, lay mysterious Colchis. For the Greeks, it was a land of wonders where rivers of gold flow, dragons sleep in sacred groves, and royal daughters possess secret knowledge. But reality hid behind the myth. Colchis existed as a state: with kings, wars, trade, and wealth, which became the basis for the legends. Today we will embark on a journey through its history: from the first settlements to royal dynasties, from flourishing to fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Colchis<\/strong> was located on the eastern shore of the Black Sea, in the lands of modern Western Georgia. It was surrounded by the Caucasus Mountains and rivers full of gold-bearing sand. Geography made it a crossroads of routes: merchants from Asia Minor, Persia, and Hellas were drawn here. And yet the main mystery is how a real land turned into an eternal myth. Why did Colchis in particular become a symbol of wealth and trials, a legend that survived millennia? To understand this, we must return to the origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-custom-font-size wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4qer9WDIXNk\" style=\"background-color:#ee1b49;font-size:16px\"><strong>Watch the film about the history of Colchis<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:500\">Table of contents:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#istoki-i-rannee-tsarstvo\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#istoki-i-rannee-tsarstvo\">Origins and the early kingdom<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#vneshniy-mir\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#vneshniy-mir\">The outside world<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#upadok-i-nasledie\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#upadok-i-nasledie\">Decline and legacy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#yason-i-argonavty\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#yason-i-argonavty\">Jason and the Argonauts<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#medeya-i-zolotoe-runo\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#medeya-i-zolotoe-runo\">Medea and the golden fleece<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#chto-takoe-zolotoe-runo\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#chto-takoe-zolotoe-runo\">What is the Golden Fleece?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"zemlya-zolotogo-runa\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Origins and the early kingdom<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The name \"Colchis\" is known to us from Greek sources. Some associate it with the name of the ancient Colchian people, others with a root meaning \"coast.\" Under this name, the Greeks understood the entire country between the sea and the Caucasus, a land rich in water and forests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"429\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colchide_-_Vani-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7201\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colchide_-_Vani-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colchide_-_Vani-1-300x215.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Colchide_-_Vani-1-18x12.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-1 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Colchis \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Colchide_-_Vani.jpg\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Colchide_-_Vani.jpg\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"istoki-i-rannee-tsarstvo\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Long before the emergence of the first cities, tribes lived here: <strong>Egris, Mingrelians, Svans.<\/strong> They built fortified settlements, engaged in agriculture and hunting. Gradually, alliances formed from many clans, and then the beginnings of centralized rule. By the 11th\u201310th centuries BC, archaeology records the Colchian culture: developed bronze and iron production, hoards of gold ornaments, and evidence of a complex social structure. Statehood formed on the basis of control over resources, primarily metal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"434\" height=\"401\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Tipy_Mingreltsy._Types_of_Life_The_Mingrelians_1865_A-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Tipy_Mingreltsy._Types_of_Life_The_Mingrelians_1865_A-1.jpg 434w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Tipy_Mingreltsy._Types_of_Life_The_Mingrelians_1865_A-1-300x277.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Tipy_Mingreltsy._Types_of_Life_The_Mingrelians_1865_A-1-13x12.jpg 13w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 434px) 100vw, 434px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-2 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Typical Mingrelians. Scenes from the Life of the Mingrelians (1865) \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Tipy_Mingreltsy._Types_of_Life_The_Mingrelians_(1865)_(A).jpg\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Tipy_Mingreltsy._Types_of_Life_The_Mingrelians_(1865)_(A).jpg\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"istoki-i-rannee-tsarstvo\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colchis lived by agriculture, but the main wealth came from mountain rivers. Gold was extracted in an unusual way: sheepskins were stretched in streams, and the fleece trapped gold dust. Thus was born the image of the Golden Fleece, the symbol of this land's wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the strengthening of the economy came royal authority. The first names have reached us through mythological images: <strong>Ae\u00ebtes<\/strong>, Medea's father, was king of Colchis to the Greeks. Behind this image stood reality: a powerful dynasty controlling the coasts and inland valleys. By the 8th century BC, Colchis was already a full-fledged early state, with power centers, crafts, and trade. It was becoming a notable power reckoned with by its neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"444\" height=\"566\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Aeetes_Bartolomeo_di_Giovanni-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7203\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Aeetes_Bartolomeo_di_Giovanni-1.jpg 444w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Aeetes_Bartolomeo_di_Giovanni-1-235x300.jpg 235w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Aeetes_Bartolomeo_di_Giovanni-1-9x12.jpg 9w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 444px) 100vw, 444px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Ae\u00ebtes \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Ae%C3%ABtes,_Bartolomeo_di_Giovanni.jpg\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Ae%C3%ABtes,_Bartolomeo_di_Giovanni.jpg\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"vneshniy-mir\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The outside world<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The early kingdom of Colchis entered into contact with great powers. The Greeks were the first to discover it. Merchants from Miletus sailed here for gold, honey, wax, and timber. In the 8th\u20136th centuries BC, they founded colonies on the coast: Phasis at the mouth of the Rioni and <strong>Dioscurias<\/strong> near Sukhumi. These cities became bridges between Hellas and the Caucasus. The first mentions of Colchis appear in the Greek epic. Homer in the \"Iliad\" speaks of a \"distant land.\" For the Hellenes, Colchis was simultaneously a source of wealth and a place of trials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1280px-2014_Suchum_Ruiny_antycznej_Dioskurii-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7204\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1280px-2014_Suchum_Ruiny_antycznej_Dioskurii-1.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1280px-2014_Suchum_Ruiny_antycznej_Dioskurii-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1280px-2014_Suchum_Ruiny_antycznej_Dioskurii-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1280px-2014_Suchum_Ruiny_antycznej_Dioskurii-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1280px-2014_Suchum_Ruiny_antycznej_Dioskurii-1-18x10.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-4 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Ruins of ancient Dioscurias \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/ru.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B0#\/media\/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:2014_Suchum,_Ruiny_antycznej_Dioskurii.jpg\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/ru.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%94%D0%B8%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BA%D1%83%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B0#\/media\/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:2014_Suchum,_Ruiny_antycznej_Dioskurii.jpg\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Besides the Greeks, eastern empires also showed interest in Colchis. In the 6th century BC, Achaemenid Persia extended its power over Transcaucasia. Kings from Persepolis considered Colchis part of their possessions, although their rule here was rather nominal. Local kings retained autonomy, but paid tribute. Later, in the Hellenistic era, Colchis entered the sphere of interest of the <strong>Kingdom of Pontus<\/strong>. In the 1st century BC, Rome subjugated Pontus and established authority over Colchis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"994\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Unknown_-_Shield_of_King_Pharnakes_-_80.AC_.60-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Unknown_-_Shield_of_King_Pharnakes_-_80.AC_.60-1.jpg 994w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Unknown_-_Shield_of_King_Pharnakes_-_80.AC_.60-1-291x300.jpg 291w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Unknown_-_Shield_of_King_Pharnakes_-_80.AC_.60-1-768x791.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Unknown_-_Shield_of_King_Pharnakes_-_80.AC_.60-1-12x12.jpg 12w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 994px) 100vw, 994px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-5 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Pontic shield bearing the name of King \"Pharnaces\" \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/ru.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D1%86%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE#\/media\/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:Unknown_-_Shield_of_King_Pharnakes_-_80.AC.60.jpg\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/ru.