The Argonauts and the Island of Elba

The myth of the Argonauts is one of the most famous and fascinating stories in Greek mythology. Legendary heroes, under the guidance of Jason, boarded the ship Argo and embarked on an adventurous journey that led them to the hostile lands of Colchis to conquer the golden fleece.

The origin of the legend of the Argonauts on the Island of Elba is based on various stories and testimonies from classical authors. One of the first to write about Elba was Diodorus Siculus (90-20 BC), who tells us that the Argonauts, sailing through the Tyrrhenian Sea in search of the golden fleece, stopped at an island called Aethalia.

According to the legend, the island called Aethalia was none other than the Island of Elba!

The myth further tells that the Argonauts, landing at the Ghiaie beach, later named Argo, wiped the sweat from their bodies with the white and porous pebbles of the beach. Following the legend, it seems that it was the sweat of the heroic sailors that stained the pebbles with black-blue drops, making them distinctive and unmistakable.