Eurytus' grandfather was
Apollo, the archer-god, and was also a famed archer. Eurytus has been noted by some as the one who taught
Heracles the art of archery.
Mythology
Contest with a god
According to
Homer, Eurytus became so proud of his archery skills that he challenged Apollo. The god killed Eurytus for his presumption, and Eurytus' bow was passed to Iphitus, who later gave the bow to his friend
Odysseus.[10] It was this bow that Odysseus used to kill the
suitors who had wanted to take his wife,
Penelope.
Sacking of Oechalia
A more familiar version of Eurytus' death involves a feud with Heracles. Eurytus promised the hand of his daughter Iole as a prize to whoever could defeat him and his sons in an archery contest. Heracles won the archery contest, but Eurytus and his sons (except Iphitus) reneged on the promise and refused to give up lole, fearing that Heracles would go mad and kill any children he had with Iole, just as he had slain the children whom he had had with
Megara.[11]
Heracles left in anger, and soon after twelve of Eurytus' mares were stolen. Some have written that Heracles stole the mares himself, while others have said that
Autolycus stole the mares and sold them to Heracles. In the search for the mares, Iphitus, who was convinced of Heracles's innocence, invited Heracles to help and stayed as Heracles's guest at
Tiryns. Heracles invited Iphitus to the top of the palace walls and, in a fit of anger, threw Iphitus to his death. For this crime, Heracles was forced to serve the
Lydian queen
Omphale as a slave for either one or three years.
After Heracles had married
Deianeira, he returned to Oechalia with an army. Revenge-driven, Heracles sacked the city and killed Eurytus and his sons, then took Iole as his concubine.[12] According to a tradition in
Athenaeus, the hero put them to death because they had demanded a tribute from the
Euboeans.[13]
According to
Pausanias, the remains of the body of Eurytus were believed to be preserved in the Carnasian grove; and in the
Messenian Oechalia sacrifices were offered to him every year.[14]
Pausanias, Description of Greece with an English Translation by W.H.S. Jones, Litt.D., and H.A. Ormerod, M.A., in 4 Volumes. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1918.
Online version at the Perseus Digital Library
Theocritus, Idylls from The Greek Bucolic Poets translated by Edmonds, J M. Loeb Classical Library Volume 28. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. 1912.
Online version at theoi.com