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B5_%D1%86%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%BE#\/media\/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:Unknown_-_Shield_of_King_Pharnakes_-_80.AC.60.jpg\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colchis found itself at a crossroads: Greece brought culture, Persia demanded tribute, Rome garrisons. Yet through all this, the country retained its unique character. Archaeological finds speak of a local elite that rivaled Hellenic and Persian rulers in luxury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"upadok-i-nasledie\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Decline and legacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What led to the decline of Colchis? First, internal strife. Second, constant external pressure. Persians, Pontics, Romans: each new master brought their own order here. Third, trade routes shifted, and the coasts of Colchis lost their former appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the 1st century AD, Colchis ceased to be an independent kingdom. It became part of the Roman Empire, and later its lands became part of Byzantine <strong>Lazica<\/strong>. But the legacy of Colchis did not disappear. It lives in archaeological finds: in the gold of Vani, in the patterns of diadems and fibulae, in ceramics where local and Greek traditions are blended. It lives in the language and memory of the people, for it was precisely here that the Georgian cultural tradition originated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"923\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Lazica_in_Late_Antiquity.svg_.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Lazica_in_Late_Antiquity.svg_.png 1024w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Lazica_in_Late_Antiquity.svg_-300x270.png 300w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Lazica_in_Late_Antiquity.svg_-768x692.png 768w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Lazica_in_Late_Antiquity.svg_-13x12.png 13w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Kingdom of Lazica (Western Georgia) in Late Antiquity. \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Lazika#\/media\/File:Lazica_in_Late_Antiquity.svg\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Lazika#\/media\/File:Lazica_in_Late_Antiquity.svg\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colchis is not only a forgotten kingdom. It is a country that connected East and West, reality and myth. Legends that outlived states and empires were born here. Today Colchis lives on in Georgian culture, in the symbol of the golden fleece, in the memory of Medea and Jason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"yason-i-argonavty\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jason and the Argonauts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The story of the myth begins in the Greek city of Iolcus. The youthful Jason must reclaim his throne. But his uncle Pelias proposes a condition that is knowingly impossible: \"Bring me the Golden Fleece from distant Colchis.\" For the Greeks, this sounded like an expedition beyond the horizon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jason accepts the challenge. He gathers a team of heroes: Heracles, Orpheus, the Dioscuri. They build the ship <strong>\"Argo.\"<\/strong> Thus the legend begins. The journey of the Argonauts is a succession of wonders and perils. On the island of Lemnos they encounter the women; in battle with the Bebryces, Heracles defeats the king. At the dwelling of the blind seer Phineus, the Argonauts drive away the Harpies and receive advice on how to pass the Symplegades, the \"clashing rocks.\" Orpheus plays the kithara, the Argonauts row with all their might, and the <strong>\"Argo\"<\/strong> darts between the rocks. Since then the rocks have stood still, and the route to Colchis became possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"960\" height=\"762\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/960px-Argo_Navis_-_Prodromus_astronomiae_1690_436433-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7208\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/960px-Argo_Navis_-_Prodromus_astronomiae_1690_436433-1.jpg 960w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/960px-Argo_Navis_-_Prodromus_astronomiae_1690_436433-1-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/960px-Argo_Navis_-_Prodromus_astronomiae_1690_436433-1-768x610.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/960px-Argo_Navis_-_Prodromus_astronomiae_1690_436433-1-15x12.jpg 15w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 960px) 100vw, 960px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-7 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Argo \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/ru.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%90%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%BE_(%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BB%D1%8C)#\/media\/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:Argo_Navis_-_Prodromus_astronomiae_1690_(436433).jpg\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/ru.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/%D0%90%D1%80%D0%B3%D0%BE_(%D0%BA%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B1%D0%BB%D1%8C)#\/media\/%D0%A4%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%BB:Argo_Navis_-_Prodromus_astronomiae_1690_(436433).jpg\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"medeya-i-zolotoe-runo\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Medea and the golden fleece<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Colchis greets Jason with majesty. King Ae\u00ebtes is stern and has no intention of giving his sacred relic to foreigners. But he assigns trials. Jason must yoke fire-breathing bulls to a plow, till a field, and sow it with dragon's teeth. Armed warriors will rise from the earth, and the hero must withstand their onslaught.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Medea takes Jason's side: <strong>\u200b<\/strong> daughter of Ae\u00ebtes, priestess of Hecate, who knows the secrets of herbs. She falls in love with Jason and decides to help. Medea gives Jason an ointment that protects against fire, and advice to throw a stone into the midst of the warriors so that they turn against each other. Thus the trials become passable. But Jason pays for victory: he draws <strong>Medea<\/strong> into betrayal of her family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1915\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Annibale_Carracci_Medea_Uffizi-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Annibale_Carracci_Medea_Uffizi-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Annibale_Carracci_Medea_Uffizi-1-160x300.jpg 160w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Annibale_Carracci_Medea_Uffizi-1-548x1024.jpg 548w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Annibale_Carracci_Medea_Uffizi-1-768x1436.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Annibale_Carracci_Medea_Uffizi-1-821x1536.jpg 821w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Annibale_Carracci_Medea_Uffizi-1-6x12.jpg 6w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Medea \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Annibale_Carracci_Medea_Uffizi.jpg\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Annibale_Carracci_Medea_Uffizi.jpg\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ae\u00ebtes raises an army and pursues the fugitives. Medea takes along her younger brother Apsyrtus and kills him. The despairing father stops to gather the remains and loses the pursuit. In other versions, <strong>Apsyrtus<\/strong> dies in battle. But the essence is the same: behind the fleece lies blood. The hero is saved at the cost of a terrible sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Argonauts return to Hellas, but there is no happiness. In Corinth, Jason betrays Medea, deciding to marry the daughter of the local king. Then Medea takes revenge: she kills the bride and, in some versions, her own children. Her image becomes a symbol of fury and destruction. Thus the myth turns into tragedy: Jason's glory is clouded by betrayal, and Medea's love by blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"522\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Fregio_di_Giasone_e_Medea_14_ludovico_carracci_medea_uccide_il_fratello_absirto_1584_ca.-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7210\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Fregio_di_Giasone_e_Medea_14_ludovico_carracci_medea_uccide_il_fratello_absirto_1584_ca.-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Fregio_di_Giasone_e_Medea_14_ludovico_carracci_medea_uccide_il_fratello_absirto_1584_ca.-1-300x153.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Fregio_di_Giasone_e_Medea_14_ludovico_carracci_medea_uccide_il_fratello_absirto_1584_ca.-1-768x392.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Fregio_di_Giasone_e_Medea_14_ludovico_carracci_medea_uccide_il_fratello_absirto_1584_ca.-1-18x9.jpg 18w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Medea kills her brother Apsyrtus \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Fregio_di_Giasone_e_Medea_14_ludovico_carracci,_medea_uccide_il_fratello_absirto,_1584_ca..JPG\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Fregio_di_Giasone_e_Medea_14_ludovico_carracci,_medea_uccide_il_fratello_absirto,_1584_ca..JPG\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:16px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" id=\"chto-takoe-zolotoe-runo\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is the Golden Fleece?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the Greeks, the Golden Fleece was a symbol of divine gift and power. For historians, a metaphor for the Colchian technology of gold panning. The dragon is a guardian of wealth, a mythological image of a hostile force. The bulls are a metaphor for the blacksmith's craft. The dragon's teeth from which warriors are born are knowledge: metal from which weapons and wars are born. The myth of the Argonauts is a map of reality translated into the language of poetry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1426\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Jason_wearing_the_golden_fleece_michele_cortazzo-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7211\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Jason_wearing_the_golden_fleece_michele_cortazzo-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Jason_wearing_the_golden_fleece_michele_cortazzo-1-215x300.jpg 215w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Jason_wearing_the_golden_fleece_michele_cortazzo-1-735x1024.jpg 735w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Jason_wearing_the_golden_fleece_michele_cortazzo-1-768x1070.