Jason and the Argonauts (2000) Movie Script
1
Arise.
Soldiers are coming!
Soldiers! Soldiers are coming!
Stand fast!
Hold your ranks.
Stand fast!
Hera, look down on us.
Please hear our prayers.
Gracious lady, mother of the gods
Retreat!
Retreat!
Retreat!
Mama. Mama.
Mama.
Jason!
It's all right.
I've got you.
We must have the archers at the west wall.
Sire, the west wall has already fallen.
Then bring them back to the inner ramparts.
Sir, the archers are all dead.
Majesty.
Jason, thank the gods.
Thank the gods you're safe.
He is not, sire, for the enemy is all
but upon us.
Then gather the guards
and drive them from the palace.
Majesty, we are overwhelmed.
Majesty, save yourself.
Save your son.
Hera, look down on us.
Please hear our prayer.
Gracious lady, mother of the gods,
protect us from the enemy.
Take the boy.
Take him now.
Brother.
I should have known it would come to this.
I am only here to claim what's mine.
Your claim is false.
I would sooner die than see my kingdom
in your hands.
Kill me.
But in the name of your honor,
spare my wife and child.
Oh, brother, brother, brother.
What do you take me for?
A savage?
Let me show you how gracious I may be
in victory.
All I seek is my destiny.
No!
And my destiny is to rule.
The son and heir.
Well, well.
No, please.
Nephew.
Please.
He is a child, please.
I beg you.
Take him!
Kill him!
Very impressive.
Don't say a thing.
There's nothing to say.
Your weight should be more
forward on your front foot.
Yes, I know.
Shall we try again?
Or come the games, we may disgrace ourselves.
No.
I have greater things to ponder than games.
Interesting how the Ram
revolves around the Bear.
Theta and Gamma leading the way.
Theta and Epsilon.
Of course.
I had that dream again.
The gods torment me with it
and I don't know why.
It's not only a dream, Jason, it's a memory.
What is this?
It is the emblem of Hera
and offers her protection.
It once belonged to your mother.
Queen Polymele
wife of Aeson, King of loclus.
My father a king?
He was slain by Pelias, his own brother.
And my mother?
She lives.
Why has she never sent word?
Does she not know where I am?
When Pelias seized the crown,
he took her as his wife and queen.
But you are the rightful heir to the throne.
And that makes you
the mortal enemy of Pelias.
And my mother?
Is she my enemy, too?
Are you all right?
I'd like to cross this river.
But it flows so deep and vast.
I'll help you if you'd like.
That's kind of you, young man.
Where are you bound for, young man?
loclus?
You know it?
Oh, yes.
And what do you seek in loclus?
Not riches, I hope.
No.
Just as well.
It's a poor country, bled dry by its king.
Pelias.
Pelias the taxer, they call him.
Of course, searching for the Golden Fleece
is an expensive business.
The Golden Fleece?
The greatest gift from gods to man.
Craved by Pelias beyond all reason.
He believes it will grant
him his heart's desire.
Your charity will not be forgotten.
Let me lead the next voyage, Father.
If they see you've entrusted your own son
It will make no difference.
Unfortunately the populace have yet to
learn the great benefits the Fleece will
bestow upon them.
What is it?
An omen, sire
of the greatest import.
I see a young man.
There is vengeance in his heart.
He threatens your throne.
What?
Another rebel?
No.
Who, then?
I don't know, Majesty.
What does he look like?
I only know that he wears one sandal.
I believe he has the protection of the gods.
Find him.
What do you see?
He's here, Majesty, in loclus.
Is this him?
I believe so, sire.
What brings you to loclus, boy?
I've come to find my mother.
Who is your mother?
Polymele.
Bring her.
How should we know you're not an imposter?
I have this amulet given to me by my mother.
Do you know what we do with fraudsters?
I'm not the fraud.
You summoned me?
Oh, my dear.
We have a young man
who claims to be your son.
Take a good look at him.
So?
Do you know him or not, my dear?
I do not.
And the trinket?
The emblem of your most loved Hera.
I've never seen it before.
Very well.
Take him down.
We will execute him tomorrow.
No!
Oh, has something jogged
your memory, my dear?
So how do you find your mother, boy?
Is she as you remembered her?
Or even more lovely?
Did you not know to come back here
was certain death?
Take him.
My lord, I beg you.
Spare him.
Give me one good reason.
Because I will find you the Golden Fleece.
What?
Leave us.
My lord.
Get out!
Out!
What do you know of the Fleece?
I can find it.
Because I have protection of the gods.
Tell me, if you bring the Fleece to me,
what do you expect in return?
Nothing more than my birthright.
Well, my dear nephew,
here is my rather generous offer.
If you should bring the Fleece back,
I will restore you to prince
and your right to succession upon my death.
Father, I must protest.
I will even give you a boat.
You'll have to find a crew.
Not easy, but you'll have a marvelous
incentive,
because if you're not back in six months
your mother's life will be forfeit.
Clean, simple, and not open to negotiation.
Your mother for the Fleece.
I've brought you something.
Thank you.
Jason.
When you sail from here, do not return.
Promise me you will not return.
I've no choice.
Even if you return with the Fleece,
Pelias will kill you.
The Fleece is his obsession.
He believes it will grant
him his heart's desire.
And what is that?
Immortality.
Eternal release from his doom
so he may reign forever.
He will not let you live.
You know your husband well.
I've had to learn his ways.
For my sake and for yours.
Let it not have been in vain.
The finest, fastest ship ever built.
And the most expensive.
Is she not, Master Argos?
That she is, Majesty, but she is the best
I've ever designed.
Every joint is perfect.
Every nail true.
All we need now
is a crew that is worthy of her.
What is she called?
The Pelias.
It seemed natural, although I am not sure
now that it provided sufficient inspiration.
Your Majesty, might I suggest the Great Wake
in homage to her speed?
Or maybe the Argo in homage to the man
who built her.
Oh, I like that.
I don't know what to say.
The least we can do.
I mean, considering
you will be sailing with her.
Me, sir?
You, sir.
Of course, sir.
O goddess Hera, hear my prayer.
Protect my darling son Jason.
Guide him to safety.
Protect him from his youth.
Zeus, my lord.
What has kept you from my bed?
Affairs of mortals, Queen Hera.
Affairs with mortals, I think you mean.
And what is the nature
of your complaint today?
I know you have been chasing mortal women.
Shh.
I will be heard.
Do you think I'm blind?
You humiliate a goddess
when you consort with mortals.
Your duty as my queen is to obey.
If not, descend and stain the earth
with your spite.
Don't tempt me.
Ahem.
I seek men who know the sea.
But only the best men who are willing
to face its dangers
and be prepared to risk all
in the greatest quest of all.
For the Golden Fleece.
If chosen, I promise you honor and glory.
I'll take him outside and finish him off.
Who are you?
Why did you hit me?
Fella in there had a knife.
He'd have used it.
Why?
Mention of the Fleece.
Not wise in sailors' company.
But I need to find a crew.
I'll come.
I could pull an oar.
I mean, I'm no sailor, but
That's it.
But these are farmers,
peasants, they're no use to us.
Who is that man?
Laertes, a shepherd.
What do you think?
Sir, I understand the need for a crew, but
So, you like danger?
I said hit it on the side, not here.
You said in the middle.
No, I said hit it here.
Where?
Here.
This looks like hard work.
Have you ever been to sea?
No.
You?
Where?
Sea.
When?
Yes.
How?
By boat.
Oh.
No. Never.
A soak, a shepherd, and two quarrymen
who've never rigged a sail,
tied a knot, or held an oar.
They have heart.
There must be more like them.
I hope not.
The sea is pitiless.
Can only be conquered by men
of skill and experience.
Without that, you invite death.
I'll not sail with such a crew.
You've been ordered
by Pelias on pain of death.
Then at least my death shall be quick.
All right, rest.
Hello, young man.
How are those strong, young legs?
Don't you remember me?
You helped me across the river.
Of course.
I told you your charity would be rewarded.
Go to Idas the mapmaker.
He'll show you the way to the Golden Fleece.
Thank you.
What is this slim-hipped youth to you?
A toy?
Do you play with him to spite Pelias?
Why?!
Because you are jealous.
Because he worships Poseidon instead of you.
Is that what you think, great Zeus?
That my affection is provoked by jealousy?
Rather than his beautiful youth?
Rather than his thighs as smooth and strong
as polished olive wood?
Enough!
Rather than his lips, as sweet as ambrosia?
Hear me, smooth-faced, insolent baby,
whatever trials may lie ahead
I will make them 10,000 times
more terrible!
Oh, don't stop.
Play on, please.
There's a price.
A place on your ship.
What do you know of the sea?
Nothing.
To face the sea without knowledge or skill
brings only death.
Of death I am knowledgeable.
Danger I do not fear.
And I can give you music.
Music that will tame wild beasts,
lift men's hearts to heaven,
and cause the lark to sing at night.
What is your name?
Orpheus.
What can I do for you?
I'm looking for a map.
I have many maps.
I'm looking for a map that will lead me to
the Golden Fleece.
If such a map existed,
it would have a great price.
That's all I have.
Keep it.
You will have more use for it than I.
Come in.
What do you know of the stars?
I've learned something of them.
I've never seen a map like this before.
There is no map like it.
Read it well and it will take you
to the end of the world.
Here's Sagittarius.
And Cygnus.
And Delphinus.
This is a chart.
A chart through the stars.
No map can lead you to the Fleece.
It lies in an unknown sea.
But follow this chart and it will take you to
Tabletop Island.
There you will find the prophet Phineas.
It is said he knows the secret of the Fleece.
How is it possible to make such a map?
With the help of my son and apprentice Zetes.
The gods have given him eyes
10 times sharper than an eagle.
And you can see all the way
to the end of the world?
