EURYTUS (king of Oechalia)

Conflict arose when Eurytus offered his daughter Iole as a prize for an archery contest, a decision driven by the fear that Heracles would kill any children he fathered.¹⁰ Despite Heracles's victory in the contest, Eurytus refused to give Iole to him, leading to a bitter dispute.^10,2 The tension escalated when Eurytus wrongly suspected Heracles of stealing cattle from Euboea, prompting Heracles to attack Oechalia to punish him.^11,8,7 Heracles was later ordered to pay compensation to Eurytus for the murder of Iphitus, but Neleus refused to purify him because of his friendship with Eurytus.¹¹

During a banquet, Eurytus insulted Heracles by claiming his sons were better archers, calling him a slave and a broken hulk, and threw the intoxicated hero out of his house.¹² In response, Heracles went to war against Eurytus's sons and later attacked the city with a mercenary army to fulfill an oath.^13,12 Heracles sacked the city, killing Eurytus's sons Toxeus, Molion, and Clytius, and took captive maidens as spoils for himself and the gods.^13,14,15 Heracles also stole a group of mares that Eurytus owned during this campaign.²

The war concluded with Heracles killing Eurytus during the assault on his city, conquering his household gods and overthrowing his kingdom.^16,8,15 After his death, Eurytus passed his bow down to his son, and his bones were kept in the Carnasian grove.^3,17 An offering to Eurytus was made at Oechalia before the mysteries of the great Goddesses, marking his enduring place in local worship.¹⁸