"In the long course of human history---or at least that portion of it which we have chosen to call civilized---the quest for treasure runs like a glittering thread through the literature and traditions of nearly all cultures. It has been the stuff of magic, strung with the gossamer of legend, and woven into one epic tapestry after another, typified by Jason's odyssey in search of the golden fleece and the golden apples of the sun.".