Only to the heavens.
To the great forms of the constellations.
I could use someone
with such eyes on my crew.
That may well be,
but Zetes has work to do here.
Which he should be doing now.
May the gods speed your way.
Thank you for your gift.
Stop!
Somebody stop him!
Stop!
Is this what you're looking for?
The gods be thanked.
And you, sir.
My pleasure.
What is that?
A map.
Where does it lead you?
Phineas' island.
And from there to the Golden Fleece.
So you're the young captain.
Men say you're a fool.
Only to hide their fear and cowardice.
Do you share their opinion?
Do you know with whom you speak?
Follow me.
Get more men, Canthus, we'll dig her out.
Who are you?
I am Hercules.
This boat is going to find the Golden Fleece,
and I'm going with it.
Are you heroes or are you cowards?
I'll go.
And I.
Remember me, sir?
The little thief.
Reformed thief, sir.
Since when?
Since this morning, sir.
Nice little piece, sir.
My amulet.
A gesture of goodwill on my part, sir.
For I would like to come with you, sir.
Why?
To improve myself, sir.
To make amends.
Give me a chance, will you, sir?
What, so you can steal
whatever you can, thief?
Well, who better to snatch
the Fleece than a thief?
Some wine, Mopsus?
A drink to our journey.
No, sir.
I've vowed never to drink again.
So what do you reckon to this lad Jason?
He talks well.
We'll see how he sails.
My last labor by far was the most difficult.
I had to pick the golden apples
of Hesperides.
Now Atlas, my friend, was the only Titan
tall enough to reach them.
So I held the weight
of the heavens in his stead.
To the end of the world?
What does your father say?
I haven't told him.
A musician?
Yes.
There you are, musician.
Oar in the water.
Jason!
What are you doing here?
I'm coming with you.
You can't.
Oh, really?
Not a woman.
Shore scum.
Look at them.
I'll give us 10 days.
Keep in time.
Zetes. Follow the drum.
Watch the men in front of you.
Hey!
Come out.
Come here!
Come here!
Hey. Kill him.
What's this little bastard doing on board?
Let's throw him overboard.
Why?
He's the king's son.
We hate him.
We do?
Yes.
We could nail him to the mast and
let the gulls peck his eyes out.
Quiet.
Echion, put that away.
Put it away now.
Do as he says.
There will be no bloodshed on board.
Watch that boy, sir.
He's as slippery as a snake.
He's my brother.
Everyone back to your oars.
I do not blame them for hating me.
It is my father's reputation.
It is a curse for me.
A curse I wish to undo.
If I sail with you, I will rid myself of it.
How's that?
If we have the Fleece,
we may rid loclus of a tyrant.
A monster.
If you have the Fleece, you can destroy him.
If I have the Fleece, I'm bound to give it
to your father.
Our mother's life is forfeit if I do not.
Well, that is why I'm here.
To help our mother.
For, Jason, through this bargain,
I have learned what my father really is.
A ship.
A lone ship.
Why?
What does it mean?
Where is this ship?
Still distant.
In a sea beyond our knowledge.
Beyond our reach.
Why do you smile?
Is it a good omen?
Is it a bad omen?
This youth, he has a pleasant face.
Oh, you don't put cheese before the bread.
What are you doing?
Salt is good.
See yourself in the air.
Keep that picture in your mind.
Your legs are springs, your arms wings.
The eye of the Bull above us.
We'll soon leave charted waters.
Does that not fill you with wonder?
Yes.
What do you see?
Nothing.
It's as if the gods have put
a blind before our eyes.
Argos, have we steered a straight course?
To the best of my ability without
a landmark or the sun to guide us.
Rocks!
Steer left! Steer left!
Land!
Hercules, Orpheus, Echion, come with me.
The rest of you stay here.
There should be no island here.
To your oars!
Jason, come on!
To your oars!
Poseidon, god of the sea.
Where's Jason?
Jason!
Jason!
Jason!
Hold on, Echion.
Echion, hold on.
Jason!
Where's Jason?
Stop!
We must search for Jason.
Get up!
Enough!
Enough.
Brother Poseidon, tsk, tsk, tsk.
Our apologies.
Acastus!
Jason.
The others?
Echion is lost.
So is Hercules, sir.
It's Hercules!
What have you done to him?
You demean yourself.
This boy would sooner sleep with a whore
than honor you.
Judge him not by your own base principles.
Watch.
The mast has spring.
Forward strake plankings are weeping in
the waterline, which means the bilge
will be rising.
That's not all.
The yardarm's splintering.
And, sir, we've lost the map.
To your oars!
Keep it steady!
Hard to row!
It's bad.
It's very bad.
She's hurt, Jason.
We'll find timber.
We'll make repairs.
We haven't got the tools.
What about a hunting party?
Nothing like fresh roast
venison to cheer the spirit.
Soldiers.
Soldiers!
Form a phalanx!
Come on!
Wait.
Zetes.
All women?
All women.
Welcome to Lemnos.
Majesty, Prince Jason.
Our Queen Hypsipyle.
Welcome.
I understand you require
some materials of us.
Only a few things.
Some timber, sailing cloth.
Of course.
You are welcome to these things.
My gratitude, Majesty.
This is when a garden
looks best, don't you agree?
A garden should be a little wild.
It should be fertile.
You should feel the force of creation in it.
We will drink wine pressed from my own grape.
Young and sharp.
Mmm.
You can feel the earth in it.
Taste its richness.
For my fourth labor, I had to hunt
the Erymanthian boar.
Imagine a boar that's huge, hairy,
and full of hate.
He is Pollux.
He is Castor.
We are simple men.
He is a quarryman.
I am a stonemason.
Stonemason?
So, where are all the men?
Fighting.
Oh, yeah?
Who?
It's been so long, I have forgotten.
Please.
Where's Jason?
Why aren't you with the others?
The other men, they all seem to have
lost their senses.
But you I have an advantage.
My senses are dulled.
Why?
I had a love.
Eurydice.
Whose laughter was soft as rain
and eyes were bright
as the sky.
I lost her to death.
To lose her was to lose a universe.
If the Fleece can grant a man his heart's
desire, it may give me another chance.
But perhaps to love what cannot be yours
is a wound that only death may heal.
I finished, Argos.
Excellent.
Excellent.
Let us see what the future holds.
What does it say?
That your destiny is to be king.
What is this?
It's nothing.
Nothing?
Did he say nothing?
It appears you are quite forgotten.
O most adored goddess, hear us
and accept the coming sacrifice.
The sacrifice of men.
Tonight we feast.
Tonight we rejoice.
For it is my wish that every man of the Argo
take a wife from my people.
I will make you princes of this island.
And your leader king.
Let us go to the temple this very evening
and celebrate the promise
of eternal bliss.
Jason.
Jason.
It's a trap.
They're going to kill you.
I've been to their temple.
I know what they're planning.
A sacrifice of men.
Fools.
Don't you see?
The men aren't away.
They're dead.
Look, this is their armor.
Absurd.
Why are you saying these ridiculous things?
She loves you.
She loves you and wants to make you her own.
Do not let her envy corrupt our love.
Remove her.
Jason!
No, wait.
Wait.
This is not the purpose of our voyage.
What can you find on this voyage
that you cannot find here?
I promise you infinite happiness.
Perhaps we should go back to the boat.
Run!
What are your orders, sir?
You decide.
I'm not the captain.
The boat is near sinking.
We're lost.
We have no food, water.
I don't know what to do.
There are two dozen men here who trusted you.
They'll trust you again
if you show some mettle.
So forget your own troubles and
remember you're the son of a king
and damn well do your duty.
Hera.
I ask you, please,
show me a sign.
Anything.
He comes with purpose in his heart.
It is the Fleece that draws him.
The Fleece?
The Fleece?
You fight like a woman, General.
Where's your thirst for battle?
Perhaps we should relieve him of his command.
Father.
I must speak with you urgently.
It concerns our security.
Later.
It concerns the Fleece.
Where is this young man
with the pleasant face?
Closer than any have been before.
Set your course west toward the unknown sea.
I will find him for you, Father.
And I will destroy him.
Wild boar in honey sauce.
With onions.
Little salt, little tarragon.
Perhaps fried onion.
My god.
Castor.
What?
I am hungry.
Me, too.
It's you and these onions.
Everybody row.
If you don't row, we die.
I wouldn't mind rowing if we actually knew
where we was going.
It's what we chose.
We're none of us prisoners.
Even prisoners get fed.
Begging your pardon, sir.
But where are we now?
We are east of Lemnos.
Yeah, but where is that, then?
We seek Phineas on the Tabletop Island.
Forgive me for asking, sir, but how should we
find this island, seeing as we've got no map?
Your place is to row, not to question.
I don't mind rowing if it's going somewhere.
Yeah.
Do we know where we're going, sir?
This is mad.
We should turn back.
Yeah, before we all starve to death.
Zetes.
Sir?
I need to see the stars.
I remember.
From the map.
The island lies just under that place
in the heavens where the dog lies left
of the archer.
You show me that and I shall
have is there by nightfall.
If not, we shall turn back.
But, sir, it is daylight.
How shall I see the heavens?
Have faith in your strength.
Yes!
Yes, I see them!
I do!
Draw them for me.
Draw what you see.
This way.
Argonauts, get to your oars.
We sail this way to land.
I'm sure of it.
To your oars.
To your oars.
Land! I see land!
An island, flat like a table top.
Well done, young master.
We will split up.
Search for Phineas in different directions.
Food is what we need.
Not prophets.
Help me!
Help me!
Help me!
Sir! Sir!
Demons! Demons!
Demons like like We saw the food, sir,
in the temple.
Slow down. One at a time.
Phanus?
Sir, there's a temple
up there. There's food in it.
But there's these creatures.
They ate Butes and Tiphys.
We must leave this place.
