Colchis

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In ancient geography, Colchis (sometimes spelled also as Kolchis) (Greek: Κολχίς, kŏl´kĬs;) was a nearly triangular district in Caucasus. Now the western part of Georgia, it was in Greek mythology the home of Aeetes and Medea and the destination of the Argonauts. The ancient area is represented roughly by the present day Georgian provinces of Mingrelia, Imereti, Guria, Ajaria, Svaneti and Racha and also Abkhazia and the modern Turkish Rize Province and parts of Trabzon and Artvin Province.


Colchis in Greek mythology

According to the Greek mythology, Colchis was a fabulously wealthy land situated on the mysterious periphery of the heroic world. Here in the sacred grove of the war god Ares, King Aeetes hung the Golden Fleece until it was seized by Jason and the Argonauts. Colchis was also the land where the mythological Prometheus was punished by being chained to a mountain while an eagle ate at his liver for revealing to humanity the secret of fire. Amazons also were said to be of Scythian origin from Colchis.

The main mythical characters from Colchis are Aeetes, Medea, Apsyrtus, Chalciope, Circe, Eidyia, Pasiphae.

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