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Hephaestus, god of technology, was hard at[br]work on his most ingenious invention yet.

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He was creating a new defense [br]system for King Minos,

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who wanted fewer intruders on his [br]island kingdom of Crete.

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But mortal guards and ordinary [br]weapons wouldn’t suffice,

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so the visionary god devised an [br]indomitable new defender.

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In the fires of his forge,

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Hephaestus cast his invention in [br]the shape of a giant man.

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Made of gleaming bronze; endowed with [br]superhuman strength,

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and powered by ichor, [br]the life fluid of the gods,

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this automaton was unlike anything [br]Hephaestus had forged before.

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The god named his creation Talos: [br]the first robot.

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Three times a day, the bronze guardian [br]marched around the island's perimeter

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searching for interlopers.

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When he identified ships [br]approaching the coast,

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he hurled massive boulders [br]into their path.

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If any survivors made it ashore,

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he would heat his metal body red-hot [br]and crush victims to his chest.

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Talos was intended to fulfill his duties [br]day after day, with no variation.

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But despite his robotic behavior,

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he possessed an internal life his victims [br]could scarcely imagine.

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And soon,

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the behemoth would encounter a ship [br]of invaders that would test his mettle.

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The bedraggled crew of Jason, Medea, [br]and the Argonauts

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were returning from their hard-won quest [br]to retrieve the Golden Fleece.

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Their adventure had taken [br]many dark turns,

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and the weary sailors were desperate [br]to rest in a safe harbor.

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They’d heard tales of Crete’s invulnerable[br]bronze colossus,

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and made for a sheltered cove.

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But before they could even drop anchor, [br]Talos spotted them.

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While the Argonauts cowered at the [br]approach of the awesome automaton,

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the sorceress Medea spotted a glinting [br]bolt on the robot’s ankle—

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and devised a clever gambit.

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Medea offered Talos a bargain:

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she claimed that she could [br]make Talos immortal

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in exchange for removing the bolt.

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Medea's promise resonated deep [br]within his core.

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Unaware of his own mechanical nature,

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and human enough to long for [br]eternal life, Talos agreed.

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While Medea muttered incantations, [br]Jason removed the bolt.

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As Medea suspected, the bolt was a [br]weak point in Hephaestus’ design.

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The ichor flowed out like molten lead, [br]draining Talos of his power source.

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The robot collapsed with [br]a thunderous crash,

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and the Argonauts were free [br]to travel home.

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This story, first recorded in [br]roughly 700 BCE,

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raises some familiar anxieties [br]about artificial intelligence—

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and even provides an ancient [br]blueprint for science fiction.

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But according to historians, ancient [br]robots were more than just myths.

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By the 4th century BCE,

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Greek engineers began making [br]actual automatons

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including robotic servants and [br]flying models of birds.

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None of these creations were [br]as famous as Talos,

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who appeared on Greek coins, vase [br]paintings, public frescoes,

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and in theatrical performances.

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Even 2,500 years ago,

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Greeks had already begun to investigate [br]the uncertain line

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between human and machine.

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And like many modern myths about [br]artificial intelligence,

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Talos’ tale is as much about his robotic [br]heart as it is about his robotic brain.

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Illustrating the demise of Talos on a [br]vase of the fifth century BCE,

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one painter captured the dying [br]automaton’s despair

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with a tear rolling down his bronze cheek.