OXYLUS (son of Haemon, mythical king of Elis)

Forced to leave Aetolia after becoming an outlaw, Oxylus spent a year in exile before returning to Aetolia.^6,3 He attacked the Epeii occupying Elis, and the Aetolians ejected them to take possession of the country.⁷ During this conflict, he accidentally killed a man while throwing a quoit and missing the target, though accounts differ on the victim's identity.⁶ One account claims the man he killed was his own brother, Thermius, while another states the victim was Alcidocus, the son of Scopius.⁶

Oxylus commanded the Aetolians who returned with the Heracleidae, guiding them and dividing the hostile territory among them.^8,7 He advised the Dorians to invade the Peloponnesus by sea rather than by land, leading their fleet from Naupactus to Molycrium.⁹ The Dorians granted him the land of Elis in exchange for his guidance, and the Eleians admitted his army into their country.^9,10 He suspected the sons of Aristomachus would refuse to cede Elis because it was fertile, so he led the Dorians through Arcadia instead of directly through Elis.¹¹ Soldiers from his army were dispatched to spy on activities within Elis, reaching the town walls unnoticed by maintaining strict silence.¹²

Upon acquiring the kingdom, Oxylus settled Aetolian colonists among the locals and shared the land with them.¹³ He permitted the Epeans to retain their existing possessions and maintained traditional honors for heroes, particularly the worship of Augeas.¹³ His group extended the boundaries of Hollow Elis, gained possession of a large part of the Pisatis, and subjected Olympia to their power.⁸ He persuaded villagers living near the city wall to move into the city, which increased the population and made Elis larger and more prosperous.¹⁴ The Aetolians assumed superintendence of the temple at Olympia from the Epeii, and an oath confirmed that Eleian territory was sacred to Zeus.⁷

Oxylus received an oracle from Delphi instructing him to find a descendant of Pelops, which he diligently searched for.¹⁴ He discovered Agorius, a descendant of Orestes, and brought him from Helice in Achaia to serve as a co-founder, along with a small group of Achaeans.¹⁴ He granted specific privileges to the place called Dius, and the temple of Hera was built eight years after he began ruling.^13,2 Oxylus was responsible for celebrating the Olympic games during his time, and his reign marked the period before the festival was discontinued.¹⁵ A descendant of Oxylus, Iphitus, later reestablished the Olympic festival and truce, after which Oxylus's descendants served as sole presidents of the games.^16,17 He is also associated with tree-nymph daughters, including Carya and Balanus, and a son named Suke who is associated with the fig-tree.¹⁸ Oxylus had a son named Laias, who inherited the kingdom from him, ensuring the continuity of his line in Elis.^5,16