Phrixus
（
*Fri/cos), a son of Athamas and Nephele or of Athamas and Themisto (Schol.
ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.1144), and brother of Helle, and a grandson of Aeolus (
Apollon. 2.1141).
In consequence of the intrigues of his stepmother, Ino (others state that he offered himself), he was to be sacrificed to Zeus; but Nephele removed him and Helle, and the two then rode away on the ram with the golden fleece, the gift of Hermes, through the air.
According to Hyginus (
Hyg. Fab. 3), Phrixus and Helle were thrown by Dionysus into a state of madness, and while wandering about in a forest, they were removed by Nephele. Between Sigeum and the Chersonesus, Helle fell into the sea which was afterwards called after her the Hellespont; but Phrixus arrived in Colchis, in the kingdom of Aeetes, who gave him his daughter Chalciope in marriage (comp. Schol.
ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.1123, 1149). Phrixus sacriticed the rain which had carried him, to Zeus Phyxius or Laphystius (Schol.
ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.653;
Paus. 1.24.2), and gave its skin to Aeetes, who fastened it to an oak tree in the grove of Ares.
By Chalciope Phrixus became the father of Argus, Melas, Phrontis, Cytisorus, and Presbon (
Apollod. 1.9.1;
Hyg. Fab. 14;
Paus. 9.34.5; Schol.
ad Apollon. Rhod. 2.1123 ; Tzetz.
ad Lyc. 22;
Diod. 4.47). Phrixus died in old age in the kingdom of Aeetes, or, according to others, he was killed by Aeetes in consequence of an oracle (
Apollon. 2.1151 ;
Hyg. Fab. 3), or he returned to Orchomenus, in the country of the Minyans. (
Paus. 9.34.5 ; comp. ATHAMAS ; JASON.)
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