In Greek mythology, the ram with the golden fleece was given to Nephele of Thessaly by Hermes for her to transport her children, Helle and Phrixus, away from Ino. The ram flew eastwards and while Helle fell into the sea (at the point named Hellespont) Phrixus was carried to Colchis. Phrixus sacrificed the ram to Zeus and presented its fleece to the king of Colchis, Ĉetes.
Jason and the Argonauts tried to take the fleece from Colchis to enable Jason to claim his inheritance. Overcoming many hazards, they eventually recovered the fleece with the help of Medea, who married Jason.
The legend of the fleece has been explained by the way that early gold prospectors in what is now Georgia searched for gold in the rivers by trawling with a sheep's fleece.
For more details, see Jason.