in fabulous history, was a son of Athamas, king of Thebes, by Nephele. When his mother was repudiated, he was persecuted with the most invertebrate fury by his stepmother Ino, because he was to sit on the throne of Athamas, in preference to the children of a second wife. His mother, or, according to others, his preceptor, apprised him of Ino's intentions upon his life; and, the better to make his escape, he secured part of his father's treasures, and privately left Boeotia with his sister Helle, to proceed to the court of Æetes, king of Colchis. They embarked on board a ship, or, as we are informed by the poets and mythologists, they mounted on the back of a ram, whose fleece was of gold, and proceeded on their journey through the air. The height to which they were carried rendered Helle giddy, and she fell into the sea. Phryxus gave his sister a decent burial on the sea-shore, and after he had called the place *Hellespont*, from her name, he continued his flight, and arrived safely in the kingdom of Æetes, where he offered the ram on the altar of Mars. The king received him with great tenderness, and gave him in marriage Chalciope, his daughter, by whom he had Phrontis Melas and Argos Cyllindrus, whom some call Cytorus. He was afterwards murdered by his father-in-law, who envied him the possession of the golden fleece; and Chalciope, to prevent her children from sharing their father's fate, sent them privately from Colchis to Boeotia, the jealousy or resentment of Ino, who was then dead, being no longer to be dreaded. The fable of the flight of Phryxus to Colchis on a ram has been explained by some, who observe, that the ship in which he embarked was either called by that name, or carried on her prow a figure of that animal. The fleece of gold is accounted for by observing that Phryxus carried away immense treasures from Thebes. Phryxus was placed after death amongst the constellations of heaven. The ram which carried him to Asia is said to have been the fruit of Neptune's amour with Theophane the daughter of Altis. This ram the gods had given to Athamas to reward his piety and religious life; and Nephele procured it for her children, just as they were going to be sacrificed to the jealousy of Ino. The murder of Phryxus was some time afterwards amply revenged by the Greeks, having occasioned the famous expedition under Jason and many of the princes of Greece, which had for its object the recovery of the golden fleece, and the punishment of the king of Colchis for his cruelty to the son of Athamas.