Why did Pelias fear the man with only one sandal?

• A. It indicated a rightful claim to the throne as his nephew.
• B. It signaled the coming of a god's anger.
• C. It warned of a traitor in his kingdom.
• D. It marked the end of Pelias's rule.

Answer: (A)

Signs and prophecies in myths often drive a ruler’s choices and fears. In this story, the man with only one sandal is a potent sign: it marks him as Pelias’s nephew who is destined to claim the throne. A prophecy had warned that Pelias would be overthrown by a one-sandaled man, so when Pelias sees that missing sandal on a potential successor, he recognizes a legitimate heir coming to challenge his rule. That recognition explains his fear—it's not just any visitor, but someone who could rightful- ly take the throne from him because of familial connection and the foretold claim.

The other ideas don’t fit as well. It isn’t about anger from the gods, or about a traitor in the kingdom, or about the end of Pelias’s rule on its own—the sandal signals a rightful, prophesied claim to the throne, specifically through his nephew.