In the 13th century before the Trojan War and long before
Odysseus's voyage Argonauts started on a dangerous trip across
the Ungracious Sea to get the Golden Fleece. The "north" route
of their sailing seems to mythologists to be the most logical
one because it corresponds to the spreading of Greek
settlements on the Black Sea Coast. We definitively know that
Greeks witnessed a heavy earthquake which took place in the
North Caucasus at that time: "The last bay (possible the Azov
Sea) and the brutal dwelling of Prometheus come in sight from
there, and also Caucasus rising to the cold Bears.That day
accidentally led to that place (Heracles) too for him to
change the fate of the titan, and rocking the brutal fetters
in different ways with great efforts..., he grabbed them with
his hands and tore them out of the foot of the rock; great
Caucasus thundered and following the peak of the mountain logs
fell into the sea an the rivers were drawn aside of it... At a
closer distance one can hear moaning sound (of iron) hollow
roar of the mountain when the rocks are being torn down and
heavy moans of the titan when his members chained to the
cliffs are being detached... (Argonauts) in the sea are only
wondering that the split shores are being covered with snow
and rocks are breaking, and together they are marveling at the
giant shade of the dying bird falling down and at the black
rain of its blood flowing in the air." (Gaius Valery Flakk,
the 1st century A.D.). For a long time there had been an
opinion that this tragedy took place on Mountain Elbrus. The
idea was that speaking of gods Greeks could lay the scene only
on the highest mountain of the Caucasus. This version is
beneath all criticism - in a well-known tragedy by Aischylos
(the first record about the titan remained, the 5th century
B.C.) Prometeus being already chained to the rock tells the
daughter of a river god the way to Elbrus: "Now you turn to
the East... And go straight on... Until you get to Caucasus,
the greatest of mountains..." This is indeed the right way to
Elbrus - eastward from Fisht!
