Argonauts Revived

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   A replica of the legendary ship “Argo” which, in ancient mythology carried Jason and his Argonauts in the quest of the Golden Fleece in Colchis, (now city of Poti, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast) reached Poti on June 19.  3,500 years after the first sail from ancient Iolkos (now city of Volos) -according to the myth-, the 50 modern Argonauts reached Georgia anew, this time not to recover the Golden Fleece but to convey messages of hope and peace in a region much troubled.  ‘Argo’ and the Greek delegation were received by President Mikheil Saakashvili.  The reception was followed by the inauguration of a new museum for the Argonaut expedition. An archaeological conference was also held in the city of Batumi.  The modern ‘Argo’ is a reconstruction of an ancient Greek ‘penteconter’ with a ram, a single tier of oarsmen, and a single sail made of half-cured wood cut from forest timber.  It belongs to the same family of Homer’s long ships and later ram-equipped warships of antiquity. The modern ‘Argo’ took over six years to complete, with the use of Bronze Age tools only.  

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Greek Mythology Revived

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)     A replica of the legendary ship “Argo” which, in ancient mythology carried Jason and his Argonauts to recover the Golden Fleece from Colchis, (now city of Poti, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast) received a joyful send-off in the port of Volos (contemporary name of Iolkos, the original departure point) on June 14. With the help of its 50 oarsmen, it set sail for its journey to Venice where, after travelling some 10-15 nautical miles per day, it was expected to arrive on August 12. The modern ‘Argo’ is a reconstruction of an ancient Greek ‘penteconter’ with a ram, a single tier of oarsmen, and a single sail made of half-cured wood cut from forest timber. It belongs to the same family of Homer’s long ships and later ram-equipped warships of antiquity. The modern ‘Argo’ took over six years to complete, with the use of Bronze Age tools only. On its way to Venice, the ‘Argo’ will stop at 37 ports. During many of these stops, its arrival will be marked by various cultural events. The ‘Argo’ flies the flags of the countries it will visit: Greece, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. World Media Reports – Google: Ancient Greek ship ‘Argo’ sets sail once again