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PELLEUS. Pelias, Jason's uncle, usurped the throne of Iolchos in Thessaly from old Aeson, his half-brother. He sent Jason in search of the Golden Fleece of the Ram of Phrixus, hoping to rid himself of the heir and thus rule the kingdom (HDT I). Jason, aided by Medea, successfully brought back the Fleece to Iolchos. Medea then restored his old father Aeson to youth. Impressed by this feat, Pelias's daughters requested the same restoration for their father. But Medea omitted part of the charm and substituted different herbs in the cauldron, from which experiment Pelias died (Met VII.179-349).

Chaucer begins the Legend of Hypsipyle with the story of Pelias's usurpation of the Iolchian throne, LGW 1396-1450. He cites Guido, HDT 1-111; LGW 1390, and Argonauticon by Valerius Flaccus, LGW 1457, as his sources for Jason's story.

Pelleus, the ME variant, occurs three times medially, LGW 1400, 1409, 1439, and once in final rhyming position, LGW 1397.

Guido delle Colonne, Guido de Columnis: HDT, ed. N.E. Griffin, 3-33; ibid., HDT, trans. M.E. Meek, 1-32; Valerius Flaccus, Argonauticon, ed. and trans. J.H. Mozley.
From CHAUCER NAME DICTIONARY
Copyright © 1988, 1996 Jacqueline de Weever
Published by Garland Publishing, Inc., New York and London.
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