In the tradition of Virgil's 'Aeneid', the Roman national epic of the Augustan era, Valerius Flaccus writes his 'Argonautica', the second Fate epic of Roman literature, in service of the idea of Rome and the ruling ideology of the Flavian dynasty. Within the divine world plan of Jupiter, Jason and his crew fulfill a world-historical mission: with the adventurous retrieval of the Golden Fleece from Colchis, the power of Asia initially shifts to Greece, only to be later teleologically transferred to Rome. Therefore, the Argonauts, like Aeneas, are filled with a sense of mission. This first ocean voyage overcomes barriers to trade and commerce, eliminates inhumane tyrants, and promotes the spread of Greek culture and civilization across the oecumene.