The Aries Myth
Many years ago, in a land known as Orchomenus near Thebes, there ruled a king, Athamas and his queen Nephele. They had two children, a son Phrixus and a daughter Helle. As the children grew the king became bored with his wife and sent her away. After a short few months he married Ino, daughter of the King of Thebes.
With his new queen, Athamas had two sons, Ino wanted them to rule the kingdom and began plotting to rid herself of the obstacles in her way. She ordered slow fires to be lit in cellars under the grain stores so that the barley and wheat dried and became infertile. At the end of the summer when the crops had failed Athamas sent messengers to the Oracle to enquire how to appease the Gods and restore the harvest. The king, not realising how devious Ino was did not know she had bribed the messengers into bringing back a false report. On their return they pretended to be afraid when the king demanded to know what the oracle had said. Three times he asked before one of them stuttered, ‘My Lord, the Oracle has told us that your crops have failed because your two children Phrixus and Helle have displeased the Gods. They must be sacrificed.’ The King's face became deathly pale in sorrow for he knew this must be done for the sake of his kingdom. He ordered his two beloved children to be taken and as Ino smiled to herself he fell sobbing.
Long before Queen Nephele had fallen out of favour, the mighty god Zeus had presented her with a wondrous gift, a ram with a golden fleece. Nephele had instructed this ram to watch over her children and keep them save while she was in exile.
On the day of the sacrifice the golden ram approached the children and told them to climb up onto his back and hold on tightly to his fleece. The animal leapt into the morning sky and soared away over the deep blue ocean. The wind tugged at their clothes and hair as the ram flew higher. As they neared land Helle let go of the fleece with one hand to wave excitedly, she lost her grip and fell into the sea and drowned. In her memory the people named the channel into which she fell
The Hellespont.
Phrixus survived the journey and grew into a fine, strong young man, and married the daughter of the King of Colchis.
The golden ram was sacrificed as thanks to Zeus and its fleece hung with honour in a sacred grove in Colchis and guarded by a dragon which never slept.
Zeus, acknowledging the gesture, placed a likeness of the ram in the night sky so all would be reminded of the golden fleeced ram's bravery and courage.