Euthymus of Locri

Fr. 98

   Εὐθύμου τὰ μὲν ὅσσα παραὶ Διὶ Πῖσαν ἔχοντι 

    Fr. 98 Harder (= 98 = 99 Pf., = 201 + 202 Mass.) P.Mil.Vogl. I 18
       col. IV 5 [image], 
    Trismegistos 59371

    This is a second story about an Olympic victor, the boxing champion Euthymus of Locri, that places heroes of the Trojan War in a bad light again. The region is Temesa, a city of the Brutii in South Italy, where one of Odysseus’ crewmen was left on the shore during the return voyage from Troy. The crewman raped a local woman and was stoned to death. In expiation, the locals were required to appease his ghost by leaving him a bed and a virgin as an annual tribute. Euthymus put an end to the practice. The story is well attested: versions occur in both Pausanias (6.6.4-11) and Strabo (6.1.5, 255C).

    Fr. 98

    Εὔθυμος -ου, ὁ: Euthymus, an Olympic boxing champion, from Temesa

    Πίσα -ης, ἡ: a city of Elis on the Alpheos near Olympia, and so, Olympia itself 

    Fr. 99a Harder (=Diegesis IV 5-17; 1.103 Pf.) P.Mil.Vogl. I 18 col. IV 5-17 [image], Trismegistos 59371

           Εὐθύμου τὰ μὲν ὅσσα παραὶ Διὶ Πῖσαν ἔχοντι

                   ὅ[τ]ι ἐν Τεμέσῃ ἥρως περίλοιπος τῆς Ὀ-

                   δυσσέως νεὼς ἐδασμοφόρει ἐπιχω-

                   ρ[ίου]ς τε καὶ ὁμόρους, οὓς κομίζοντας

    5            αὐτῷ κλίνην καὶ κόρην ἐπίγαμον

                   ἐάσαντας ἀπέρχεσθαι ἀμεταστρε-

                   πτεί, ἕωθε[ν] δὲ τοὺς γονεῖς ἀντὶ παρ-

                   θέ[ν]ου γυ[ναῖ]κα κομίζεσθαι. τὸν δὲ

                   δ[ασ]μὸν [τοῦ]τον ἀπέλυσεν Εὔθυμος

    10          πύκτης [. .].λέξας τὰς [τῷ ἥρ]ωϊ κυ-

                   ν. .ζ[. . . . . .]φηαφης[. . . . . . . .]. . .

                   πρ.[                      ]το.[          

                   συ[                               ]. .[           

                   lines 14-17 are missing

     

    "Of Euthymus all the things in (the temple) of Zeus, who rules at Pisa"

         that in Temesa a hero, a survivor of Odysseus'

         ship, forced the people of the area

         and their neighbors to pay tribute

         to him: they had to bring a couch and a marriagable5

         girl to him and go away without looking back, leaving 

         them behind; the next morning the parents could 

         take away the girl as a woman. 

         The boxer Euthymus put an end to this

         tribute . . .10

    Fr. 98

    of Euthymus all the things at (the temple) of Zeus who rules at Pisa

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    Suggested Citation

    Susan Stephens, Callimachus: Aetia. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2015. ISBN: 978-1-947822-07-8.https://dcc.dickinson.edu/callimachus-aetia/book-4/euthymus-locri