Golden Fleece hangs from an apple tree. Jason's helper in the Athenian vase-paintings is not Medea— who had a history in Athens as the opponent of Theseus— but Athena. The very early origin of the myth in preliterate times means that during the more than a millennium when it was to some degree part of the fabric of culture, its perceived significance likely passed through numerous developments. Several euhemeristic attempts to interpret the Golden Fleece "realistically" as reflecting some physical cultural object or alleged historical practice have been made. For example, in the 20th century, some scholars suggested that the story of
Golden Fleece (horse) Fleece did not race again in 1981, but his form was boosted when Assert won the Beresford Stakes by four lengths. In the spring of 1982, Golden Fleece established himself as a leading contender for the Derby by winning the Ballymoss Stakes at the Curragh and the Nijinsky Stakes at Leopardstown. His participation in the Classic was briefly put in doubt by a minor training injury, but he made a quick recovery. In the Epsom Derby, Golden Fleece started the 3/1 favourite in a field of eighteen runners. His task was made slightly easier by the late withdrawal of his