Word: hellespont
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...Fleece. According to Greek legend, the fleece first belonged to a ram provided by the god Hermes to help two children, Helle and Phryxus, dodge an untrustworthy stepmother. The ram took off through the air with the children on its back. Helle fell off and was drowned (hence the Hellespont, now the Dardanelles), but Phryxus reached the eastern shore of the Black Sea. He ungratefully sacrificed the ram to Zeus and gave its fleece to the King of Colchis, who put it in a sacred grove guarded by a dragon...
...Argonauts boldly pushed on through the dangerous Hellespont and entered the Black Sea. To their dismay, Hercules deserted, was later summoned home to perform another of his mighty labors. "Holy Serpents!" he growled. "Tell me what [it is] this time?" The job-cleaning the Augean Stables-didn't take Hercules long. Afterwards, he stayed around with the high priestess of Lydia-who in due time bore male triplets. In gratitude, the priestess taught Hercules how to spin, and tied up his hair in blue braids; he was crazy about it, and admitted confidentially that he had always wanted...