Jason

/jay"seuhn/, n.

1. Class. Myth. a hero, the leader of the Argonauts, who at the request of his uncle Pelias retrieved the Golden Fleece from King Aeëtes of Colchis with the help of Medea.

2. a male given name: from a Greek word meaning "healer."

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In Greek legend, the leader of the Argonauts.

He was the son of Aeson, king of Iolcos in Thessaly. Raised by Chiron after his father's half-brother Pelias seized Iolcos, he returned as a young man and was promised his inheritance if he could bring back the Golden Fleece. After an adventurous voyage, he won the fleece with the help of Medea. He married her, and the two returned to Iolcos, where Medea murdered Pelias. Driven out by Pelias's son, they sought refuge with King Creon of Corinth. When Jason deserted Medea for Creon's daughter, Medea killed her own children by Jason.

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▪ Greek mythology

 in Greek mythology, leader of the Argonauts (see photograph—>) and son of Aeson, king of Iolcos in Thessaly. His father's half-brother Pelias seized Iolcos, and thus for safety Jason was sent away to the Centaur Chiron. Returning as a young man, Jason was promised his inheritance if he fetched the Golden Fleece for Pelias, a seemingly impossible task. After many adventures (see Argonaut) Jason abstracted the fleece with the help of the enchantress Medea, whom he married. On their return Medea murdered Pelias, but she and Jason were driven out by Pelias' son and had to take refuge with King Creon of Corinth. Later Jason deserted Medea for Creon's daughter; this desertion and its consequences formed the subject of Euripides' Medea.

▪ Hebrew priest

(Greek),Hebrew  Joshua  

flourished 2nd century BC

      Hellenistic Jewish high priest (175–172 BC) in Jerusalem under the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes. By promising greater tribute to Antiochus, he obtained the high priesthood and, scorning the traditional Jewish monotheism of the Pharasaic party, promoted Greek culture and religion throughout Judaea in Palestine. When Antiochus retired to Jerusalem after his expulsion from Egypt by the Romans and began a violent purge of all Judaic practices, Jason was displaced by Menelaus, another Hellenizing Jew. After an unsuccessful attempt to regain the high priesthood by capturing Jerusalem (c. 170 BC), Jason was forced to flee to Asia Minor.

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