We cannot leave.
We must find Phineas.
Indeed.
You have found him, Jason of loclus.
I am Phineas.
How do you know who I am?
I am a soothsayer.
My gift is great.
I know what you're seeking, young man.
Then you can help us?
I've been 40 years on this island.
Exiled by the gods.
In their jealousy of my gift,
they ripped out my eyes.
And for good measure, they placed me here
to be tormented by hunger
and Harpies.
Harpies?
Those monsters.
They are part of my torment.
The other part is hunger.
Perpetual hunger.
A table groaning with food every day.
But to touch it is death.
Can you show us the way to the Golden Fleece?
I will point you in the right direction
for the price of a small favor.
The Fleece lies in Colchis.
The kingdom of Aertes.
What do you know of him?
A ruthless tyrant
who guards the Fleece jealously.
His daughter Medea is a sorceress
whose powers protect him.
She is the guardian of the Fleece.
How do we find Colchis?
Young man, you must enter the Eastern Ocean.
And there is but one way.
Through the dark rocks,
the doom of all that have
gone before you.
Men in the water!
The boat is sunk.
The crew drowned.
I see bodies crushed, sucked down.
Is your brother dead?
No.
He lives.
He is saved.
He is saved by one who is loved by the gods.
It is he who desires the Fleece.
The rocks.
The rocks sank my ship.
We were sailing between them
and they came together.
Crushed my ship.
Crushed my ship as I stood on the bow
without warning.
Nobody told me.
How was I to know?
I'm Jason, Prince of loclus.
Aspyrtes, Colchis.
Colchis?
We're headed to Colchis.
You are?
Then I may be able to help you.
My father's the ruler of Colchis.
And I believe he will make you very welcome.
First, however, we must find a route
that will convey us safely there.
Do you know of one?
No.
But I do know that to sail between
these rocks is certain death.
Orpheus.
We need your dove.
Why?
Fly true, little friend.
May the gods guide you.
Row!
Hard to row!
Hard to row!
This is death! Death!
A great blackness.
I see nothing.
And the ship?
There is no ship.
It is gone.
I see only wreckage.
Darkness.
The ship is lost.
Lost?
Indeed.
Murderer.
Murderer!
Eros, god of love,
I charge thee with this task.
Find the Princess Medea.
Fire your arrow.
Make her give her heart
to Jason, prince of loclus.
To Jason?
But, madam It is my wish.
But why?
What was he doing here?
These men are armed and prepared for war.
They are an honor guard for honored guests.
Press oars.
Sir, that gentleman, beware.
Why?
His tongue is too smooth.
I'm going ashore.
I need to take two men.
I'm going with you.
No, Hercules.
I must rely on you to guard the boat.
My place is at your side.
You serve me better here.
If things go amiss, you're my only escape.
I will go with you.
To protect you, sir.
And I'll come with you, too.
I'm going ashore
with our host Prince Aspyrtes.
Hercules will be my lieutenant.
Follow his orders as you would mine.
Hyah.
Apparently I'm in your debt, young prince.
It is our custom to repay our debts in kind,
though no gift can equal
a firstborn child.
Sir, you do have in your domain a
treasure that would be as dear to me.
What treasure is as dear as a son?
The Golden Fleece.
Sir, we come in peace.
No, you came to rob me.
And you shall pay.
Father, remember that you are in his debt.
To slay him now would only anger the gods.
Let the gods decide his fate.
Set him a task that no unfavored
mortal could complete.
Yes, my daughter.
He shall face the Minean Bull.
You will harness the Minean Bull,
plow the field of Ares,
and sow it with dragon teeth.
If you live, I shall know the gods favor you.
And you will have the Golden Fleece.
You can't sleep?
No.
Nor me.
I'm troubled.
Really?
It takes a rogue to know a rogue.
I'm a rogue myself, you see.
I've lived in the company of rogues.
Do you ever stop talking?
Look
I've something for you.
Feathers?
For your arrows.
Thought they might be useful.
But you couldn't see them?
They were not revealed to you?
How could you not see the rocks?
Do you think had I been aware
that I would not have told you?
I don't know, do I?
For all I know
for all I know, you did see them.
You did see them, didn't you?
Didn't you?
And Father stopped you
from telling me, didn't he?
No.
That was not it.
I shouldn't be surprised.
I shouldn't be surprised at all
if it weren't some trick.
Some plan.
Some excuse to be rid of me.
Here, chew it.
It will calm you.
Give me another one.
Not too much.
This herb has a good effect.
But must be used wisely.
Mmm.
I have brought this oil.
It will protect you against the bull.
Its breath is fire.
Why do you want to save me?
Please remove your tunic.
The oil must cover every inch of you.
Quickly.
It smells sweet.
It comes from the Caucasian crocus,
a plant of saffron color.
The first flower sprung from the
blood of the tortured Prometheus.
Begin!
Bring up the chain.
No!
Yes!
Your legs are springs
and your arms are wings.
Yes!
I'm going ashore.
I'm with you.
No.
Our orders are clear.
We stand fast.
Aertes, I have shown myself worthy.
Will you keep your word?
Jason, what we sow, we must reap.
Yes! Yes!
Jason! Jason! Jason!
Jason! Jason!
Jason! Jason!
Jason! Jason!
Jason, you have done what
no man before you could.
I salute you.
We shall have a feast.
You are a hero favored by the gods.
Courage beyond imagination.
Welcome, great prince.
You shall have what you most desire.
This chicken, there's not enough salt.
Also, onion.
Fried onions.
Bring some tarragon.
Haven't got any honey sauce, have you?
Lovely, don't you think?
I do, Majesty.
A trophy from the Lycian campaign.
But there is no prize
greater than the Fleece.
I was younger than you
when I led my army to win it.
As soon as I held it, I knew its power.
The Fleece binds our state in loyalty.
When I ask mothers to give their son's lives,
they are granted, for I hold the Fleece.
When I ask generals to fight to the last,
they will, for I hold the Fleece.
My enemies scarce raise a sword to me.
It has granted my heart's desires.
My daughter is very beautiful,
don't you think, Jason?
I do, Majesty.
You shall have the Fleece.
And you may have her if you wish.
Majesty, I would not presume to
Medea, if this young man
asked for your hand in marriage,
would you grant it?
Majesty Come, come.
I see the look in your eyes.
I have a heart.
I would say yes.
Good. That's settled.
Noblemen of Colchis, there is to be a union
between the house of loclus
and the house of Colchis.
Jason the hero prince will marry Medea
our princess royal.
Majesty.
There is no need to thank me.
Of course, you understand neither you
nor the Fleece can ever leave Colchis.
I'm sure you'll be very happy here.
Pleased?
With what?
With your new husband.
Aspyrtes.
So. So what?
So I was right?
You are in league with our father.
No.
I love Jason.
Everything is so clear now.
So clear.
How can you love him?
You do not know him.
And he does not know you.
I know you.
I do not mean to hurt you.
But you do.
He wants to marry
her, the Princess Medea.
He wants to marry her, this Princess Medea.
No.
No, Jason wouldn't stay.
He wouldn't send us away without a word.
He'd never abandon us.
Maybe our quest is finished and this
is where we are destined to part.
You can't believe that.
That Jason would surrender
himself to Colchis.
To this princess.
She's very beautiful.
Actually, she's very beautiful.
Fools.
Have you really lost your faith?
I cannot believe that Jason would desert us.
That he would forfeit this quest.
All that it means to him.
All that it means to us.
I'm with Atalanta.
We must go and rescue him.
From what?
Great wealth?
Power?
The woman he loves?
He does not love her.
How do you know?
Look, all I'm saying is,
well, if these are his wishes,
we should respect them and head off.
I agree.
We just turn back?
We have travelled far,
to the ends of the Earth.
What more can be achieved?
We were asked to get the Fleece.
Our mission is incomplete.
But our mission was to follow Jason.
And he wants us to go.
I say we go.
No. Hercules.
Tell them we're staying.
I can't.
It's between each man and his conscience.
Conscience?
Does the word have meaning for any of you?
We will put it to the vote.
I have something here to soothe your wounds.
Why do you wish to help me?
You, who are guardian of the Fleece?
The Fleece will only give its
true powers to he who is worthy.
It is for him that I guard its secrets.
Worthy or not, I must find it.
My mother's life depends on it.
Then you should know that
I cannot be parted from it.
Treachery! Treachery!
The treachery of your beloved.
Of your trustees.
Of the future ruler, Majesty.
What is your reason
for coming here, Aspyrtes?
The Fleece.
The Fleece.
They mean to take it from us.
Tonight.
Tell me everything you know.
My lady Medea
the lord Jason
in cahoots.
She will take him to the Fleece and he
will steal it and take it to his boat.
I heard it all.
I heard it at their door while they made
love like doves cooing their treachery.
You're drunk, my son.
You mustn't behave like such a fool.
No, tonight, Father,
it is you who are the fool!
Can Jason walk on water?
Look.
He stays, they've left him.
And you must leave me and these
matters to those with clearer heads.
Mount up.
Break camp.
Back to the city.
Form up. Come on.
Keep together.
Jason.
So, bidding farewell to your
countrymen, prince?
But doubtless you'll make the best of things.
Rule in my stead, perhaps.
Is that what you're thinking?
That was never my desire nor my intention.
Maybe not yours, but certainly my father's.
Kill him.
Hyah!
The Argo's north of here, sir.
Quickly, sir.
We'll soon be discovered.
My task was to rid the man-eating Stymphalian
birds from the Stymphalian marshes.
These birds were sacred to Ares.
They'd shower men with their lethal feathers
and poison them with their foul excrement.
Predictably, I once again saved the day.
We'll climb down.
Take too long.
Their archers would pick us off like flies.
Cavalry!
But a mile away!
We'll fight them.
We'll fight them to the last man.
