Argo

Argo is the shipbuilding regeneration of the mythological ship used by Jason, son of the legitimate king of Iolkos Aeson, to bring along with the Argonauts from Colchis to his father's half-brother and usurper of his throne, Pelias, the Golden Fleece, which gave power and wealth to its owner. It is the skin of the golden ram sent from heaven by the dead Nephele, wife of Athamas, the king of Orchomenos (to save her son Phrixus from the sacrifice imposed on his father by the Oracle of Delphi). Phrixus offered it to Aeëtes, king of Colchis, and he hung it on an oak tree in the forest of the god Ares, leaving a dragon to guard it.

Argo of the Argonautic Campaign was manufactured in Pagasae, the port of Iolkos, with a variety of wood from Mount Pelion, by the famous carpenter Argus, son of Phrixus, and his brothers, Cytissorus, Melas and Phrontis, on the orders of Jason. King Pelias asked Argus to undermine the construction, so that the Argo ship would sink in the first storm, but Argus ignored him and built the fastest and most stable vessel of his time, about 50 to 60 metres long, extremely light to be carried ashore by its crew, with room for 50 to 60 rowers. Its captain was Tiphus and its crew, except for Jason, were royal descendants from almost all over Greece.

Legend has it that the goddess Athena, the patroness of Jason, placed a piece of wood from the sacred oak tree of Dodona on the prow of the ship to protect the Argonauts from danger. The oak was said to be able to speak with a human voice and could tell oracles.

In 2006, the Municipality of Volos, with the support of local shipwrights and the Institute's «Navdomos» programme, completed the construction of a realistic version of Argo, in the form of a 50-hulled prehistoric ship of the 14th century BC. During the construction processes, ancient shipbuilding techniques were applied and replicas of prehistoric bronze tools were used. In 2008 an experimental sail was held. The journey was 650 miles and lasted about 8 weeks. The ship and the crew had to deal with tough weather conditions and other difficulties that in the end confirmed the feasibility of such a huge naval operation, such as the Argonaut Expedition.