The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles

"The Golden Fleece and the Heroes Who Lived Before Achilles" by Padraic Colum is a retelling of ancient Greek myths, centered on Jason's journey to find the Golden Fleece, written in the early 1900s with adventure, myth, and heroism. Before the Trojan War, the story introduces legendary folks ready to start a big quest filled with challenges, magical creatures, and lessons about what’s right and wrong. He spent his early years under the guidance of Chiron the centaur after his father, Æson, lost his throne to Pelias. Raised in the wild, Jason grows strong and wise. Learning about his father's troubles from Chiron ignites a fierce desire to reclaim his family's honor, which starts his journey back to Iolcus. Pelias, warned by a prophecy about a "half-shod" man, sends Jason on a dangerous mission to Colchis to find the Golden Fleece, setting the stage for a story about bravery, fate, and the gods' effect on human lives.