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1024px-Jason_wearing_the_golden_fleece_michele_cortazzo-1-9x12.jpg 9w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-10 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Jason wearing the Golden Fleece \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Jason_wearing_the_golden_fleece_michele_cortazzo.jpg\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Jason_wearing_the_golden_fleece_michele_cortazzo.jpg\">Wikimedia<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The history of Colchis and the myth of the Argonauts are two sides of the same coin. A real land with rivers of gold and blacksmiths gave birth to the legend of the wondrous fleece. The Greeks saw in it a trial and a symbol of wealth. Today Colchis is part of the Georgian heritage. Its gold is kept in museums, its name in the memory of peoples, and its myth in books. This is not only a tale. It is a reflection of a real land that lived and struggled on the shores of the Black Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:8px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1707\" height=\"2560\" src=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/statua-medei-na-plosadi-evropy-v-batumi-adzaria-gruzia-statua-medei-i-goluboe-nebo-v-centre-batumi-odnogo-iz-glavnyh-gorodov-kolhidy-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7212\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/statua-medei-na-plosadi-evropy-v-batumi-adzaria-gruzia-statua-medei-i-goluboe-nebo-v-centre-batumi-odnogo-iz-glavnyh-gorodov-kolhidy-1-scaled.jpg 1707w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/statua-medei-na-plosadi-evropy-v-batumi-adzaria-gruzia-statua-medei-i-goluboe-nebo-v-centre-batumi-odnogo-iz-glavnyh-gorodov-kolhidy-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/statua-medei-na-plosadi-evropy-v-batumi-adzaria-gruzia-statua-medei-i-goluboe-nebo-v-centre-batumi-odnogo-iz-glavnyh-gorodov-kolhidy-1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/statua-medei-na-plosadi-evropy-v-batumi-adzaria-gruzia-statua-medei-i-goluboe-nebo-v-centre-batumi-odnogo-iz-glavnyh-gorodov-kolhidy-1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/statua-medei-na-plosadi-evropy-v-batumi-adzaria-gruzia-statua-medei-i-goluboe-nebo-v-centre-batumi-odnogo-iz-glavnyh-gorodov-kolhidy-1-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/statua-medei-na-plosadi-evropy-v-batumi-adzaria-gruzia-statua-medei-i-goluboe-nebo-v-centre-batumi-odnogo-iz-glavnyh-gorodov-kolhidy-1-1365x2048.jpg 1365w, https:\/\/bizzz.media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/statua-medei-na-plosadi-evropy-v-batumi-adzaria-gruzia-statua-medei-i-goluboe-nebo-v-centre-batumi-odnogo-iz-glavnyh-gorodov-kolhidy-1-8x12.jpg 8w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1707px) 100vw, 1707px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-11 wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"color:#a3a3a3\">Statue of Medea on Europe Square in Batumi \/ Freepik<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-background\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Want to learn more about this remarkable era? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Watch our video, where we talk in detail about the history of Colchis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4qer9WDIXNk?si=vXWR2UMKjQyEZ1cP\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u0412\u0441\u0435 \u043c\u044b \u0441\u043b\u044b\u0448\u0430\u043b\u0438 \u043b\u0435\u0433\u0435\u043d\u0434\u0443 \u043e \u042f\u0441\u043e\u043d\u0435 \u0438 \u0430\u0440\u0433\u043e\u043d\u0430\u0432\u0442\u0430\u0445, \u043e\u0442\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0438\u0432\u0448\u0438\u0445\u0441\u044f \u0432 \u0434\u0430\u043b\u0451\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u0439 \u0437\u0430 \u0417\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u044b\u043c \u0420\u0443\u043d\u043e\u043c. \u0422\u0430\u043c, \u043d\u0430 \u043a\u0440\u0430\u044e \u0442\u043e\u0433\u0434\u0430\u0448\u043d\u0435\u0433\u043e \u043c\u0438\u0440\u0430, \u043b\u0435\u0436\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u0437\u0430\u0433\u0430\u0434\u043e\u0447\u043d\u0430\u044f \u041a\u043e\u043b\u0445\u0438\u0434\u0430. \u0414\u043b\u044f \u0433\u0440\u0435\u043a\u043e\u0432 \u043e\u043d\u0430 \u0431\u044b\u043b\u0430 \u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u0447\u0443\u0434\u0435\u0441, \u0433\u0434\u0435 \u0442\u0435\u043a\u0443\u0442 \u0440\u0435\u043a\u0438 \u0437\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0442\u0430, \u0433\u0434\u0435 \u0432 \u0441\u0432\u044f\u0449\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u0440\u043e\u0449\u0430\u0445 \u0441\u043f\u044f\u0442 \u0434\u0440\u0430\u043a\u043e\u043d\u044b, \u0430 \u0446\u0430\u0440\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0435 \u0434\u043e\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0438 \u0432\u043b\u0430\u0434\u0435\u044e\u0442 \u0442\u0430\u0439\u043d\u044b\u043c\u0438 \u0437\u043d\u0430\u043d\u0438\u044f\u043c\u0438. \u041d\u043e \u0437\u0430 \u043c\u0438\u0444\u043e\u043c \u0441\u043a\u0440\u044b\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0430\u0441\u044c \u0440\u0435\u0430\u043b\u044c\u043d\u043e\u0441\u0442\u044c. \u041a\u043e\u043b\u0445\u0438\u0434\u0430 \u0441\u0443\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e\u0432\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u043a\u0430\u043a \u0433\u043e\u0441\u0443\u0434\u0430\u0440\u0441\u0442\u0432\u043e \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":7221,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[530],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7198","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-culture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7198"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7198\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7220,"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7198\/revisions\/7220"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bizzz.media\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}