No need for that.
Hercules.
Jason.
I'll hold off the enemy
while you make your escape.
Head for the Argo.
It lies at the mouth of the river.
I see it!
You can climb down.
Where is the Fleece?
On the other side of
the gorge on a high plateau.
There's no time.
It's a day's work to cross
and climb the gorge.
You, start climbing.
Wait, I think there's another way.
How are you at the discus, Hercules?
Laertes, show them what to do.
Come on!
Hercules.
Go now!
Not without you.
I will follow!
Come on.
I will help you.
That is not my destiny.
Not even you can take on an army.
Jason, my journey is done.
It is what my mother demands.
Mother?
I am Hercules, servant of Hera.
Commanded by her to protect you.
Go, Jason, my dear friend,
and find your destiny.
Sir, Acastus is wounded.
I can go on.
I just need to rest a while.
No. Take him down the side of the gorge.
Take him to the boat.
No, I'm all right.
Spread out!
Mopsus, the rope.
What do you intend to do, sir?
Set a noose around his neck.
Orpheus, I need you to play.
Play as you've never played before.
Be careful, Jason.
Jason!
Phanus!
No!
Jason!
Jason!
He's bad, sir.
Cast off.
Brace the yardarm.
Positions.
Someone must pull out the arrow.
I need someone with good hands.
I'll do it.
Take the arrow gently, pull firmly.
It is near his heart.
You have fine hands.
Perhaps you have now found a use for them.
Have I not led you to 100 victories?
When we had the Fleece.
Have faith in your king.
Your music's changed.
You have a good ear.
What have the gods in mind?
They save by a miracle one who craves
his own end, and yet snuff out those
who delight in life.
Jason.
Yes?
We've been friends a long time, haven't we?
The best of friends.
I have to ask you something.
Anything.
Jason, I know you and
I love you better than anyone on this Earth.
And I you.
You do?
Of course.
Thank the gods.
I didn't think you felt the same way.
How could you think such a thing?
I thought you and Medea
Medea and I are to be married.
But you will always be
as dear to me as a brother.
Yes.
Yes, of course.
You really love her?
It's meant to be.
Argos.
What's wrong?
My father is murdered.
How can you be sure?
I'm sorry.
I, too, saw my father's death.
It is the most distant memory,
yet the most vivid.
It still burns in my soul.
I shall never let you feel alone.
Mortal love.
Pure.
Incorruptible.
As it should be.
You don't fool me.
You writhe inside, cursing your nobility.
And what do you know about nobility?
Let me show you.
I shall be gentle with you.
Who are you?
I know your face, but
Your slave.
One who admires you from afar
and cannot find even in heaven
more majesty than I see
before me.
You are a god?
Indeed.
I am the king of gods,
and yet I am your slave.
Medea. Medea.
Medea. Medea.
Medea. Medea.
Love me.
Great Zeus, I love another.
Mm-hmm.
Jason.
A boy.
I am Zeus.
I am the inevitable.
I am the irresistible.
I am the king who never dies.
And you should be my queen.
What do you want from me?
Lie with me.
No. I cannot.
Not only my body, but my immortal soul
belongs to him that I love.
There is no power stronger.
You would deny me for the boy?
I give you time to reconsider
before your beauty fades.
Are you all right?
I don't know.
Why are you smiling?
For what I feel.
Whatever may come
have faith in our love.
They put us to shame.
We're home!
It's land!
It can't be.
Welcome to loclus.
Oh, my son!
Father.
Idas.
It is good to see you.
It's a miracle.
We thought you were lost.
All dead.
Idas, I must ask.
Do not spread news of our arrival.
My mother's safety is still my main concern.
Your mother?
Oh, by the gods, you do not know.
Know what?
Sir, I must tell you, your mother the queen
is no more.
What?
She is dead, sir.
How?
She took her life in the false knowledge
of your death and that of your brother.
I see.
If we fear treachery from Pelias,
we could still move against him under cover
of darkness.
And waste more lives in this vain enterprise?
What, then, is your intention?
My intention, brother, is to drink.
To drink to all of those
who should be drinking with us.
To Echion.
To Laertes the bold tumbler.
To Tiphys and Butes.
Phanus.
And to Hercules
the mighty and magnificent.
But, sir, they will not have died in vain
if you meet your destiny.
You are, sir, still the rightful king
of loclus.
You may still rescue it from tyranny.
And avenge your father's
and your mother's lives.
To what end?
Come first light, we leave this place.
Sir, I beg you.
Enough.
Jason.
If we turn away from life,
we do not honor the dead.
We fail them.
Come, Zetes.
It's time we were home.
Son.
Father, I cannot.
But, son.
I cannot leave my friends.
Look up to the stars.
They will be your guide.
What are you showing me,
Hercules, old friend?
A drink for my friend Mopsus.
No.
You know I don't drink.
I'm very deeply grieved about your mother.
I knew her once, you know.
Quite well.
Really?
I was in awe of her beauty
and humbled by her gentleness.
Maybe
just one little
If not now, then when?
Oh!
Let's have another.
We need it now.
Hera.
Why could you not protect her?
Jason.
Jason, my dear son.
I speak as a shade who by the mercy of the
gods may call to you from the underworld.
Jason, you are not at the end of
your journey, but at its beginning.
This path is a path which you choose.
Go well, my darling.
Go with a mother's love
and fulfill your destiny.
It's gone!
It's gone!
Sir, your son has returned.
Let me pass.
Welcome, my son.
I was not expecting you.
I have sailed with Jason
and gained the Fleece.
So I see.
Its power is mine.
I am now king.
Of course.
For how can I, of all men,
resist the power of the Fleece?
Oh.
Acastus.
I am
old and weary now.
More tired than you can ever know.
But you, you have proved yourself a man.
A better man than perhaps I thought.
Please.
Let me give you my blessing.
Come.
My son.
My dear son.
My son.
My son.
Go to the gods, my son.
My dear, dear son.
Listen, sire.
The crowd is restless.
Find my nephew Jason
and all who sailed with him.
Destroy them.
Yes, my lord.
Jason.
Where have you been?
The Fleece is gone.
Acastus is gone.
So is Medea.
I'm sorry, sir. Sorry.
It was my fault.
Where's Medea?
With Acastus, probably.
Maybe that was their plan.
That boy betrayed us.
That's certain.
You're sure Medea went with him?
For all we know.
You saw how she cured him
with her witchcraft.
That was not witchcraft.
That was mercy.
What is certain, sir, is that Pelias has the
Fleece and that he knows of our arrival.
What are your orders, sir?
Argo's rigged for sail.
Good.
The sooner we leave, the better.
Soldiers approaching!
I shall not blame any man
if he will not stay with me.
I've asked enough of you.
Too much, perhaps.
But I cannot run.
I must make my stand here.
I'll make it with you, sir.
And me.
Me, too.
Me, too too.
Need you ask?
Argos, I cannot ask you to stand
against your master Pelias.
Jason, you're my master now.
Cavalry a mile away!
About 200 men!
We must hurry.
Sir, I must tell you.
I know of a way into the palace itself.
Should give us the weapon of surprise.
Tell me.
There's a tunnel.
A passage into the temple.
The entrance lies deep in the forest.
But I believe I could find it again.
It was kind to us once before when
I was captain of the palace guard.
Captain of your father's guard, Jason.
It was I who took you from the temple
and delivered you to Chiron.
Of course.
The soldier.
I owe you my life.
No, sir.
You owe me nothing.
Just as I failed to keep your father
from danger, so I failed you today.
Tell me of this tunnel.
The entrance lies outside the city.
It's opened only by a key.
A key contained in the amulet
that your mother gave you.
I lost the amulet.
I lost it in Lemnos.
Without the key, it would be impossible.
Is there no other way?
No.
It's all right.
We can use the key.
I found it, see, in Lemnos.
I always thought it was a good piece.
Worth something.
Worth a kingdom, I should say.
I swear by the gods, that's the last thing
I shall ever steal.
Lead on, Mopsus.
Is it for the kingdom or for her?
They are the same to me.
I am Medea
daughter of Eidyia, daughter of Phrixus.
I am of the blood of the Fleece.
I am its guardian here on Earth.
And only through me
shall you receive its power.
Why should we believe you?
Majesty, it is true that
Eidyia was a great sorceress.
That she possessed the powers of healing.
Impressive.
I draw my powers from the Fleece.
Where the Fleece goes, so must I.
Really?
Why are these powers not working for me?
Because I must give the Fleece my blessing.
Only through me and thus through the blood
of Phrixus shall you receive its power.
And what will you want in return?
To be your wife and guardian of the Fleece
forever.
That is my destiny.
Pelias's soldiers.
Jason!
Argos!
Argos.
Jason, leave him.
Come on.
You must bathe in these waters.
The waters will release
the power of the Fleece.
Then once more you will be young
and we will rule forever.
Majesty, we have no guarantee.
How do we know the water is safe?
Because you will enter it first.
Go.
I see you wear the Fleece, Uncle.
Has it brought you your heart's desire?
Has its power revived you?
Do I look like an immortal?
The Fleece has no power except that
imagined by those who seek it.
We make our own destiny by our own actions.
This is trickery.
The only trickery
lies within your imagination.
How many have died so that
you may gain the Fleece?
And what has it brought you?
My sword at your throat.
And your people baying for your blood.
You will kill me.
I am sickened by bloodshed
and moved to mercy.
Oh.
Oh, may you never know
the disappointment of old age.
How my mind has been made mad by this Fleece.
My son is dead.
My kingdom is lost.
Take this Fleece
and do with it what you will.
Take it with my blessing
but have mercy on me
before you meet your destiny.
My destiny is to rule.
I've sworn to your queen
my loyalty and faith.
And I swear also to you that we
shall serve our people and our state
to bring you such harmony here on Earth
as there is in heaven.
