Golden Fleece

American  

noun

Classical Mythology.

1. a fleece of pure gold, kept at Colchis by King Aeëtes from whom it was stolen by Jason and the Argonauts with the help of Aeëtes's daughter, Medea.

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Golden Fleece British  

noun

1. Greek myth the fleece of a winged ram that rescued Phrixus and brought him to Colchis, where he sacrificed it to Zeus. Phrixus gave the fleece to King Aeëtes who kept it in a sacred grove, whence Jason and the Argonauts stole it with the help of Aeëtes' daughter See also Phrixus

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Golden Fleece Cultural  

1. In classical mythology, the pure gold fleece of a miraculous flying ram. Jason and the Argonauts made their voyage in quest of it. The fleece was kept in a kingdom on the Black Sea.

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Example Sentences

In Greek mythology, who gathered together the Argonauts in his quest to retrieve the Golden Fleece?

From Slate • Sep. 26, 2023

It’s a version of the Greek myth in which she, having helped Jason retrieve the Golden Fleece, exacts revenge on him after he abandons her.

From New York Times • Sep. 25, 2022

Medea, for example — the most famous witch of antiquity — casts magic through scent repeatedly in Apollonius' epic poem "Argonautica," about the hero Jason's quest for the Golden Fleece.

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2021

Radio host Paul Harvey — best-known for his “The Rest of the Story” pieces — said Wasser deserved a Golden Fleece Award for squandering public research money on owl poop.

From Seattle Times • May 19, 2019

I was drawn to the stories of Atalanta, Philemon and Bacchus, Odysseus and the Trojan War, Jason and the quest for the Golden Fleece.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane