s, but he refused to entertain
the pretensions of any of them, declaring that she should only wed the man
who brought him the famous oxen of Iphiklos, in Thessaly. Melampus, the
nephew of Neleus, obtained the oxen for his brother Bias, who thus
obtained the hand of Pero. Of the twelve sons of Neleus, Nestor was the
most celebrated. It was he who assembled the various chieftains for the
siege of Troy, and was pre-eminent over all for wisdom.

(M327) Another descendant of AEolus was the subject of a beautiful legend.
Admetus, who married a daughter of Pelias, and whose horses were tended by
Apollo, for a time incarnated as a slave in punishment for the murder of
the Cyclopes. Apollo, in gratitude, obtained from the Fates the privilege
that the life of Admetus should be prolonged if any one could be found to
die voluntarily for him. His wife, Alkestes, made the sacrifice, but was
released from the grasp of death (Thanatos) by Hercules, the ancient
friend of Admetus.

(M328) But a still more beautiful legend is associated with Jason, a great
grandson of AEolus. Pelias, still reigning at Iolchos, was informed by the
oracle to beware of the man who should appear before him with only one
sandal. He was celebrating a festival in honor of Poseidon when Jason
appeared, having lost one of his sandals in crossing a river. As a means
of averting the danger, he imposed upon Jason the task, deemed desperate,
of bringing back to Iolchos the "Golden Fleece." The result was the
memorable Argonautic expedition of the ship Argo, to the distant land of
Colchis, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea. Jason invited the noblest
youth of Greece to join him in this voyage of danger and glory. Fifty
illustrious persons joined him, including Hercules and Theseus, Castor and
Pollux, Mopsus, and Orpheus. They proceeded along the coast of Thrace, up
the Hellespont, past the southern coast of the Propontis, through the
Bosphorus, onward past Bithynia and Pontus, and arrived at the river
Phasis, south of the Caucasian mountains, where dwelt AEetes, whom they
sought. But he refused to surrender the golden fleece except on conditions
which were almost impossible. Medea, however, his daughter, fell in love
with Jason, and by her means, assisted by Hecate, he succeeded in yoking
the ferocious bulls and plowing the field, and sowing it with dragons'
teeth. Still AEetes refused the reward, and meditated the murder of the
Argonauts; but Medea lulled to sleep