Arise.
Soldiers are coming!
Soldiers! Soldiers are coming!
Stand fast!
Hold your ranks.
Stand fast!
Hera, look down on us.
Please hear our prayers.
Gracious lady, mother of the gods
Retreat!
Retreat!
Retreat!
Mama. Mama.
Mama.
Jason!
It's all right.
I've got you.
We must have the archers at the west wall.
Sire, the west wall has already fallen.
Then bring them back to the inner ramparts.
Sir, the archers are all dead.
Majesty.
Jason, thank the gods.
Thank the gods you're safe.
He is not, sire, for the enemy is all
but upon us.
Then gather the guards
and drive them from the palace.
Majesty, we are overwhelmed.
Majesty, save yourself.
Save your son.
Hera, look down on us.
Please hear our prayer.
Gracious lady, mother of the gods,
protect us from the enemy.
Take the boy.
Take him now.
Brother.
I should have known it would come to this.
I am only here to claim what's mine.
Your claim is false.
I would sooner die than see my kingdom
in your hands.
Kill me.
But in the name of your honor,
spare my wife and child.
Oh, brother, brother, brother.
What do you take me for?
A savage?
Let me show you how gracious I may be
in victory.
All I seek is my destiny.
No!
And my destiny is to rule.
The son and heir.
Well, well.
No, please.
Nephew.
Please.
He is a child, please.
I beg you.
Take him!
Kill him!
Very impressive.
Don't say a thing.
There's nothing to say.
Your weight should be more
forward on your front foot.
Yes, I know.
Shall we try again?
Or come the games, we may disgrace ourselves.
No.
I have greater things to ponder than games.
Interesting how the Ram
revolves around the Bear.
Theta and Gamma leading the way.
Theta and Epsilon.
Of course.
I had that dream again.
The gods torment me with it
and I don't know why.
It's not only a dream, Jason, it's a memory.
What is this?
It is the emblem of Hera
and offers her protection.
It once belonged to your mother.
Queen Polymele
wife of Aeson, King of loclus.
My father a king?
He was slain by Pelias, his own brother.
And my mother?
She lives.
Why has she never sent word?
Does she not know where I am?
When Pelias seized the crown,
he took her as his wife and queen.
But you are the rightful heir to the throne.
And that makes you
the mortal enemy of Pelias.
And my mother?
Is she my enemy, too?
Are you all right?
I'd like to cross this river.
But it flows so deep and vast.
I'll help you if you'd like.
That's kind of you, young man.
Where are you bound for, young man?
loclus?
You know it?
Oh, yes.
And what do you seek in loclus?
Not riches, I hope.
No.
Just as well.
It's a poor country, bled dry by its king.
Pelias.
Pelias the taxer, they call him.
Of course, searching for the Golden Fleece
is an expensive business.
The Golden Fleece?
The greatest gift from gods to man.
Craved by Pelias beyond all reason.
He believes it will grant
him his heart's desire.
Your charity will not be forgotten.
Let me lead the next voyage, Father.
If they see you've entrusted your own son
It will make no difference.
Unfortunately the populace have yet to
learn the great benefits the Fleece will
bestow upon them.
What is it?
An omen, sire
of the greatest import.
I see a young man.
There is vengeance in his heart.
He threatens your throne.
What?
Another rebel?
No.
Who, then?
I don't know, Majesty.
What does he look like?
I only know that he wears one sandal.
I believe he has the protection of the gods.
Find him.
What do you see?
He's here, Majesty, in loclus.
Is this him?
I believe so, sire.
What brings you to loclus, boy?
I've come to find my mother.
Who is your mother?
Polymele.
Bring her.
How should we know you're not an imposter?
I have this amulet given to me by my mother.
Do you know what we do with fraudsters?
I'm not the fraud.
You summoned me?
Oh, my dear.
We have a young man
who claims to be your son.
Take a good look at him.
So?
Do you know him or not, my dear?
I do not.
And the trinket?
The emblem of your most loved Hera.
I've never seen it before.
Very well.
Take him down.
We will execute him tomorrow.
No!
Oh, has something jogged
your memory, my dear?
So how do you find your mother, boy?
Is she as you remembered her?
Or even more lovely?
Did you not know to come back here
was certain death?
Take him.
My lord, I beg you.
Spare him.
Give me one good reason.
Because I will find you the Golden Fleece.
What?
Leave us.
My lord.
Get out!
Out!
What do you know of the Fleece?
I can find it.
Because I have protection of the gods.
Tell me, if you bring the Fleece to me,
what do you expect in return?
Nothing more than my birthright.
Well, my dear nephew,
here is my rather generous offer.
If you should bring the Fleece back,
I will restore you to prince
and your right to succession upon my death.
Father, I must protest.
I will even give you a boat.
You'll have to find a crew.
Not easy, but you'll have a marvelous
incentive,
because if you're not back in six months
your mother's life will be forfeit.
Clean, simple, and not open to negotiation.
Your mother for the Fleece.
I've brought you something.
Thank you.
Jason.
When you sail from here, do not return.
Promise me you will not return.
I've no choice.
Even if you return with the Fleece,
Pelias will kill you.
The Fleece is his obsession.
He believes it will grant
him his heart's desire.
And what is that?
Immortality.
Eternal release from his doom
so he may reign forever.
He will not let you live.
You know your husband well.
I've had to learn his ways.
For my sake and for yours.
Let it not have been in vain.
The finest, fastest ship ever built.
And the most expensive.
Is she not, Master Argos?
That she is, Majesty, but she is the best
I've ever designed.
Every joint is perfect.
Every nail true.
All we need now
is a crew that is worthy of her.
What is she called?
The Pelias.
It seemed natural, although I am not sure
now that it provided sufficient inspiration.
Your Majesty, might I suggest the Great Wake
in homage to her speed?
Or maybe the Argo in homage to the man
who built her.
Oh, I like that.
I don't know what to say.
The least we can do.
I mean, considering
you will be sailing with her.
Me, sir?
You, sir.
Of course, sir.
O goddess Hera, hear my prayer.
Protect my darling son Jason.
Guide him to safety.
Protect him from his youth.
Zeus, my lord.
What has kept you from my bed?
Affairs of mortals, Queen Hera.
Affairs with mortals, I think you mean.
And what is the nature
of your complaint today?
I know you have been chasing mortal women.
Shh.
I will be heard.
Do you think I'm blind?
You humiliate a goddess
when you consort with mortals.
Your duty as my queen is to obey.
If not, descend and stain the earth
with your spite.
Don't tempt me.
Ahem.
I seek men who know the sea.
But only the best men who are willing
to face its dangers
and be prepared to risk all
in the greatest quest of all.
For the Golden Fleece.
If chosen, I promise you honor and glory.
I'll take him outside and finish him off.
Who are you?
Why did you hit me?
Fella in there had a knife.
He'd have used it.
Why?
Mention of the Fleece.
Not wise in sailors' company.
But I need to find a crew.
I'll come.
I could pull an oar.
I mean, I'm no sailor, but
That's it.
But these are farmers,
peasants, they're no use to us.
Who is that man?
Laertes, a shepherd.
What do you think?
Sir, I understand the need for a crew, but
So, you like danger?
I said hit it on the side, not here.
You said in the middle.
No, I said hit it here.
Where?
Here.
This looks like hard work.
Have you ever been to sea?
No.
You?
Where?
Sea.
When?
Yes.
How?
By boat.
Oh.
No. Never.
A soak, a shepherd, and two quarrymen
who've never rigged a sail,
tied a knot, or held an oar.
They have heart.
There must be more like them.
I hope not.
The sea is pitiless.
Can only be conquered by men
of skill and experience.
Without that, you invite death.
I'll not sail with such a crew.
You've been ordered
by Pelias on pain of death.
Then at least my death shall be quick.
All right, rest.
Hello, young man.
How are those strong, young legs?
Don't you remember me?
You helped me across the river.
Of course.
I told you your charity would be rewarded.
Go to Idas the mapmaker.
He'll show you the way to the Golden Fleece.
Thank you.
What is this slim-hipped youth to you?
A toy?
Do you play with him to spite Pelias?
Why?!
Because you are jealous.
Because he worships Poseidon instead of you.
Is that what you think, great Zeus?
That my affection is provoked by jealousy?
Rather than his beautiful youth?
Rather than his thighs as smooth and strong
as polished olive wood?
Enough!
Rather than his lips, as sweet as ambrosia?
Hear me, smooth-faced, insolent baby,
whatever trials may lie ahead
I will make them 10,000 times
more terrible!
Oh, don't stop.
Play on, please.
There's a price.
A place on your ship.
What do you know of the sea?
Nothing.
To face the sea without knowledge or skill
brings only death.
Of death I am knowledgeable.
Danger I do not fear.
And I can give you music.
Music that will tame wild beasts,
lift men's hearts to heaven,
and cause the lark to sing at night.
What is your name?
Orpheus.
What can I do for you?
I'm looking for a map.
I have many maps.
I'm looking for a map that will lead me to
the Golden Fleece.
If such a map existed,
it would have a great price.
That's all I have.
Keep it.
You will have more use for it than I.
Come in.
What do you know of the stars?
I've learned something of them.
I've never seen a map like this before.
There is no map like it.
Read it well and it will take you
to the end of the world.
Here's Sagittarius.
And Cygnus.
And Delphinus.
This is a chart.
A chart through the stars.
No map can lead you to the Fleece.
It lies in an unknown sea.
But follow this chart and it will take you to
Tabletop Island.
There you will find the prophet Phineas.
It is said he knows the secret of the Fleece.
How is it possible to make such a map?
With the help of my son and apprentice Zetes.
The gods have given him eyes
10 times sharper than an eagle.
And you can see all the way
to the end of the world?
Only to the heavens.
