Tag Archives: Golden Fleece

Medea and the Golden Fleece

M.S. Prinsendam arrived at our next destination of Batumi in Georgia the following morning, April 20. I found this Black Sea destination a lot more welcoming and photogenic than Sochi, Russia. Here you could explore on your own, free from the mandatory escorted tour required in Russia.

Batumi, Georgia

Batumi sits upon the site of the ancient Greek colony Bathys (meaning ‘Deep Harbor’) in the kingdom of Colchis. Colchis plays a significant role in the classic epic poem Argonautica, which tells of the exploits of Jason, his ship the Argo, and his crew of Argonauts. Batumi’s connection to this ancient Greek mythos is immortalized in the statue of the sorceress-princess Medea holding the famous Golden Fleece, which Jason and the Argonauts were sent to retrieve.

Medea and the Golden Fleece

Medea and the Golden Fleece

The statue of Medea holding the Golden Fleece stands upon a tall marble pedestal:

Medea pedestal to the left

On the Medea pedestal are scenes depicting Jason and the Argo:

Medea pedestal depicting Jason (left) and the Argo

The statue below depicts a victim of Joeseph Stalin’s Great Purge. Memed Abashidze was a well respected Georgian writer and politician. He was executed in 1937 following conviction on a charge of treason.

Memed Abashidze

The statue of Memed Abashidze is located outside the Memed Abashidze Museum.

Memed Abashidze Museum

Now for some sights around Europe Square:

Batumi, Georgia

Batumi, Georgia

Batumi, Georgia

Batumi, Georgia

Batumi, Georgia