Pelion could not but to be an integral part of the charming and magical world of the Greek Mythology.
Thousands of years ago, Mythology was created by the the desire of people to interpret the creation of the world, the earth, the sky, the sea, the universe, to explain the numerous natural phenomena and disasters, as well as their need to establish a particular framework in the societies that they formed.
Every ancient country and culture has their own myths, and surely ancient Mongolians and Celts would have their heroes, but the courageous Hercules is one of the most famous around the world. Additionally, the Indians of Amazon or the ancient Babylonians would have for sure a leader, who would had been invincible, but Zeus of the ancient Greeks is even more famous worldwide.
The Greek Mythology is known all over the world, it charms everyone and constitutes a subject of scientific study.
According to the Greek Mythology, Pelion was the place of residence of Gods in the summer and the homeland of Centaurs. On the high peaks and the dense vegetation of Pelion, the Centaurs who were unique mythological creatures, found their shelter. They were presented as part human and part horse. Half of their existence was mortal and the other half immortal... Their character was violent and aggressive, and they were fond of wine and women.
The wisest and calmest among Centaurs was Chiron. He lived in a cave in Pelion and he worked as a teacher - educator. He knew everything and he was an excellent hunter. He was healing wounds with mountain herbs and he was the one who taught the first doctor of humans, Asklipeios, the art of medicine. The students of his school were all the leaders of the Achaeans of the Trojan wars as well as great heroes, such as the Dioskouri Castor and Pollux, Meleager, Theseus, Telamonas, Nestor, etc. But the most important of all was the famous Achilles.
The imagination of ancient Greeks placed in Pelion magical and charming histories with Centaurs as their main heroes.
On the peak of the same mountain, into the foliage, the ancient cave of Zeus the Extreme was hidden, visited by the residents of the area, holding with animal skins, during the hottest and driest day of the year, in mid July, in order to ask Zeus to rain.
The voyage of Jason and the Argonauts to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the mythical land of Colchis was also organized in Pelion.
Jason was raised in Pelion and was a student of Chiron the Centaur. When he became 20-years-old, he left from Pelion and went to claim the throne from his uncle Pelias. While he was on his way, he lost one of his sandals. Pelias, the king of Lokrida in Thessaly, had received prophecies according to which he would be killed by a descendant of Aeolus and should be protected from a man who wore one sandal.
When Pelias saw Jason, and that he wore only one sandal on his right foot, in order to keep him away from himself, Pelias commanded Jason to retrieve the Golden Fleece from the mythical land of Colchis, promising that as long as he managed to fulfil this task, the throne would be his.
This was the cause of the voyage of Jason and other famous ancient Greek heroes, known as the Argonauts. Their ship was the well-known Argo, which was built with woods from Pelion and under the supervision of the Goddess Athena, who had placed on its prow a magical piece of timber from the sacred forest of Dodona, which could speak and render prophecies.