To the great forms of the constellations.
I could use someone
with such eyes on my crew.
That may well be,
but Zetes has work to do here.
Which he should be doing now.
May the gods speed your way.
Thank you for your gift.
Stop!
Somebody stop him!
Stop!
Is this what you're looking for?
The gods be thanked.
And you, sir.
My pleasure.
What is that?
A map.
Where does it lead you?
Phineas' island.
And from there to the Golden Fleece.
So you're the young captain.
Men say you're a fool.
Only to hide their fear and cowardice.
Do you share their opinion?
Do you know with whom you speak?
Follow me.
Get more men, Canthus, we'll dig her out.
Who are you?
I am Hercules.
This boat is going to find the Golden Fleece,
and I'm going with it.
Are you heroes or are you cowards?
I'll go.
And I.
Remember me, sir?
The little thief.
Reformed thief, sir.
Since when?
Since this morning, sir.
Nice little piece, sir.
My amulet.
A gesture of goodwill on my part, sir.
For I would like to come with you, sir.
Why?
To improve myself, sir.
To make amends.
Give me a chance, will you, sir?
What, so you can steal
whatever you can, thief?
Well, who better to snatch
the Fleece than a thief?
Some wine, Mopsus?
A drink to our journey.
No, sir.
I've vowed never to drink again.
So what do you reckon to this lad Jason?
He talks well.
We'll see how he sails.
My last labor by far was the most difficult.
I had to pick the golden apples
of Hesperides.
Now Atlas, my friend, was the only Titan
tall enough to reach them.
So I held the weight
of the heavens in his stead.
To the end of the world?
What does your father say?
I haven't told him.
A musician?
Yes.
There you are, musician.
Oar in the water.
Jason!
What are you doing here?
I'm coming with you.
You can't.
Oh, really?
Not a woman.
Shore scum.
Look at them.
I'll give us 10 days.
Keep in time.
Zetes. Follow the drum.
Watch the men in front of you.
Hey!
Come out.
Come here!
Come here!
Hey. Kill him.
What's this little bastard doing on board?
Let's throw him overboard.
Why?
He's the king's son.
We hate him.
We do?
Yes.
We could nail him to the mast and
let the gulls peck his eyes out.
Quiet.
Echion, put that away.
Put it away now.
Do as he says.
There will be no bloodshed on board.
Watch that boy, sir.
He's as slippery as a snake.
He's my brother.
Everyone back to your oars.
I do not blame them for hating me.
It is my father's reputation.
It is a curse for me.
A curse I wish to undo.
If I sail with you, I will rid myself of it.
How's that?
If we have the Fleece,
we may rid loclus of a tyrant.
A monster.
If you have the Fleece, you can destroy him.
If I have the Fleece, I'm bound to give it
to your father.
Our mother's life is forfeit if I do not.
Well, that is why I'm here.
To help our mother.
For, Jason, through this bargain,
I have learned what my father really is.
A ship.
A lone ship.
Why?
What does it mean?
Where is this ship?
Still distant.
In a sea beyond our knowledge.
Beyond our reach.
Why do you smile?
Is it a good omen?
Is it a bad omen?
This youth, he has a pleasant face.
Oh, you don't put cheese before the bread.
What are you doing?
Salt is good.
See yourself in the air.
Keep that picture in your mind.
Your legs are springs, your arms wings.
The eye of the Bull above us.
We'll soon leave charted waters.
Does that not fill you with wonder?
Yes.
What do you see?
Nothing.
It's as if the gods have put
a blind before our eyes.
Argos, have we steered a straight course?
To the best of my ability without
a landmark or the sun to guide us.
Rocks!
Steer left! Steer left!
Land!
Hercules, Orpheus, Echion, come with me.
The rest of you stay here.
There should be no island here.
To your oars!
Jason, come on!
To your oars!
Poseidon, god of the sea.
Where's Jason?
Jason!
Jason!
Jason!
Hold on, Echion.
Echion, hold on.
Jason!
Where's Jason?
Stop!
We must search for Jason.
Get up!
Enough!
Enough.
Brother Poseidon, tsk, tsk, tsk.
Our apologies.
Acastus!
Jason.
The others?
Echion is lost.
So is Hercules, sir.
It's Hercules!
What have you done to him?
You demean yourself.
This boy would sooner sleep with a whore
than honor you.
Judge him not by your own base principles.
Watch.
The mast has spring.
Forward strake plankings are weeping in
the waterline, which means the bilge
will be rising.
That's not all.
The yardarm's splintering.
And, sir, we've lost the map.
To your oars!
Keep it steady!
Hard to row!
It's bad.
It's very bad.
She's hurt, Jason.
We'll find timber.
We'll make repairs.
We haven't got the tools.
What about a hunting party?
Nothing like fresh roast
venison to cheer the spirit.
Soldiers.
Soldiers!
Form a phalanx!
Come on!
Wait.
Zetes.
All women?
All women.
Welcome to Lemnos.
Majesty, Prince Jason.
Our Queen Hypsipyle.
Welcome.
I understand you require
some materials of us.
Only a few things.
Some timber, sailing cloth.
Of course.
You are welcome to these things.
My gratitude, Majesty.
This is when a garden
looks best, don't you agree?
A garden should be a little wild.
It should be fertile.
You should feel the force of creation in it.
We will drink wine pressed from my own grape.
Young and sharp.
Mmm.
You can feel the earth in it.
Taste its richness.
For my fourth labor, I had to hunt
the Erymanthian boar.
Imagine a boar that's huge, hairy,
and full of hate.
He is Pollux.
He is Castor.
We are simple men.
He is a quarryman.
I am a stonemason.
Stonemason?
So, where are all the men?
Fighting.
Oh, yeah?
Who?
It's been so long, I have forgotten.
Please.
Where's Jason?
Why aren't you with the others?
The other men, they all seem to have
lost their senses.
But you I have an advantage.
My senses are dulled.
Why?
I had a love.
Eurydice.
Whose laughter was soft as rain
and eyes were bright
as the sky.
I lost her to death.
To lose her was to lose a universe.
If the Fleece can grant a man his heart's
desire, it may give me another chance.
But perhaps to love what cannot be yours
is a wound that only death may heal.
I finished, Argos.
Excellent.
Excellent.
Let us see what the future holds.
What does it say?
That your destiny is to be king.
What is this?
It's nothing.
Nothing?
Did he say nothing?
It appears you are quite forgotten.
O most adored goddess, hear us
and accept the coming sacrifice.
The sacrifice of men.
Tonight we feast.
Tonight we rejoice.
For it is my wish that every man of the Argo
take a wife from my people.
I will make you princes of this island.
And your leader king.
Let us go to the temple this very evening
and celebrate the promise
of eternal bliss.
Jason.
Jason.
It's a trap.
They're going to kill you.
I've been to their temple.
I know what they're planning.
A sacrifice of men.
Fools.
Don't you see?
The men aren't away.
They're dead.
Look, this is their armor.
Absurd.
Why are you saying these ridiculous things?
She loves you.
She loves you and wants to make you her own.
Do not let her envy corrupt our love.
Remove her.
Jason!
No, wait.
Wait.
This is not the purpose of our voyage.
What can you find on this voyage
that you cannot find here?
I promise you infinite happiness.
Perhaps we should go back to the boat.
Run!
What are your orders, sir?
You decide.
I'm not the captain.
The boat is near sinking.
We're lost.
We have no food, water.
I don't know what to do.
There are two dozen men here who trusted you.
They'll trust you again
if you show some mettle.
So forget your own troubles and
remember you're the son of a king
and damn well do your duty.
Hera.
I ask you, please,
show me a sign.
Anything.
He comes with purpose in his heart.
It is the Fleece that draws him.
The Fleece?
The Fleece?
You fight like a woman, General.
Where's your thirst for battle?
Perhaps we should relieve him of his command.
Father.
I must speak with you urgently.
It concerns our security.
Later.
It concerns the Fleece.
Where is this young man
with the pleasant face?
Closer than any have been before.
Set your course west toward the unknown sea.
I will find him for you, Father.
And I will destroy him.
Wild boar in honey sauce.
With onions.
Little salt, little tarragon.
Perhaps fried onion.
My god.
Castor.
What?
I am hungry.
Me, too.
It's you and these onions.
Everybody row.
If you don't row, we die.
I wouldn't mind rowing if we actually knew
where we was going.
It's what we chose.
We're none of us prisoners.
Even prisoners get fed.
Begging your pardon, sir.
But where are we now?
We are east of Lemnos.
Yeah, but where is that, then?
We seek Phineas on the Tabletop Island.
Forgive me for asking, sir, but how should we
find this island, seeing as we've got no map?
Your place is to row, not to question.
I don't mind rowing if it's going somewhere.
Yeah.
Do we know where we're going, sir?
This is mad.
We should turn back.
Yeah, before we all starve to death.
Zetes.
Sir?
I need to see the stars.
I remember.
From the map.
The island lies just under that place
in the heavens where the dog lies left
of the archer.
You show me that and I shall
have is there by nightfall.
If not, we shall turn back.
But, sir, it is daylight.
How shall I see the heavens?
Have faith in your strength.
Yes!
Yes, I see them!
I do!
Draw them for me.
Draw what you see.
This way.
Argonauts, get to your oars.
We sail this way to land.
I'm sure of it.
To your oars.
To your oars.
Land! I see land!
An island, flat like a table top.
Well done, young master.
We will split up.
Search for Phineas in different directions.
Food is what we need.
Not prophets.
Help me!
Help me!
Help me!
Sir! Sir!
Demons! Demons!
Demons like like We saw the food, sir,
in the temple.
Slow down. One at a time.
Phanus?
Sir, there's a temple
up there. There's food in it.
But there's these creatures.
They ate Butes and Tiphys.
We must leave this place.
We cannot leave.
