Family Tree
© Carrie Winship, University of Missouri
AEOLUS
NEPHELE
ATHAMAS
INO
Ruler of Thebes;
fathers two children
with Nephele; then
marries Ino, who tricks
him into agreeing to
sacrifice his children.
A cloud Nymph; first
wife of Athamas,
mother of Phrixus
and Helle.
PHRIXUS
Arrives safely in
Colchis; marries
Chalciope; sacrifices
Golden Ram and gives
fleece to Aeetes.
POSEIDON
God of the sea.
PELIAS
Athamas’ second
wife; plots against
Phrixus and Helle
to orchestrate their
deaths.
KEY
HELLE
Performed in play
Offspring
Married
Seduced
Falls to her death at
the spot today called
the Dardanelles (the
Greeks called it the Sea
of Helle in her honor).
TYRO
CRETHEUS
Wife of Cretheus, with
whom she has a son,
Aeson; she is also seduced by Posedion, to
whom she bears twins,
Pelias and Neleus.
King of Iolcus in
Thessaly.
Seizes the throne of
Iolcus upon death of
Cretheus.
NELEUS
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CHALCIOPE
Wife of Phrixus (in
some versions of the
tale, she marries
Phrixus when he lands
on Colchis).
AEETES
AESON
King of Colchis; challenges
Jason with difficult tasks
upon his arrival on Colchis
to prove his worthiness of
the fleece.
ABSYRTOS
Medea’s brother, killed
by Jason with Medea’s
aid as they flee Colchis with the Golden
Fleece.
Flees the Iolcus
with his wife,
Alcimede, when
Pelias assumes
throne.
MEDEA
Sorcerer and a priestess of
Hecate; the gods force her
to fall in love with Jason
and she betrays her family
to help him.
ALCIMIDE
Wife of Aeson;
son, Jason, is
born in hiding.
JASON
Returns to Iolcus when
he comes of age to
reclaim throne;
Pelias, commands him
to capture Golden
Fleece from Colchis.
Tree adapted from an
Image created by Chesire
Isaacs, Art Director, for the
Berkeley Repertory Theatre Study Guide.