In the time of the revolt of the lower _Egypt_ under _Osarsiphus_, and the retirement of _Amenophis_ into _Ethiopia_, _Egypt_ being then in the greatest distraction, the _Greeks_ built the ship _Argo_, and sent in it the flower of _Greece_ to _Æetes_ in _Colchis_, and to many other Princes on the coasts of the _Euxine_ and _Mediterranean_ seas; and this ship was built after the pattern of an _Egyptian_ ship with fifty oars, in which _Danaus_ with his fifty daughters a few years before fled from _Egypt_ into _Greece_, and was the first long ship with sails built by the _Greeks_: and such an improvement of navigation, with a design to send the flower of _Greece_ to many Princes upon the sea-coasts of the _Euxine_ and _Mediterranean_ seas, was too great an undertaking to be set on foot, without the concurrence of the Princes and States of _Greece_, and perhaps the approbation of the _Amphictyonic_ Council; for it was done by the dictate of the Oracle. This Council met every half year upon state-affairs for the welfare of _Greece_, and therefore knew of this expedition, and might send the _Argonauts_ upon an embassy to the said Princes; and for concealing their design might make the fable of the golden fleece, in relation to the ship of _Phrixus_ whose ensign was a golden ram: and probably their design was to notify the distraction of _Egypt_, and the invasion thereof by the _Ethiopians_ and _Israelites_, to the said Princes, and to persuade them to take that opportunity to revolt from _Egypt_, and set up for themselves, and make a league with the _Greeks_: for the _Argonauts_ went through [326] the Kingdom of _Colchis_ by land to the _Armenians_, and through _Armenia_ to the _Medes_; which could not have been done if they had not made friendship with the nations through which they passed: they visited also _Laomedon_ King of the _Trojans_, _Phineus_ King of the _Thracians_, _Cyzicus_ King of the _Doliones_, _Lycus_ King of the _Mariandyni_, the coasts of _Mysia_ and _Taurica Chersonesus_, the nations upon the _Tanais_, the people about _Byzantium_, and the coasts of _Epirus_, _Corsica_, _Melita_, _Italy_, _Sicily_, _Sardinia_, and _Gallia_ upon the _Mediterranean_; and from thence they [327] crossed the sea to _Afric_, and there conferred with _Euripylus_ King of _Cyrene_: and [328] _Strabo_ tells us that _in _Armenia_ and _Media_, and the neighbouring places, there were frequent monuments of the expedition of _Jason_; as also about _Sinope_, and its sea-coasts, the _Propontis_ and the _Hellespont_, and in the _Mediterranean__: and a message by the flower of _Greece_ to so many nations could be on no other account than state-policy; these nations had been invaded by the _Egyptians_, but after this expedition we hear no more of their continuing in subjection to _Egypt_.