We must find Phineas.
Indeed.
You have found him, Jason of loclus.
I am Phineas.
How do you know who I am?
I am a soothsayer.
My gift is great.
I know what you're seeking, young man.
Then you can help us?
I've been 40 years on this island.
Exiled by the gods.
In their jealousy of my gift,
they ripped out my eyes.
And for good measure, they placed me here
to be tormented by hunger
and Harpies.
Harpies?
Those monsters.
They are part of my torment.
The other part is hunger.
Perpetual hunger.
A table groaning with food every day.
But to touch it is death.
Can you show us the way to the Golden Fleece?
I will point you in the right direction
for the price of a small favor.
The Fleece lies in Colchis.
The kingdom of Aertes.
What do you know of him?
A ruthless tyrant
who guards the Fleece jealously.
His daughter Medea is a sorceress
whose powers protect him.
She is the guardian of the Fleece.
How do we find Colchis?
Young man, you must enter the Eastern Ocean.
And there is but one way.
Through the dark rocks,
the doom of all that have
gone before you.
Men in the water!
The boat is sunk.
The crew drowned.
I see bodies crushed, sucked down.
Is your brother dead?
No.
He lives.
He is saved.
He is saved by one who is loved by the gods.
It is he who desires the Fleece.
The rocks.
The rocks sank my ship.
We were sailing between them
and they came together.
Crushed my ship.
Crushed my ship as I stood on the bow
without warning.
Nobody told me.
How was I to know?
I'm Jason, Prince of loclus.
Aspyrtes, Colchis.
Colchis?
We're headed to Colchis.
You are?
Then I may be able to help you.
My father's the ruler of Colchis.
And I believe he will make you very welcome.
First, however, we must find a route
that will convey us safely there.
Do you know of one?
No.
But I do know that to sail between
these rocks is certain death.
Orpheus.
We need your dove.
Why?
Fly true, little friend.
May the gods guide you.
Row!
Hard to row!
Hard to row!
This is death! Death!
A great blackness.
I see nothing.
And the ship?
There is no ship.
It is gone.
I see only wreckage.
Darkness.
The ship is lost.
Lost?
Indeed.
Murderer.
Murderer!
Eros, god of love,
I charge thee with this task.
Find the Princess Medea.
Fire your arrow.
Make her give her heart
to Jason, prince of loclus.
To Jason?
But, madam It is my wish.
But why?
What was he doing here?
These men are armed and prepared for war.
They are an honor guard for honored guests.
Press oars.
Sir, that gentleman, beware.
Why?
His tongue is too smooth.
I'm going ashore.
I need to take two men.
I'm going with you.
No, Hercules.
I must rely on you to guard the boat.
My place is at your side.
You serve me better here.
If things go amiss, you're my only escape.
I will go with you.
To protect you, sir.
And I'll come with you, too.
I'm going ashore
with our host Prince Aspyrtes.
Hercules will be my lieutenant.
Follow his orders as you would mine.
Hyah.
Apparently I'm in your debt, young prince.
It is our custom to repay our debts in kind,
though no gift can equal
a firstborn child.
Sir, you do have in your domain a
treasure that would be as dear to me.
What treasure is as dear as a son?
The Golden Fleece.
Sir, we come in peace.
No, you came to rob me.
And you shall pay.
Father, remember that you are in his debt.
To slay him now would only anger the gods.
Let the gods decide his fate.
Set him a task that no unfavored
mortal could complete.
Yes, my daughter.
He shall face the Minean Bull.
You will harness the Minean Bull,
plow the field of Ares,
and sow it with dragon teeth.
If you live, I shall know the gods favor you.
And you will have the Golden Fleece.
You can't sleep?
No.
Nor me.
I'm troubled.
Really?
It takes a rogue to know a rogue.
I'm a rogue myself, you see.
I've lived in the company of rogues.
Do you ever stop talking?
Look
I've something for you.
Feathers?
For your arrows.
Thought they might be useful.
But you couldn't see them?
They were not revealed to you?
How could you not see the rocks?
Do you think had I been aware
that I would not have told you?
I don't know, do I?
For all I know
for all I know, you did see them.
You did see them, didn't you?
Didn't you?
And Father stopped you
from telling me, didn't he?
No.
That was not it.
I shouldn't be surprised.
I shouldn't be surprised at all
if it weren't some trick.
Some plan.
Some excuse to be rid of me.
Here, chew it.
It will calm you.
Give me another one.
Not too much.
This herb has a good effect.
But must be used wisely.
Mmm.
I have brought this oil.
It will protect you against the bull.
Its breath is fire.
Why do you want to save me?
Please remove your tunic.
The oil must cover every inch of you.
Quickly.
It smells sweet.
It comes from the Caucasian crocus,
a plant of saffron color.
The first flower sprung from the
blood of the tortured Prometheus.
Begin!
Bring up the chain.
No!
Yes!
Your legs are springs
and your arms are wings.
Yes!
I'm going ashore.
I'm with you.
No.
Our orders are clear.
We stand fast.
Aertes, I have shown myself worthy.
Will you keep your word?
Jason, what we sow, we must reap.
Yes! Yes!
Jason! Jason! Jason!
Jason! Jason!
Jason! Jason!
Jason! Jason!
Jason, you have done what
no man before you could.
I salute you.
We shall have a feast.
You are a hero favored by the gods.
Courage beyond imagination.
Welcome, great prince.
You shall have what you most desire.
This chicken, there's not enough salt.
Also, onion.
Fried onions.
Bring some tarragon.
Haven't got any honey sauce, have you?
Lovely, don't you think?
I do, Majesty.
A trophy from the Lycian campaign.
But there is no prize
greater than the Fleece.
I was younger than you
when I led my army to win it.
As soon as I held it, I knew its power.
The Fleece binds our state in loyalty.
When I ask mothers to give their son's lives,
they are granted, for I hold the Fleece.
When I ask generals to fight to the last,
they will, for I hold the Fleece.
My enemies scarce raise a sword to me.
It has granted my heart's desires.
My daughter is very beautiful,
don't you think, Jason?
I do, Majesty.
You shall have the Fleece.
And you may have her if you wish.
Majesty, I would not presume to
Medea, if this young man
asked for your hand in marriage,
would you grant it?
Majesty Come, come.
I see the look in your eyes.
I have a heart.
I would say yes.
Good. That's settled.
Noblemen of Colchis, there is to be a union
between the house of loclus
and the house of Colchis.
Jason the hero prince will marry Medea
our princess royal.
Majesty.
There is no need to thank me.
Of course, you understand neither you
nor the Fleece can ever leave Colchis.
I'm sure you'll be very happy here.
Pleased?
With what?
With your new husband.
Aspyrtes.
So. So what?
So I was right?
You are in league with our father.
No.
I love Jason.
Everything is so clear now.
So clear.
How can you love him?
You do not know him.
And he does not know you.
I know you.
I do not mean to hurt you.
But you do.
He wants to marry
her, the Princess Medea.
He wants to marry her, this Princess Medea.
No.
No, Jason wouldn't stay.
He wouldn't send us away without a word.
He'd never abandon us.
Maybe our quest is finished and this
is where we are destined to part.
You can't believe that.
That Jason would surrender
himself to Colchis.
To this princess.
She's very beautiful.
Actually, she's very beautiful.
Fools.
Have you really lost your faith?
I cannot believe that Jason would desert us.
That he would forfeit this quest.
All that it means to him.
All that it means to us.
I'm with Atalanta.
We must go and rescue him.
From what?
Great wealth?
Power?
The woman he loves?
He does not love her.
How do you know?
Look, all I'm saying is,
well, if these are his wishes,
we should respect them and head off.
I agree.
We just turn back?
We have travelled far,
to the ends of the Earth.
What more can be achieved?
We were asked to get the Fleece.
Our mission is incomplete.
But our mission was to follow Jason.
And he wants us to go.
I say we go.
No. Hercules.
Tell them we're staying.
I can't.
It's between each man and his conscience.
Conscience?
Does the word have meaning for any of you?
We will put it to the vote.
I have something here to soothe your wounds.
Why do you wish to help me?
You, who are guardian of the Fleece?
The Fleece will only give its
true powers to he who is worthy.
It is for him that I guard its secrets.
Worthy or not, I must find it.
My mother's life depends on it.
Then you should know that
I cannot be parted from it.
Treachery! Treachery!
The treachery of your beloved.
Of your trustees.
Of the future ruler, Majesty.
What is your reason
for coming here, Aspyrtes?
The Fleece.
The Fleece.
They mean to take it from us.
Tonight.
Tell me everything you know.
My lady Medea
the lord Jason
in cahoots.
She will take him to the Fleece and he
will steal it and take it to his boat.
I heard it all.
I heard it at their door while they made
love like doves cooing their treachery.
You're drunk, my son.
You mustn't behave like such a fool.
No, tonight, Father,
it is you who are the fool!
Can Jason walk on water?
Look.
He stays, they've left him.
And you must leave me and these
matters to those with clearer heads.
Mount up.
Break camp.
Back to the city.
Form up. Come on.
Keep together.
Jason.
So, bidding farewell to your
countrymen, prince?
But doubtless you'll make the best of things.
Rule in my stead, perhaps.
Is that what you're thinking?
That was never my desire nor my intention.
Maybe not yours, but certainly my father's.
Kill him.
Hyah!
The Argo's north of here, sir.
Quickly, sir.
We'll soon be discovered.
My task was to rid the man-eating Stymphalian
birds from the Stymphalian marshes.
These birds were sacred to Ares.
They'd shower men with their lethal feathers
and poison them with their foul excrement.
Predictably, I once again saved the day.
We'll climb down.
Take too long.
Their archers would pick us off like flies.
Cavalry!
But a mile away!
We'll fight them.
We'll fight them to the last man.
No need for that.
