OENOMAUS (father of Hippodamia; son of Ares)

An oracle warned Oenomaus that he would die by the man who married his daughter, leading him to prevent any man from taking Hippodamia as a wife.^10,1 Despite this, many men sought to marry his daughter, and Oenomaus engaged them in chariot races to determine control of Pisa.^11,5,12 He performed sacrifices to Warlike Zeus before starting these races, driving a team of four horses or a yoked pair from Pisea.^13,4,14 Myrtilus served as his charioteer, and Oenomaus possessed chariot skills and swift horses that Ares had provided.^15,1,8,16

When suitors approached his daughter during the race, Oenomaus shot them down, using his spear to kill those he overtook.^11,1 He killed thirteen men who sought to marry his daughter, including Alcathus, the son of Porthaon, who wooed Hippodamia.^10,6,17,18 Other victims included Euryalus, Eurymachus, Crotalus, and Acrias, who was likely a Lacedaemonian and founder of Acriae.^18,19 The list of the slain also comprised Capetus, Lycurgus, Lasius, Chalcodon, Tricolonus, Aristomachus, Prias, Pelagon, Aeolius, Cronius, and Marmax, the first suitor to arrive.^19,20 Oenomaus buried these suitors together without showing them any respect, while his mares, frightened by Myrtilus's trick or a buried object, were kept in stables whose ruins stand above his tomb.^21,22,17,23

Pelops, the Lydian, offered sacrifices to Cydonian Athena before competing against Oenomaus.^2,24 Oenomaus chased Pelops while possessing two horses, eager to pierce the back of his rival during the pursuit.^25,5 However, Myrtilus betrayed Oenomaus after being induced by an oath from Pelops, leading to the breaking of the chariot's axle.^26,27,5 Oenomaus fell from his chariot when the axle broke, and Pelops defeated and put him down.^27,5,2 Some accounts claim that Atreus killed Oenomaus when he won Hippodamia, though Pelops is the primary victor in most tellings.^28,2 Oenomaus cursed Myrtilus after discovering his treachery, and the glory of the chariot race endures despite his impious actions and broken axles.^27,29

He appears to have personally constructed an altar to Zeus of the Courtyard, and his tomb is a mound of earth surrounded by a stone wall.^30,23 Oenomaus founded the city of Harpina and named it after his mother, Harpina, leaving a legacy of power and many children alongside his successor Pelops.^31,32 While some accounts claim he loved his daughter deeply, he bedewed his face with plenteous tears while mourning, a man whose evil soul was marked by the dust of his cruel pursuits.^10,7,8