Last week I blogged about the classical references in E. Nesbit's The Phoenix and the Carpet because it is entertaining, almost topical, escapist literature for rough times. Times continue to be rough, so while I could have continued with the classical allusions in the sequel, The Story of the Amulet, I haven't finished it. Instead, I chose to look at an action-RPG whose (p)review crossed my emailbox and made me wonder why the Greek myth in all its variation wasn't good enough. The game is Rise of the Argonauts whose release date is listed as Autumn 2008, which may or may not mean it's already out. Should you play this game, please realize this is based on Greek mythology, but only very loosely. Rise of the Gladiators -- oops! I mean "Argonauts" is from Codemasters, whose website describes the game:
Rise of the Argonauts immerses gamers in a gladiatorial adventure, set in wondrously imagined vision of ancient Greece. With deep exploration and epic quests, players will live a life of brutal combat as they lead a team of iconic warriors – including Jason, Hercules and Atalanta – through a world ruled by mythological gods.So far, so good, if you can get over the argonauts being gladiators, which is, I suppose, a way of describing the heroes as warriors without a war, but it gets a lot harder to swallow. I really do realize it probably doesn't really make a lot of difference as long as it's a good game, but if people show up on this site or in classes thinking they know the standard myths because they've played this game, they will be in for a surprise.
Rise of the Argonauts Preview says
The game's premise is simple and strong; the player is Jason, Greek king and all-round swell chap. Life is grand until Jason's wife is assassinated on their wedding day. Stricken by grief, he seals her away and sets out with his Argonauts to lay claim to the Golden Fleece, a mythical object said to be imbued with the power to restore life.Can you figure out how many things are wrong? Or do you know a source for a variant on the Jason myth that supports this story?
Here are my objections to the chronology: Jason goes on a quest for his uncle, King Pelias, to get the fleece before he becomes king. (Jason needs to get the fleece in order to become king.) In order to get the fleece, Jason meets and then relies on Medea. Medea is responsible for killing Jason's wife on his wedding day. So the fleece comes first.
- Apollodorus - Sending Jason off on the Quest for the Golden Fleece
- Apollonius - List of the Argonauts
- Jason and Medea Quiz
- Which Greek Hero Are You?
Jason and the Golden Fleece Photo © Clipart.com
Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. A period of fasting, it starts on Wednesday October 8 in 2008.