The Golden Fleece as a Model of Techno-Natural Assemblages
Abstract
The essay examines the myth of the Golden Fleece – the ram with the golden fleece that carried Phrixus to Colchis – as a mutable assemblage of Nature and Culture, a fluid and relational construct shaped by material, cultural, and technological interactions. The research focuses on two historical interpretations of the Golden Fleece, related to its geological origins and its alchemical interpretation. The myth seems to be connected to ancient gold collection techniques, since sheep’s fleeces were used in the gold-bearing rivers of ancient Colchis to collect particles of the precious metal. At the same time, due to its divine nature, the Fleece was considered to symbolize an alchemical manual on the craftmanship of gold-making. These techno-natural manifestations of the myth are analyzed here through the lens of new materialism. The article presents how the myth unveils the posthuman synergies that contributed to the evolution of technics of the past, as well as a relational ethics regarding the interconnectedness of matter, technology, and the environment in a contemporary context.
Article Details
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Strouza, S. (2025). The Golden Fleece as a Model of Techno-Natural Assemblages. Αutomaton: Journal of Digital Media and Culture, 3(2), 55–79. Retrieved from https://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/automaton/article/view/42671
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