Hercules.
Jason.
I'll hold off the enemy
while you make your escape.
Head for the Argo.
It lies at the mouth of the river.
I see it!
You can climb down.
Where is the Fleece?
On the other side of
the gorge on a high plateau.
There's no time.
It's a day's work to cross
and climb the gorge.
You, start climbing.
Wait, I think there's another way.
How are you at the discus, Hercules?
Laertes, show them what to do.
Come on!
Hercules.
Go now!
Not without you.
I will follow!
Come on.
I will help you.
That is not my destiny.
Not even you can take on an army.
Jason, my journey is done.
It is what my mother demands.
Mother?
I am Hercules, servant of Hera.
Commanded by her to protect you.
Go, Jason, my dear friend,
and find your destiny.
Sir, Acastus is wounded.
I can go on.
I just need to rest a while.
No. Take him down the side of the gorge.
Take him to the boat.
No, I'm all right.
Spread out!
Mopsus, the rope.
What do you intend to do, sir?
Set a noose around his neck.
Orpheus, I need you to play.
Play as you've never played before.
Be careful, Jason.
Jason!
Phanus!
No!
Jason!
Jason!
He's bad, sir.
Cast off.
Brace the yardarm.
Positions.
Someone must pull out the arrow.
I need someone with good hands.
I'll do it.
Take the arrow gently, pull firmly.
It is near his heart.
You have fine hands.
Perhaps you have now found a use for them.
Have I not led you to 100 victories?
When we had the Fleece.
Have faith in your king.
Your music's changed.
You have a good ear.
What have the gods in mind?
They save by a miracle one who craves
his own end, and yet snuff out those
who delight in life.
Jason.
Yes?
We've been friends a long time, haven't we?
The best of friends.
I have to ask you something.
Anything.
Jason, I know you and
I love you better than anyone on this Earth.
And I you.
You do?
Of course.
Thank the gods.
I didn't think you felt the same way.
How could you think such a thing?
I thought you and Medea
Medea and I are to be married.
But you will always be
as dear to me as a brother.
Yes.
Yes, of course.
You really love her?
It's meant to be.
Argos.
What's wrong?
My father is murdered.
How can you be sure?
I'm sorry.
I, too, saw my father's death.
It is the most distant memory,
yet the most vivid.
It still burns in my soul.
I shall never let you feel alone.
Mortal love.
Pure.
Incorruptible.
As it should be.
You don't fool me.
You writhe inside, cursing your nobility.
And what do you know about nobility?
Let me show you.
I shall be gentle with you.
Who are you?
I know your face, but
Your slave.
One who admires you from afar
and cannot find even in heaven
more majesty than I see
before me.
You are a god?
Indeed.
I am the king of gods,
and yet I am your slave.
Medea. Medea.
Medea. Medea.
Medea. Medea.
Love me.
Great Zeus, I love another.
Mm-hmm.
Jason.
A boy.
I am Zeus.
I am the inevitable.
I am the irresistible.
I am the king who never dies.
And you should be my queen.
What do you want from me?
Lie with me.
No. I cannot.
Not only my body, but my immortal soul
belongs to him that I love.
There is no power stronger.
You would deny me for the boy?
I give you time to reconsider
before your beauty fades.
Are you all right?
I don't know.
Why are you smiling?
For what I feel.
Whatever may come
have faith in our love.
They put us to shame.
We're home!
It's land!
It can't be.
Welcome to loclus.
Oh, my son!
Father.
Idas.
It is good to see you.
It's a miracle.
We thought you were lost.
All dead.
Idas, I must ask.
Do not spread news of our arrival.
My mother's safety is still my main concern.
Your mother?
Oh, by the gods, you do not know.
Know what?
Sir, I must tell you, your mother the queen
is no more.
What?
She is dead, sir.
How?
She took her life in the false knowledge
of your death and that of your brother.
I see.
If we fear treachery from Pelias,
we could still move against him under cover
of darkness.
And waste more lives in this vain enterprise?
What, then, is your intention?
My intention, brother, is to drink.
To drink to all of those
who should be drinking with us.
To Echion.
To Laertes the bold tumbler.
To Tiphys and Butes.
Phanus.
And to Hercules
the mighty and magnificent.
But, sir, they will not have died in vain
if you meet your destiny.
You are, sir, still the rightful king
of loclus.
You may still rescue it from tyranny.
And avenge your father's
and your mother's lives.
To what end?
Come first light, we leave this place.
Sir, I beg you.
Enough.
Jason.
If we turn away from life,
we do not honor the dead.
We fail them.
Come, Zetes.
It's time we were home.
Son.
Father, I cannot.
But, son.
I cannot leave my friends.
Look up to the stars.
They will be your guide.
What are you showing me,
Hercules, old friend?
A drink for my friend Mopsus.
No.
You know I don't drink.
I'm very deeply grieved about your mother.
I knew her once, you know.
Quite well.
Really?
I was in awe of her beauty
and humbled by her gentleness.
Maybe
just one little
If not now, then when?
Oh!
Let's have another.
We need it now.
Hera.
Why could you not protect her?
Jason.
Jason, my dear son.
I speak as a shade who by the mercy of the
gods may call to you from the underworld.
Jason, you are not at the end of
your journey, but at its beginning.
This path is a path which you choose.
Go well, my darling.
Go with a mother's love
and fulfill your destiny.
It's gone!
It's gone!
Sir, your son has returned.
Let me pass.
Welcome, my son.
I was not expecting you.
I have sailed with Jason
and gained the Fleece.
So I see.
Its power is mine.
I am now king.
Of course.
For how can I, of all men,
resist the power of the Fleece?
Oh.
Acastus.
I am
old and weary now.
More tired than you can ever know.
But you, you have proved yourself a man.
A better man than perhaps I thought.
Please.
Let me give you my blessing.
Come.
My son.
My dear son.
My son.
My son.
Go to the gods, my son.
My dear, dear son.
Listen, sire.
The crowd is restless.
Find my nephew Jason
and all who sailed with him.
Destroy them.
Yes, my lord.
Jason.
Where have you been?
The Fleece is gone.
Acastus is gone.
So is Medea.
I'm sorry, sir. Sorry.
It was my fault.
Where's Medea?
With Acastus, probably.
Maybe that was their plan.
That boy betrayed us.
That's certain.
You're sure Medea went with him?
For all we know.
You saw how she cured him
with her witchcraft.
That was not witchcraft.
That was mercy.
What is certain, sir, is that Pelias has the
Fleece and that he knows of our arrival.
What are your orders, sir?
Argo's rigged for sail.
Good.
The sooner we leave, the better.
Soldiers approaching!
I shall not blame any man
if he will not stay with me.
I've asked enough of you.
Too much, perhaps.
But I cannot run.
I must make my stand here.
I'll make it with you, sir.
And me.
Me, too.
Me, too too.
Need you ask?
Argos, I cannot ask you to stand
against your master Pelias.
Jason, you're my master now.
Cavalry a mile away!
About 200 men!
We must hurry.
Sir, I must tell you.
I know of a way into the palace itself.
Should give us the weapon of surprise.
Tell me.
There's a tunnel.
A passage into the temple.
The entrance lies deep in the forest.
But I believe I could find it again.
It was kind to us once before when
I was captain of the palace guard.
Captain of your father's guard, Jason.
It was I who took you from the temple
and delivered you to Chiron.
Of course.
The soldier.
I owe you my life.
No, sir.
You owe me nothing.
Just as I failed to keep your father
from danger, so I failed you today.
Tell me of this tunnel.
The entrance lies outside the city.
It's opened only by a key.
A key contained in the amulet
that your mother gave you.
I lost the amulet.
I lost it in Lemnos.
Without the key, it would be impossible.
Is there no other way?
No.
It's all right.
We can use the key.
I found it, see, in Lemnos.
I always thought it was a good piece.
Worth something.
Worth a kingdom, I should say.
I swear by the gods, that's the last thing
I shall ever steal.
Lead on, Mopsus.
Is it for the kingdom or for her?
They are the same to me.
I am Medea
daughter of Eidyia, daughter of Phrixus.
I am of the blood of the Fleece.
I am its guardian here on Earth.
And only through me
shall you receive its power.
Why should we believe you?
Majesty, it is true that
Eidyia was a great sorceress.
That she possessed the powers of healing.
Impressive.
I draw my powers from the Fleece.
Where the Fleece goes, so must I.
Really?
Why are these powers not working for me?
Because I must give the Fleece my blessing.
Only through me and thus through the blood
of Phrixus shall you receive its power.
And what will you want in return?
To be your wife and guardian of the Fleece
forever.
That is my destiny.
Pelias's soldiers.
Jason!
Argos!
Argos.
Jason, leave him.
Come on.
You must bathe in these waters.
The waters will release
the power of the Fleece.
Then once more you will be young
and we will rule forever.
Majesty, we have no guarantee.
How do we know the water is safe?
Because you will enter it first.
Go.
I see you wear the Fleece, Uncle.
Has it brought you your heart's desire?
Has its power revived you?
Do I look like an immortal?
The Fleece has no power except that
imagined by those who seek it.
We make our own destiny by our own actions.
This is trickery.
The only trickery
lies within your imagination.
How many have died so that
you may gain the Fleece?
And what has it brought you?
My sword at your throat.
And your people baying for your blood.
You will kill me.
I am sickened by bloodshed
and moved to mercy.
Oh.
Oh, may you never know
the disappointment of old age.
How my mind has been made mad by this Fleece.
My son is dead.
My kingdom is lost.
Take this Fleece
and do with it what you will.
Take it with my blessing
but have mercy on me
before you meet your destiny.
My destiny is to rule.
I've sworn to your queen
my loyalty and faith.
And I swear also to you that we
shall serve our people and our state
to bring you such harmony here on Earth
as there is in heaven.